Elite sport policies and international sporting success: a panel data analysis of European women’s national football team performance

Abstract

Research question: While national sporting governing bodies are encouraged to implement programmes which seek to enhance their international sporting success, comparative studies on elite sport policies have provided limited empirical evidence in support of the relationship between such programmes and the achievement of sporting outcomes. Following the SPLISS framework, this study examines the longitudinal impact of four programme-level factors -financial support, human resources, coaching provision and foundation phase activityon the international success of women's national football teams. Research methods: Data from 55 Union of European Football Associations' (UEFA) members were collected over a seven-yearperiod (2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016)(2017). The associations between programme-level factors and FIFA ranking points are verified through panel regression analyses. Controls for economic, talent pool, political, socio-cultural, climate and men's football legacy variables are included. Results and Findings: The results reveal that highly specialised coaching provision has a significant and positive impact on international success in women's football, while our proxies for financial support, human resources and foundation phase activity have no notable explanatory power for the success of women's national teams. A country's economic development, talent pool, climate and men's football legacy are significant predictors of its women's football performance level. Implications: This paper offers practical insights into the organisation and management of women's football in UEFA nations and contributes to the theoretical debate on comparative analysis of the sporting performance of countries. This article confirms that an exclusively quantitative approach does not permit definitive conclusions to be drawn on the complex relationship between elite sport policies and international sporting outcomes.

Facilitating Sustainable Outcomes for the Organization of Youth Sports through Youth Engagement

“…Existing studies referring to the sustainable organization of sports address financial sustainability [16], sustainable governance models, and policy change [18]. In addition, the sustainable organization of sport in a country is understood through the respective country's success in elite sporting competitions [19] rather than through the success of its youth sport programmes. One major research field referring to sustainable organization of sports through sport programmes is found in sport development research.…”

“…A total of 39 young leaders were from Oppland and Hedmark counties (Lillehammer's surrounding counties, further referred to as inland), and the other 17 Norwegian counties were represented as well. The interviewed participants comprised nine females and seven males, with 12 from inland (aged [16][17][18][19][20]. Four young leaders were from other Norwegian counties.…”

“…The only vehicle to fulfil the NIF's policy aims was the Young Leader Programme (YLP), which was based on an already existing programme within the organization. The already established programme involved a series of leadership courses for young people (aged [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]) over a span of 22 months, with the aim to educate 200 young people who would take on voluntary leadership tasks during Lillehammer NIF anticipated their reengagement in voluntary leadership positions in sporting teams, clubs, and federations would occur after the event. The YLP was organized in cooperation with NIF's central administration, two of NIF's district sport confederations (DSCs), and the Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee (LYOGOC).…”

Funding and performance of amateur and youth organizations in Brazil: a longitudinal analysis of a basketball league

“…The importance of youth sport for the physical and mental wellbeing of young people and its influence on adult life is a well-known phenomenon 1 . Furthermore, the investment in youth sport (i.e., soccer), is directed related to positive results in international competitions 2 .…”

“…In the case of youth sports, these structures can be centralized, focused on sports clubs or schools. Regional specificities make it difficult to develop a general analysis or compare two or more sports in different countries 2 , thus, the research usually focuses on individual cases. There is a growing body of studies in sport management focused on the sports structure of various countries; however, these researches are usually done in developed nations.…”