While participation in traditional sports and leisure-time physical activity (PA) is declining globally, participation in extreme sports is increasing. Few studies have examined the motives of participants in extreme sports. We explored motives for participation of extreme sports in China, adopting a qualitative design. Participants were 14 adults, who participated in extreme sports as serious leisure pursuits. We interviewed participants about the reasons why they participated in their chosen activity. Each interview lasted between 40 and 60 minutes. We transcribed digital recordings verbatim and conducted an inductive-deductive content analysis. We identified nine general dimensions (motives), seven of which were consistent with participation motives in traditional sports (mastery, enjoyment, psychological condition, physical condition, affiliation, others' expectations, competition/ego) and two were new to extreme sports (vertigo, catharsis). We note limitations of this study, draw conclusions for future research, and propose implications for increasing participation in sport and PA arising from this study.

Social capital's measurement has been limited and an effective scale is needed. This research employed focus groups and interviews and a panel of experts to provide understanding and items for a social capital scale in sport and recreation setting. After a pilot study the Club Social Capital Scale (CSCS) was completed by 1,079 members of sport and recreation clubs. This 42-item scale included the factors trust, friendship, acceptance, reciprocity, norms, and governance. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 20-item four component (governance, norms, friendship-acceptance, and trust-reciprocity) CSCS. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the potential four or five factor model and the hierarchical structure. The CSCS is the first psychometrically developed instrument to measure the factors underlying social capital rather than its outcomes. It can inform policy makers or sport and recreation administrators to establish baseline social capital in their organization and the efficacy of interventions or changes in policy.

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Employee turnover is the loss of talent in the workforce. High employee turnover is expensive and disruptive. Young employees are more likely to leave one job for a better one and are often less attached to an organisation while they are completing their education. The aquatics industry has been described as being in a crisis, experiencing unprecedented levels of turnover amongst lifeguards. A first important step is to understand the reasons for turnover amongst lifeguards. This study utilised semi-structured interviews with aquatic and recreation centre managers (N = 16; 69% female) to explore their insights about lifeguard turnover. A deductive content analysis determined that lifeguards leave their current position for four main reasons: lifeguarding being a temporary position, a negative working environment, pursuing employment in a higher paying lifeguard position and location. Consequently, centre managers need to consider short and long-term strategies to retain lifeguards.

This article sets the scene for the range of issues that could be addressed in the WLJ special edition on leisure management. The management and delivery of leisure programs and services is the foundation of community leisure. Leisure management textbooks provide guidelines and direction for leisure program delivery but there is limited research about how leisure programs and services are delivered and evaluated. This paper provides a summary of a range of considerations about leisure management and community leisure programs and services. After decades of leisure services delivery, there is still a need for public leisure managers to provide a rationale for why they deliver services. Five legitimations based on health, socialisation, economic impact, community development and national identity provide a further consideration for what needs to be better understood about leisure management.