The development of female Muslim life-savers

This teaching case illustrates the use of community development strategies to increase and enhance community sport participation of a targeted minority group. Royal Life Saving Society of Australia is presented here as an example of an organisation that embraced cultural change and developed a strategic approach to inclusive provision for individuals from marginalised population groups. The case is based on a community development framework that includes multiple facets: a shared concern about a social problem requiring action; encouraging the active participation of a marginalised group; forming public sector partnerships to pool resources and build political support; adopting collaborative principles of organising; collectively developing and implementing action plans; and re-conceptualising traditional ideas around accountability. The case facilitates the examination of the theoretical and practical considerations of adopting a community development approach in sport management.     

Sustainable community development through sport and events: A conceptual framework for Sport-for-Development projects

The number of aid organisations, NGOs and government agencies pursuing the Millennium Development Goals and seeking to improve the everyday needs and social life of disadvantaged communities has been growing over the past decade. Particularly in divided societies, Sport-for-Development projects have increasingly been staged to contribute to intergroup togetherness, social cohesion and community empowerment. While the analyses of individual sport and event initiatives highlights their capacity to impact positively on people and groups, they do not provide strategic guidelines, models or frameworks for community empowerment. However, such models are needed to foster practical research in the area of community development that can inform sport and event planning, management and leverage. In an attempt to fill this gap, this paper presents and discusses the Sport-for-Development (S4D) Framework, which can be used to guide the strategic investigation of sport and event projects and their contribution to understanding and measuring direct social impacts and sustainable social outcomes for (disparate) communities. The S4D Framework presents a holistic yet flexible management tool that can take account of cultural heterogeneity and program diversity, while shaping implementation, directing evaluation, and encouraging future planning of development initiatives. To conclude, this paper suggests different ways in which the S4D Framework can be empirically tested and validated through both qualitative and quantitative research.     

Women's Euro 2005 a ‘watershed’ for women's football in England and a new era for the game?

ABSTRACT

The UEFA Women's Euro 2005 Championship hosted in England can be seen as a significant event in the development of football for women, being the largest female, international tournament held in the UK up to that date. However, despite record crowds and unprecedented media attention, an increase in participation by women after the event was neither significant, nor sustained in the hosting region or nationally. As identified in Parliamentary committee evidence, grass roots women's football has continued to struggle, despite strategies investing heavily development and the ‘Superleague' to drive increased engagement in the game after 2005. Success in international events in 2012, 2015, and 2017 by England national teams showed spikes in media interest, audiences and progression on the field of play. However, an examination of national participation statistics demonstrates the difficulties of evidencing sport participation event legacy. The event in 2005 clearly contributed to changing public perceptions, stimulating a new strategic focus on women by the Football Association and therefore began the new era for the game, particularly in England. This research may provide some insight for planning for Euro 2021 – when football ‘comes home’ once again.     

From Their Perspective: A Qualitative Examination of Physical Activity and Sport Programming for Working Mothers

Research has long demonstrated the benefits of participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity, which include lower mortality and morbidity (National Heart Foundation of Australia, 2001; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). Still, research demonstrates that 60-80% of adults are not active at a level sufficient to derive health benefits (Armstrong, Bauman, & Davies, 2000; Bowles, Morrow, Leonard, Hawkins, & Couzelis, 2002; Pate et al., 1995), and working mothers may face particular challenges in pursuing physical activity and sport (Jackson & Henderson, 1995). Utilizing the exercise psychology and women's leisure literatures, this study examines not only the barriers or constraints to participation, but also the ways that working mothers negotiate these barriers and, very practically, the ways that sport managers can better structure program offerings to increase access for this group (Bauman, Smith, Maibach, & Reger-Nash, 2006; Jackson & Henderson, 1995; Shaw, 1994). Forty-four working mothers from a university in the Southwestern United States participated in focus group inquiry regarding their physical activity and sport participation, barriers to participation, ways that they negotiated those barriers, and recommendations for change. Results indicated that rigid scheduling, guilt, and narrow programming constrained activity participation, and those constraints varied by marital status and social class. Negotiations included reframing entitlement to participation, garnering social support, and combating rigid work structures. Specific programming recommendations for sport managers as well as implications for social change are also discussed.     

Leveraging community sport organizations to promote community capacity: Strategic outcomes,challenges, and theoretical considerations

Community sport organizations (CSOs) provide valuable contexts for promoting community development. These initiatives are most effective when they involve local stakeholders in the process of development. A key first step to achieving this objective is building community capacity, defined as local stakeholders’ skills, knowledge, and resources that may be leveraged for change. Interestingly, despite this conceptual importance, few researchers have focused on capacity building in the sport context. This has limited the theoretical advancement of community capacity theory as it relates to CSOs and community development. Using a qualitative case study approach, the authors analyze the outcomes and challenges of implementing community capacity building strategies in an American CSO, and draw on the empirical data to contribute to this theoretical conversation. Interviews, participant observation, and document analysis were used to generate data, and deductive techniques were used for thematic analysis. The results highlight the outcomes of the capacity building strategies and challenges associated with implementation. In addition, the conclusion focuses on theoretical contributions to community capacity theory, namely the role of sport in facilitating inter-community relations across social groups and the link with process models of organizational capacity.     

Problematizing the absent girl: sport as a means of emancipation and social inclusion

Abstract

Absence from sport participation among girls from ethno-cultural minorities is often highlighted as an inclusion policy challenge. Based on 35 interviews with community sports coaches, managers and partners, we explore how the absence of girls is problematized in four Swedish sports-based interventions, focusing on how problems, as well as the means and the ends of social inclusion, are articulated. The girls are assessed as being in need of social change due to their alleged social exclusion. Absence is explained by “patriarchal norms” as well as by the introvert conduct of the girls themselves. Girls-only sports activities performed by female coaches as role models are described as a way for girls to gain social inclusion and to become emancipated from subjugating norms. In conclusion, participation in community sport is highlighted in discourse as crucial for adopting powers of emancipation. A similar discourse could be recognized elsewhere, inside and outside the realm of sport.     

Integrating public health and sport management: Sport participation trends 2001–2010

In order to inform strategies to increase levels of physical activity (PA) for a healthier society, it is important to understand participation trends in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). Little is known about the context of LTPA participation, particularly from the perspective of “sport and recreation” (S&R) categories such as organised and club-based activities. The primary aim of this study is to contribute to the sport management literature by specifically examining PA participation levels and trends in Australia over a decade, for those aged 15 years and older, through the lens of S&R. This paper also discusses the potential synergy between the public health and sport management domains with regard to LTPA/S&R. The Australian Sports Commission provided data from the Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS), a population survey conducted quarterly from 2001 to 2010 by computer-assisted telephone interview. Participation in LTPA was analysed by year, gender and age, in three hierarchically related categories: (1) any LTPA participation, (2) participation in an organised context, and (3) organised participation in a club. Participation rates in any LTPA increased significantly over the decade. However, this was not matched by increases in organised and/or club participation, which largely remained steady over the 10-year period. Much of the organised participation was within a club setting, and participation in this context is more likely among males than females. There is some evidence that the overall level of LTPA is increasing, which is positive for health, but there was generally no increase in club-based participation, resulting in sport contributing relatively less to overall population LTPA. However, the depth of information available from population surveys regarding club-based LTPA is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions, or make important strategic decisions about sport and health policy. There is a critical need for more comprehensive sport participation data to provide the evidence for improved programme and policy development. An avenue for this to occur may be through the integration of participation data from peak sport organisations.     

From intention to participation: Exploring the moderating role of a voucher-based event leveraging initiative

The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between intentions to try a sport after watching an elite sport event and post-event participation, and explore the role exposure to a post-event leveraging initiative plays in facilitating behavior. A field experiment design was employed to test the efficacy of the leveraging initiative among experimental and control condition groups. Data were collected through a questionnaire following an international track cycling competition from spectators (N = 338) who had no prior experience participating in the sport, and then were matched with participation data collected directly from the sport facility. Results demonstrate that post-event intentions were a significant positive predictor of participation. Results also demonstrate that exposure to a leveraging initiative can increase participation in a new sport. Notably, the voucher stimulated participation for spectators with both low intentions and high intentions to participate post-event. Results provide support for the use of leveraging tactics as a means of stimulating sport participation in the context of hosting novel sport events.     

新时代背景下中国体育促进可持续发展的机遇、理念与策略行动

近年来可持续发展已成为全球共同推动的发展方针,而体育促进可持续发展的价值与作用也逐渐被国际社会所重视。以国内外相关研究成果为理论基础,对新时代背景下中国体育促进可持续发展工作的时代机遇、价值理念与策略行动进行探究。研究表明:以联合国、奥委会为代表的国际社会开展的体育促进可持续发展的实践工作,以及我国政府对可持续发展的重视和体育领域不断深化改革的需求,为我国体育促进可持续发展工作的持续开展提供了机遇和条件。结合联合国可持续发展议程与人类命运共同体的视角进行分析,体育促进可持续发展的价值理念可以在性别、环境、社区发展、伙伴关系、机构治理等多个方面得到具体呈现,丰富了对体育社会价值的认识。回顾历史上体育促进可持续发展的工作经验、更新体育促进社会发展的价值认识,将为具体工作的开展奠定基础。而在我国内部体育治理和对外体育交往的各项工作中融入、践行可持续发展的理念与方针,将切实推动该领域工作的价值实现。     

新时代背景下中国体育促进可持续发展的机遇、理念与策略行动

近年来可持续发展已成为全球共同推动的发展方针,而体育促进可持续发展的价值与作用也逐渐被国际社会所重视。以国内外相关研究成果为理论基础,对新时代背景下中国体育促进可持续发展工作的时代机遇、价值理念与策略行动进行探究。研究表明:以联合国、奥委会为代表的国际社会开展的体育促进可持续发展的实践工作,以及我国政府对可持续发展的重视和体育领域不断深化改革的需求,为我国体育促进可持续发展工作的持续开展提供了机遇和条件。结合联合国可持续发展议程与人类命运共同体的视角进行分析,体育促进可持续发展的价值理念可以在性别、环境、社区发展、伙伴关系、机构治理等多个方面得到具体呈现,丰富了对体育社会价值的认识。回顾历史上体育促进可持续发展的工作经验、更新体育促进社会发展的价值认识,将为具体工作的开展奠定基础。而在我国内部体育治理和对外体育交往的各项工作中融入、践行可持续发展的理念与方针,将切实推动该领域工作的价值实现。     

Building social capital from sport event participation: An exploration of the social impacts of participatory sport events on the community

Participatory sport events have the potential to generate substantial social value in the local community. One important social benefit of such sport events is the development of social capital. However, little is known about the development and outcomes of social capital in the context of participatory sport events, such as running events. Taking a qualitative approach, the authors explored the social capital building among active participants in running events. The findings revealed that bonding capital is developed by all participants in the study while the bridging and linking capital varies by event type and involvement level. Moreover, four positive outcomes of social capital were identified: supportive attitude and behaviors, positive influence on others, prosocial behaviors, and increased everyday socializations. By generating these positive outcomes among the participants of this study, social capital has the potential to contribute to the community development and well-being. This study provides insights as to how social capital that stems from sport event participation can lead to the development of community in the long term. Suggestions are made for future research to test the relationships between social capital, its outcomes, and community development and well-being.     

“Everyone rolls up their sleeves and mucks in”: Exploring volunteers’ motivation and experiences of the motivational climate of a sporting event

Research examining volunteer motivation and satisfaction has been criticised for the limited explanation of the cognitive and social processes that may underpin the proposed relationships among motivation, satisfaction, performance and retention (Costa, C.A., Chalip, L., Green, B.C., & Simes, C. (2006). Reconsidering the role of training in event volunteers’ satisfaction. Sport Management Review, 9(2), 165–182.; Cuskelly, G., Hoye, R., & Auld, C. (2006). Working with volunteers in sport. Theory and practice. London: Routledge.). Self-determination theory (SDT) (Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum.; Ryan, R.M., & Deci, E.L. (2000a) has proven useful in both for- and not-for-profit domains (e.g., Baard, P.P. (1994). A motivational basis for consulting with not-for-profit organizations: A study of church growth and participation. Consulting Psychology Journal, 46(3), 19–31.; Deci, E.L., Connell, J.P., & Ryan, R.M. (1989). Self-determination in a work organisation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(4), 580–590.; Hollembeak, J., & Amorose, A. J. (2005). Percevied coaching behaviors and college athletes’ intrinsic motivation: A test of self-determination theory. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 17(1), 20–36.) and appears particularly suited to understanding volunteer motivation. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.). Therefore the purpose of this study was to examine sport event volunteers’ motivation and experiences of the motivational climate at a large sport event using self-determination theory. The participants were volunteers at the NZ Master's Games held biannually in Dunedin, NZ. They participated in focus group interviews in which their experiences as volunteers at the event were discussed. In general, the findings support tenets of self-determination theory. Participants reported intrinsic motivation toward volunteering but also forms of extrinsic motivation toward some volunteer tasks. With regard to the motivational climate, volunteers experienced support for their autonomy, and felt that their competence and sense of relatedness were fostered. These findings suggest that SDT is a viable framework for examining volunteer motivation.     

Football participation legacy and Australia’s qualification for the 2006 Football World Cup

This paper examines the impact of qualification for the 2006 World Cup on football participation in Australia. Australia’s qualification for the 2006 World Cup created widespread media coverage across the country, and this was amplified by the fact that it was only the second time the nation had qualified for the event. Contrary to a number of studies that have examined sport participation legacy and major events, this research presents data that suggest an overall positive trend in Australian football participation post Australia’s successful World Cup qualification. Three of the four demographic categories examined in the study had witnessed increased football participation across the examined period.     

An Adapted Model of the Sport Participation Choice Process

Abstract

In a conceptual examination of sport participation, the concept of “sport careers” is introduced. Sport careers are defined as the modal patterns of temporally ordered sport roles current in a sport subculture as well as the sequence of sport roles individuals may perform over the course of their lifetimes. Treating sport participation as a career pattern (but not as an occupational pattern) can be seen to have numerous advantages, among them that the considerable literature of work careers can be brought to bear on problems of sport participation. A conceptual model of the career entry choice process created by Blau and others is presented and adapted to the parallel problem of the sport participation choice process.     

Psychosocial development through Masters sport: What can be gained from youth sport models?

Although sport participation is encouraged throughout the lifespan, little research has been conducted on the role of sport in development later in life. This qualitative study explored adults’ experiences of development within the context of Masters sport. We interviewed 14 adults (nine men and five women) aged 46–61 years involved in Masters sport. Data was interpreted drawing upon frameworks from youth sport (i.e., Personal Assets Framework for Sport; Côté, J., Bruner, M., Strachan, L., Erickson, K., & Fraser-Thomas, J. (2010). Athletes’ development and coaching. In J. Lyle & C. Cushion (Eds.), Sport coaching: Professionalism and practice (pp. 63–83). Oxford, UK: Elsevier, Côté, J., Turnnidge, J., & Evans, M. B. (2014). The dynamic process of development through sport. Kinesiologia Slovenica, 20(3), 14–26, Côté, J., Turnnidge, J., & Vieerima, M. (2016). A personal assets approach to youth sport. In K. Green & A. Smith (Eds.), Routledge handbook of youth sport (pp. 243–255). New York, NY: Routledge; 4/5Cs of positive youth development; Lerner, R. M., Fisher, C. B., & Weinberg, R. A. (2000). Toward a science for and of the people: Promoting civil society through the application of developmental science. Child Development, 71(1), 11–20. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00113; Vierimaa, M., Erickson, K., Côté, J., & Gilbert, W. (2012). Positive youth development: A measurement framework for sport. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 7(3), 601–614. doi:10.1260/1747-9541.7.3.601), combined with past research on mid-life and older athletes. Six key themes emerged as contributing to adults’ personal development through sport: competence and confidence, character, commitment, connection, cognition, and challenge. Masters sport contexts appeared to facilitate changes in assets (i.e., 6Cs) similar to those within youth sport, but assets often held different meanings within the context of later life. Applying frameworks from youth sport and developmental psychology to Masters sport contexts appears useful. The current findings support the modification of existing models and highlight their potential in identifying lifelong developmental outcomes of sport participation.     

国际大众体育发展趋势的研究

运用体育信息学的有关理论与研究方法,对国际大众体育发展的社会背景进行了分析。目前国际大众体育的发展趋势可概括为:大众体育发展战略目标体系的建立引起各国的关注,户外运动成为大众体育活动的主流,提高从业人员在体育人口中的比例受到普遍关注,各国高度重视大众体育管理体制的改革,中等强度体育活动的地位日益突出,志愿者的无私奉献成为大众体育的一块基石。     

Similarities and differences in constraints and constraint negotiation among Japanese sport tourists: a case of masters games participants*

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to examine (a) similarities and differences in constraints to and constraint negotiation for masters games (MG) participation, and (b) the relationships among constraints, constraint negotiation, and intention to participate in the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai, across international sport tourists, domestic sport tourists, and sport excursionists. An online survey was conducted with 449 Japanese people who participated in MGs within the last three years. Our results indicated that international sport tourists experienced higher levels of psychological, physiological, interpersonal, financial, tourism, commitment, MG-specific constraints than domestic sport tourists and sport excursionists, although physiological constraints did not differ between international and domestic sport tourists. Conversely, international and domestic sport tourists utilized tourism and MG-self-adaptation negotiation strategies more than sport excursionists. Lastly, constraints to and constraint negotiation for the past MG were not related to the intention of participation in the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai across the three groups. These results suggest that this typology of sport tourists – international, domestic, and excursionist – is an effective framework to understand constraints and negotiation as well as other behaviors and experiences of Japanese sport tourists.     

Examining the impact of integrated and non-integrated parasport events on volunteer attitudes towards disability

Attitudes, and attitudinal change towards persons with disabilities, is an important area of research as it can potentially enable greater understanding of the constraints that may preclude full participation in society. In the realm of sport and recreation mega sporting events have been suggested as a potential catalyst for positive societal change and shifting negative attitudes. Much of the event research to date, however, has focused on able-bodied sport events, with parasport events being largely overlooked. As a result, the impact of major parasport events on attitudinal change towards persons with a disability is assumed by sport practitioners, policy-makers and politicians but not justified by empirical evidence. The current study thus presents a starting point by examining the benefits of hosting mega sport events and in particular focuses on an important event stakeholder group; volunteers. More specifically, the current study addresses volunteer’s perceptions of attitudes towards disability at two major parasport events: the 2014 Commonwealth Games (where parasport was integrated with the able-bodied sport) and the 2015 Pan Am/ParaPan American Games (where parasport was separated from the able-bodied sport). Data were collected at two time points for each event: pre-Games, and post-Games. Results revealed that both events had an impact on volunteer awareness levels of disability and accessibility-related issues, as well as positively impacting attitudes towards persons with disability. Interestingly, the integrated events at the Commonwealth Games appeared to impact attitudes to a greater degree than the non-integrated events at the ParaPan Am Games. Implications are discussed pertaining to the impact of an integrated vs. non-integrated major parasport event on disability/accessibility awareness, and attitudes towards disability.     

Sport development and physical activity promotion: An integrated model to enhance collaboration and understanding

As inactivity and obesity levels continue to rise, calls are being made for sport development action to be further directed towards capitalising on the value of community participation for health and social benefits. This paper seeks to highlight a current disconnect between physical activity and sport management research, and identify opportunities for collaboration. To date, the sport management literature has predominantly focused on sport as a form of entertainment with spectatorship outcomes, where professional codes are a commonly used setting of research inquiry. There has been less focus on organisational issues related to participation in sport and recreation. This is identified as a gap, given the current push towards increasing focus on sport and recreation promotion for community wellbeing. The present paper sought to examine physical activity and sport management research, to identify commonalities and potential for integration and co-operation. The outcome of this review is a conceptual framework, integrating socio-ecological models, taken from physical activity research, and sport development concepts derived from sport management theory. The proposed conceptual framework seeks to provide sport management researchers with direction in their efforts to promote participation in sport, recreation and physically active leisure domains, particularly for community wellbeing purposes. Furthermore, such direction may also enhance the capacity of researchers to capitalise on opportunities for collaboration and integration across domains of inquiry.     

Sport event innovativeness: Conceptualization,measurement, and its impact on consumer behavior

Although scholars have had a long-standing interest in product innovation based on technological development, limited attention has been devoted to the study of the innovation of sport event experiences. Two quantitative studies, from the consumer's perspective, were completed to validate the proposed conceptualization of sport event innovativeness composed of six dimensions (player performance, respectful access, self-service technology, aesthetic environment, fan community, and loyalty program), and to examine the hypothesized relationships impacting consumer behavior. Including the dimensions of player performance, fan community, and loyalty program, extends previous research that has focused primarily on technology and process-based innovations. The results indicate the effects of the six dimensions on overall innovativeness are contingent on a consumer's age. The ideas merit further research with respect to formulating an explanation of what factors contribute most to connecting consumers to sport organizations through innovative sport event experiences.