ABSTRACT
International soccer's World Cup has always been in the mind of players, the most significant of sports competitions. It is the tournament that brings together national teams from all over the world. This chapter explores how participation in leisure activities and civic groups has the potential to promote a sense of belonging and support within spaces that enhance a sense of well-being. But sometimes, such participation evokes a feeling of difference and alienation. Leisure and civic functions are ubiquitous in democratic societies and have the potential to provide therapeutic spaces for some citizens. At times, however, the functions may also draw attention to the insidious characteristics of discrimination and inequality. The chapter explores the connection between belonging and community. It discusses Block's view that the experience of belonging incorporated a feeling that one was a part of something, and feeling at home there, indicating membership and emotional ownership.
