Harnessing the power of sport for disaster recovery

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to the discourse on sport for development from the psychosocial lens by examining the case of the 3R sport-based intervention for the Filipino survivors of super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Using the five essential principles of effective psychosocial interventions to frame the design, pilot implementation, and preliminary assessment of 3R, it presents a theory-informed post-disaster sport initiative. It also demonstrates how the principles of safety, calmness, connectedness, efficacy, and hope are operationalised in the context of sport outcomes. Fifty-two PE teachers and 39 students, all survivors of Haiyan, participated in the study. Results provided empirical support to the interrelated components of psychosocial care and illustrated how sport interventions could facilitate disaster recovery through the innovative, holistic, inclusive, and culturally nuanced application of effective psychosocial mechanisms. Ultimately, this case study confirms that post-disaster sport interventions are not merely about sport but more about the tangential and vital social processes that occur through the channel of sport.