Title: Challenges to sport development and sport participation from sport managers' perspectives

Authors: Popi Sotiriadou; Kevin Filo; Thilo Kunkel

Addresses: Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Business 2 (G27), Room 2.23, Gold Coast Campus, Parklands Drive, Southport Qld 4215, Australia ' Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Business 2 (G27), Room 3.32, Gold Coast Campus, Parklands Drive, Southport QLD 4214, Australia ' Fox School of Business, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Temple University, 315 Speakman Hall, 1810 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA

Abstract: This study addresses the need to advance knowledge on sport participation from the perspective of managers and complements studies that examine this phenomenon from participants' perspectives. Using the case of basketball in Australia, data were collected from selected managers via two focus groups and 24 interviews in Queensland, Australia. Results demonstrated that managers believed basketball offers opportunities for participants to achieve an active and social way of living, and overcome challenges related to: climate (i.e., sun safety, rain) and population density, obesity among youth, integrating individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, and community members' increasingly busy lifestyles. Whilst some of these findings reflect global trends (e.g., promoting healthy lifestyles), others manifest more local challenges (e.g., climate). Findings from this study enable more informed decisions on policy direction and program design and in promoting sport-specific attributes to address participant-specific challenges. Addressing sport participation challenges in an informed way encourages integrated and comprehensive solutions to sport development issues.

Keywords: sport development; sport policy; sport participation; basketball; sport managers; internalisation model.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2018.093343

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2018 Vol.18 No.4, pp.267 - 284

Received: 09 Mar 2016
Accepted: 01 Feb 2017
Published online: 25 Jul 2018 *

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