Researchers from the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington plan to use recreational sports, in the form of basketball, soccer and volleyball after-school programs, to help boys and girls in Ghana avoid problems associated with substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.
Funded with a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of State-Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, the IU team will work with partners at the University of Cape Coast and local government officials in Apewosika Township, a rural area along the Gulf of Guinea, to train the coaches and sport personnel needed to conduct the after-school programs.
"Sports is the tool to reach youth and help them enjoy healthier lives," said Sarah Young, associate professor in the School of Public Health's Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies. "These are youth with average or below average sports skills. They are not elite athletes, but they just want to play sports and have fun."
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