Exploring Therapeutic Power of Football in Rehabilitation Process among Wounded Children and Youth in Rwanda

Authors

  • Appoline Kabera Bazubagira University of Tourism Technology and Business Studies (UTB)
  • Christine Kapita Umumararungu University of Lay Adventists of Kigali

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47604/ijp.3515

Keywords:

Football, Rehabilitation, Wounded

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the transformative power of football in addressing psychological trauma and promoting holistic healing among disadvantaged children and youth in Rwanda. Drawing from Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the research assesses how football intersects with multiple environmental systems such as microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem to support physical, psychological, emotional, social and cognitive development.

Methodology: Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussion and interviews from 110 respondents with at least three years of football involvement considering the age interval ranged between 12 and 22.

Findings: Findings reveal that football significantly contributes to emotional recovery, self-esteem, resilience, identity reconstruction and social reintegration for children and youth affected by various traumatic backgrounds. The study disclosed an average improvement of 89.2% of Physical development, 80.2% of psychological development, 72.5% of emotional development, 74.2% of social development and 76.1% of cognitive development. Despite positive outcomes, significant challenges remain, especially for individuals from socioeconomically marginalized backgrounds. Their holistic development is often hindered by limited access to resources, unresolved trauma, emotional vulnerability and experiences of social exclusion within team dynamics. The study concludes that football is more than a game; it is a therapeutic space that fosters healing, nurtures life skills and rebuilds the lives of traumatized children and youth. The research offers evidence-based insights for educators, policymakers, NGOs and practitioners seeking holistic, culturally relevant approaches to healing and youth development.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends the adoption of football as a therapeutic intervention, given its demonstrated effectiveness in supporting trauma recovery. It further advocates for inclusive, community-based football initiatives as essential mechanisms for psychosocial healing, capable of addressing both individual trauma and broader systemic inequalities.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bazubagira, K. A & Umumararungu, K. C (2023). Street children’s self-reliance: A response to early childhood traumatic memories. Kigali: RECLAPITHE. ISBN 978-99977-704-8-6, RELO.

Bazubagira, A. K. (2023). La mémoire collective. Un préalable pour le développement post conflits. Se souvenir, comprendre et réconcilier. Le travail de mémoire comme chemin pour la construction d'une paix durable. 299-319.

Bazubagira, A. K. & Umumararungu, K. C (2020). Self-reliance, a response to early childhood trauma among street children. In International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science. 9(6), 183-190.

Borg, A. F., Falzon, R., & Muscat, A. (2021). Psychological implications and rehabilitation programmes due to football‐related injuries. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(4), 882-898.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press.

Burakgazi, S. G. (2025). The ecological model of human development. In Exploring Adult Education Through Learning Theory (pp. 325-342). IGI Global.

Campbell, K. L. (2024). Heal to Lead: Revolutionizing Leadership Through Trauma Healing. John Wiley & Sons.

Christensen, C. (2020). Building Connection in a Broken System: How Addressing Shame and Disconnection Increases Student Achievement and Belonging (Doctoral dissertation, California State University, Northridge).

Clinebell, H. (2013). Ecotherapy: Healing ourselves, healing the earth. Routledge.

Cross Jr, W. E. (2017). Ecological factors in human development. Child development, 88(3), 767-769.

Dandurand, Y., & Heidt, J. (2022). Youth crime prevention and sports: an evaluation of sport-based programmes and their effectiveness. Policy Press.

El Zaatari, W., & Maalouf, I. (2022). How the Bronfenbrenner bio-ecological system theory explains the development of students’ sense of belonging to school? Sage Open, 12(4), 21582440221134089.

Enright, R. D. (2019). Forgiveness is a choice: A step-by-step process for resolving anger and restoring hope. American Psychological Association.

Flood, F. (2018). Reframing trauma: The transformative power of meaning in life, work, and community. Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders, 2(5), 145-166.

Gupta, A., & Gupta, N. (2022). Research methodology. SBPD Publications.

Garavan, T., Wang, J., Nolan, C., Lai, Y., O'Brien, F., Darcy, C., ... & McLean, G. (2023). Putting the individual and context back into national human resource development research: A systematic review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 25(1), 152-175.

Guest, A. M. (2021). Soccer in mind: a thinking fan's guide to the global game. Rutgers University Press.

Guy-Evans, O. (2020). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Simply Psychology.

Holt, N. L., Neely, K. C., Slater, L. G., et al. (2017). A grounded theory of positive youth development through sport based on results from a qualitative meta-study. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10(1), 1–49.

Kaushik, D., Garg, M., & Mishra, A. (2023). Exploring developmental pathways: An in-depth analysis of Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 5(6).

Kemal, S., Nwabuo, A., & Hoffmann, J. (2023). Mental health and violence in children and adolescents. Pediatric Clinics, 70(6), 1201-1215.

Kitchin, R. and Tate N. (2013). Conducting Research in Human Geography. Theory, Methodology and Practice. London : Routledge.

Kuhn, G. (2019). Soccer vs. the state: Tackling football and radical politics. PM Press.

Kumar, A. & Praveenakumar, S. G. (2025). Research methodology. Authors Click Publishing.

Landrum, G. N. (2006). Empowerment: The Competitive Edge in Sports, Business & Life. Brendan Kelly Publishing Inc.

Macy, J., & Brown, M. Y. (2014). Coming back to life: The guide to the work that reconnects. New Society Publishers.

Martín-Rodríguez, A., Gostian-Ropotin, L. A., Beltrán-Velasco, A. I., Belando-Pedreño, N., Simón, J. A., López-Mora, C., ... & Clemente-Suárez, V. J. (2024). Sporting mind: the interplay of physical activity and psychological health. Sports, 12(1), 37.

McSweeney, M., Lu, L., & Kikulis, L. (2024). ‘When we meet, we play football, it reminds me of home': emotions, institutional work, and sport-for-development and peace. European Sport Management Quarterly, 24(1), 8-33.

Roth, M. S. (2011). Memory, trauma, and history: Essays on living with the past. Columbia University Press.

Rus, A. V., Lee, W. C., Salas, B. D., Parris, S. R., Webster, R. D., Lobo, A. R., ... & Popa, C. (2020). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory and the experience of institutionalization of Romanian children. New approaches in behavioral sciences, 237-251.

Saunders, M.N.K., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019). Research Methods Business Students,8th Edition. New York: Pearson.

Singh, R. (2022). Sports psychology. KK Publications.

UNICEF. (2018). The violence against children and youth survey (VACYS): Rwanda 2015–2016.

United Nations Children's Fund. https://www.unicef.org/rwanda/reports/violence-against-children-youth-survey.

Van Wormer, K. S. & Besthorn, F. H. (2017). Human behavior and the social environment, macro level: Groups, communities, and organizations. Oxford University Press.

Vélez-Agosto, N. M., Soto-Crespo, J. G., Vizcarrondo-Oppenheimer, M., Vega-Molina, S., & García Coll, C. (2017). Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory revision: Moving culture from the macro into the micro. Perspectives on psychological science, 12(5), 900-910.

Villaveces, A., Shankar, V., Palomeque, F., Padilla, M., & Kress, H. (2022). Association between violence and mental distress, self-harm and suicidal ideation and attempts among young people in Malawi. Injury prevention, 28(5), 446-452.

Winfrey, O., & Perry, B. (2021). What happened to you?: Conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing. Boxtree.

Witzig, R. (2006). The global art of soccer. CusiBoy Publishing.

Downloads

Published

2025-09-22

How to Cite

Bazubagira, A., & Umumararungu, C. (2025). Exploring Therapeutic Power of Football in Rehabilitation Process among Wounded Children and Youth in Rwanda. International Journal of Psychology, 10(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.47604/ijp.3515

Issue

Section

Articles