This paper demonstrates the value of researching the emic perceptions expressed by participants of sport for development and peace (SDP) programs about their program. An Israeli SDP program was chosen which addresses Arab children's educational needs through sport. Ten semi-structured interviews were held with participants: two Jewish male managers, two Arab male principals and six Arab female volunteers, and a three-stage qualitative data analysis was implemented. The analysis revealed that the participants had constructed a complex array of different meanings and were switching them in the changing social contexts. In the discussion we provide the following explanatory framework: the emic data revealed an 'impression management' dynamic, which on the one hand exhibits the agency of the participants to control their short-term reality, but on the other hand conceals a miscommunication problem and discrepancies that weaken the impact of the program as a whole. Better dialogue between the actors may present a risk of controversy and perhaps even the dismantling of the program, yet offers a chance for reform and better development achievements. A routine of emic research could benefit SDP programs in uncovering these and other hidden phenomena.