Impact & Stories
Measuring what matters. Sharing the journeys behind the outcomes.
Impact is about more than how many young people attend a programme.
It is about what changes because they took part.
At Right Track Sports, we want to understand the difference our programmes make to young people's engagement, confidence, skills, opportunities and progression.
Alongside the numbers, we share the stories that show what those changes mean in real life.
What Impact Means to Us
Participation is the beginning, not the outcome.
Attendance tells us whether a young person was there.
Impact asks what happened next.
- Did they build confidence?
- Develop a new skill?
- Discover an opportunity?
- Complete a qualification?
- Meet an employer?
- Take a positive next step?
- Become a volunteer or leader?
Our Pathway to Purpose gives us a framework for understanding that journey from initial engagement through to progression and contribution.
Engage. Build. Connect. Progress. Contribute.
Our Impact Framework
Engage
Are young people connecting with positive opportunities? We look at participation, engagement, relationships and whether young people feel able to access and remain involved in activities.
Build
What is developing within the young person? We look at areas such as confidence, communication, teamwork, resilience, aspirations and leadership.
Connect
What new opportunities can they access? We look at connections with mentors, employers, education, qualifications, football, community organisations and wider networks.
Progress
What meaningful next step has been created? We look at progression into further learning, training, qualifications, employment, volunteering, leadership and other positive opportunities.
Contribute
How are young people using their development to create value for others? We look at opportunities to volunteer, coach, mentor, lead and contribute positively within their communities.
From Numbers to Stories
Data tells us what happened. Stories help us understand what it meant.
Numbers are an important part of demonstrating impact.
But they do not always capture the full journey.
A young person's progress may begin with attending consistently for the first time.
Another may develop the confidence to speak in a group.
Someone else may complete a qualification, enter employment or return as a volunteer.
Our impact stories help show the people and journeys behind the outcomes.
They demonstrate how relationships, experiences and opportunities can combine to create meaningful change.
Young People's Stories
Every pathway looks different.
Young people arrive at Right Track with different experiences, interests, strengths and ambitions.
Their progression should reflect that.
Through our programmes, we want young people to be able to tell the story of what changed for them:
- Where did they begin?
- What did they experience?
- What did they develop?
- What opportunities became available?
- What did they do next?
As our programmes develop, this page will continue to share the voices and experiences of young people across the Right Track community.
Programme Impact
Community Engagement & Development
Creating trusted relationships, positive activities and stronger connections between young people and their communities.
Football Ecosystem
Using football to create opportunities for participation, development, leadership, skills and progression across the wider game.
Education & Learning
Supporting confidence, aspirations, personal development and connections between learning and future opportunities.
Employment & Progression
Connecting young people with employers, industries, professional networks and meaningful next steps.
Qualifications & Skills
Helping young people develop transferable skills, practical experience and access to recognised learning.
Partnerships & Social Impact
Bringing organisations together to create stronger opportunities and wider community impact.
Measuring Progress
Clear outcomes create better programmes.
Where appropriate, we work with partners to agree what a programme is intended to achieve before delivery begins.
The measures used will depend on the programme, the young people involved and the intended outcomes.
This can include a combination of participation and engagement; young people's feedback and voice; confidence and personal development; skills development; qualifications or recognised achievement; employer and industry encounters; progression into further opportunities; volunteering and leadership; partner feedback; and individual stories and case studies.
This helps us move beyond simply reporting what was delivered towards understanding what difference the programme made.
Young People's Voice
Impact should include the voices of the people experiencing the programme.
Young people are not simply recipients of our work.
Their experiences help us understand what is working, what could improve and what opportunities should come next.
We want youth voice to inform programme development, evaluation and future opportunities.
Listening is therefore part of both delivery and impact measurement.
Partner Stories
Impact is built together.
Many of the opportunities available to young people exist because organisations choose to contribute.
- Schools create connections.
- Community organisations provide local knowledge.
- Employers open workplaces and share expertise.
- Football organisations create routes through the game.
- Funders and commissioners make programmes possible.
Our partner stories will demonstrate what can happen when organisations combine their strengths around a shared purpose.
Our Impact Will Keep Growing
Right Track Sports is building an ecosystem in which young people can move from first engagement towards meaningful progression and contribution.
As our programmes grow, so will the evidence we share.
We are committed to strengthening how we capture outcomes, listening to young people and partners, and using what we learn to improve future delivery.
Because impact is not simply something to report at the end.
It should help shape what happens next.
Help Create the Next Story
A positive outcome begins with an opportunity.
Whether you are a school, employer, community organisation, football organisation, funder, commissioner or potential partner, you can become part of creating the next pathway for a young person.
Together, we can create opportunities that lead somewhere.