Laureus Foundation research reveals: For every Euro spent on sports there is an average ROI of €5.02 back to society by reducing costs to victims, police, prisons and courts.

Research reveals in a Laureus Foundation report that for every one euro invested in sports projects there is an average return of 5.02 euros back to society by reducing costs to victims, police, prisons and courts.

With that in mind, in California it costs $47,000 per year to incarcerate an inmate. Recidivism rates from prison once an inmate is released are running about 52%. If this study can be duplicated and show the same results in the United States as it did in Europe, how could anyone be against a social program that created such an enormous return on investment?

Olympian Edwin Mosses is the chairman of the Laureus Foundation so this organization has credibility not because of his medals and accolades but as a results of his accomplishments.  "...As a sports administrator, Moses participated in the development of a number of anti-drug policies and helped the track and field community develop one of sports' most stringent random in-competition drug testing systems. In December 1988 he designed and created amateur sports' first random out-of-competition drug testing program. ..." See his resume´ here: [Link]

Perhaps the "Splash foundation" should rebrand and start cutting deals with local governments? I am going to suggest SCAQ do so with their kids team. Perhaps your club can do it too?

German heavyweight boxing legend and Laureus Ambassador Axel Schulz was present at the launch of the report in Berlin. He said: “When you have been involved in sport for as long as I have, you know how much good it can do. But it’s no good just going out and shouting ‘sport is great’. You need to have research like this which proves beyond doubt that sport can really make a significant economic difference. This gives us the ammunition to take to governments and say ‘here is the proof, now give sport a chance to help’.”

Building on an earlier Laureus-funded report, Teenage Kicks, from 2011, the new report examined projects in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, which reinforced the original findings, that there is a significant economic return to be had from investing in sports-based crime prevention programmes.

Sport Scores measured the results of four community-based projects – Fight for Peace in London, KICK Im Boxring in Berlin, Midnight Basketball in Milan and Sport and Thought in London – all of which use sport to engage young people in a programme of education and support. They were all found to be highly cost-effective and successful in reducing youth crime.

Fight for Peace is a Laureus funded project in East London that uses boxing and martial arts as a means to re-engage and support young people with their personal development. The report estimated the project delivers a beneficial cost ratio of £4.42 for every £1 invested.

KICK Im Boxring is a Laureus funded project with four bases in Berlin and three partnership programmes with local boxing clubs. It is estimated the project delivers a beneficial cost ratio of €3.43 for every €1 invested.

Midnight Basketball is a project delivered by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in Italy, based in a public park in Quarto Oggiaro in Milan. The project aims to keep young people off the streets and out of trouble using basketball during late-night hours. This delivers a benefit ratio of €5.64 for every €1 invested.

Sport and Thought is a project working in Newman Catholic College in Brent, North West London, which offers weekly after-school football and psycho-therapeutic sessions to combat school exclusion. It provides a return on investment of £6.58 for every £1 spent.

Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, said: “What we see from the projects analysed in this report are the positive benefits that sport can generate in relation to health, education, and employment. But the benefits are not just for the individual. When these projects work they work for us all – whether it’s a reduction in police time spent on dealing with criminal behaviour, less health care on those who are leading more healthy lives or less support for those no longer cared for by social services or the prison system. This report helps frame that bigger picture, by contributing to the growing body of evidence showcasing the social and economic returns of sport worldwide.” 

Full report here - a must read with graphs, statistics and more - MUCH MORE: [Link]

Mercedes Benz and watch maker IWC are global partners with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation