ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the claims made that a sustainable youth sport engagement legacy can be delivered from London 2012. It identifies the theory of change that appears to have underpinned assumptions made by politicians and programmers for the social legacy outcomes of London 2012. Perhaps one way to conceptualize the legacy process is through the notion of helping children and young people to develop 'social capital' through their encounters with the Games and its additional programmes and activities in schools and sports clubs. In the context of physical education and school sport in the UK, links can be made to research on the impact of physical activity programmes that aim to develop positive personal and social development of children and youth. The development of a 'logic model' to illustrate the ways in which social programmes are intended to have an impact on participants can be a helpful in analysing potential pathways to developing social capital in the name of legacy.
