News & Events / News / Sport can prevent young people seeking acceptance in ‘wrong places’ – Fox

Sport can prevent young people seeking acceptance in ‘wrong places’ – Fox

“Can we offer belonging first?” is the simple question that sits at the heart of global efforts to prevent youth crime through sport, according to internationally-renowned sports leader Stephan Fox.

The President of United Through Sports and Secretary General of the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) asked the question during the latest webinar hosted by the Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention (SYCP) Initiative.

Fox argued that many young people become vulnerable to gangs, violence and criminal networks not because they are destined for crime, but because they are searching for acceptance, identity and community.

DIFFICULT

That belief has inspired one of United Through Sport’s flagship programmes ‘Sport Is Your Gang’ which uses martial arts and combat sports to provide young people with a positive alternative to criminal groups. “We believe crime often begins when young people seek acceptance in the wrong places,” Fox said. “Many are not born into crime, they’re born into difficult circumstances.”

The challenge for sport organisations, he argued, is clear: to offer that sense of belonging first.

The message resonated strongly with webinar attendees, including representatives from the 11 organisations across Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam that are delivering the SYCP Initiative. This groundbreaking programme was initiated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Agence française de développement (AFD) in 2025, and implementation is being supported by a consortium co-ordinated by the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice.

Across Southeast Asia, the initiative is demonstrating and exploring how sport can strengthen communities, prevent youth offending and create safer, more resilient futures for young people. It provides an excellent example of another key aspect highlighted by Fox – the need for effective collaboration.

Fox reflected: “Co-operation is key. No government, no federation, no NGO, no agency, no community can solve all these challenges alone.”

United Through Sports, a global network of 157 organisations promoting inclusion and non-discrimination, is helping more than 50,000 young people find hope, purpose and opportunity through sport as opposed to the pull of gangs or crime.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Fox explained: “Sport changes lives because it gives people something every one of us needs. It gives us hope, it gives us belonging, it gives us purpose and it gives us opportunity.

“Martial arts provide an alternative family built on respect, friendship, responsibility, accountability and mutual support. When young people feel connected to a positive community, they begin to believe in themselves. When we believe in ourselves, then we start to believe in the future.”

Fox also argued that sport’s role extends far beyond participation. “Sport is not simply about participation,” he said. “It’s about prevention, it’s about protection and creating opportunities before problems arise.”

The same philosophy underpins his work in rehabilitation and reintegration. Through programmes delivered in juvenile centres, prisons and disadvantaged communities, martial arts is being used to support people who are seeking another chance in life.

“We believe everyone deserves a second chance,” Fox said. “A second chance is not a reward, it is an opportunity for transformation.”

Through United Through Sports, former offenders have become coaches, mentors and community leaders, demonstrating that “change is possible, hope is possible, transformation is possible”.

SUPPORTIVE

Central to that transformation is the creation of safe, supportive environments where young people can develop positive identities and relationships. “The dojo, the club becomes much more than the training venue,” Fox said. “It becomes a second home, a sanctuary.”

For Fox, the lesson is simple. If young people are searching for somewhere to belong, sport must be ready to provide the answer first.

‘Sport Is Your Gang’ is more than a programme name. It is a statement of intent – one that demonstrates how sport can become a powerful force for crime prevention, social inclusion and lasting community transformation.