Netherlands: Sports Clubs at the Heart of Society and Sports Policy

Roest, Jan Willem van der; Hoeijmakers, Resie; Hoekman, Remco

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-48535-1_8

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…In a cross-national comparative perspective on sport clubs in Europe (Breuer et al, 2015) a multilevel model was applied linking to system theory, underlying structures and environmental levels and influences. The book on functions of sport clubs in European societies (Nagel et al, 2020) is another example of sociological analyses of elements of the sport policy system. These initiatives originate from discussions at EASS conferences on these topics.…”

Section: Sociological Discourses On Sport Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sport policy practice and outcome: theoretical and empirical approaches

Hoekman

Scheerder

2021

European Journal for Sport and Society

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Active participation in sport is a leisure-time physical activity. People are free to decide for themselves whether to practice sport and what type of sport to get involved in. Sport participation has been relatively stable over the past decades, despite ambitions of governments on a European, national and local level to raise sport participation levels (European Commission, 2018;Rowe, 2015;. Although people manage their own leisure time, we must recognise that governments do seek to influence individuals' leisure activities (Bramham et al., 1993). For instance, states across Europe stimulate sport as a worthwhile active pastime, as reflected in the Sport for All Charter of the Council of Europe (2001). Herein, EU member states present a common policy agenda on sport, in particular the active involvement in sport. Raising levels of sport participation, especially among disadvantaged groups that are less likely to take part in sport, is a specific sport policy objective (Hoekman et al., 2011). Furthermore, governments have long taken an active role in providing sport facilities, where these are not offered by commercial parties. As such, ensuring access to sport facilities is considered a central element of effective sport participation policy (Nicholson et al., 2011).Government policy to stimulate sport and ensuring access to sport facilities relies on a socio-ecological rationale (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) in which the broader environment influences individual behaviour. The socioecological rationale to understand individual behaviour could also be utilised to understand sport policy-making (Hoekman et al., 2019). Regarding the policy-making process, Bourdieu and Wacquant (1992) identified the field of sport as a configuration of positions comprising agents. Different stakeholders and environments play a role in the constitution of sport policy and sport practices. Policy is so to say a process with different actors and not a single decision isolated in time and context (Ham & Hill, 1993). To fully understand sport policy and its outcomes sport policy needs to be analysed within its broader, socio-cultural and socio-economic environment, similar to individual behaviour, and with an eye for the

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Section: Sociological Discourses On Sport Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sport policy practice and outcome: theoretical and empirical approaches

Hoekman

Scheerder

2021

European Journal for Sport and Society

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“…The Netherlands is one of the countries where voluntary sport clubs (being volunteer administered sport clubs) hold a central position in governmental policies due to the high share of sport club members among its population and the societal value and policy relevance ascribed to voluntary sport clubs. Active sport club participation is sometimes even embraced as a policy tool to advance healthy and resilient individuals ( 4 , 5 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sport club dropout under COVID-19 in the Netherlands: do characteristics of the neighbourhood matter?

Hoekman

Grubben

Kraaykamp

2023

Front. Sports Act. Living

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Sport is considered important to mitigate social and health problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic and thus contributes to a resilient society. Because of poverty, caring responsibilities, social isolation and/or health issues, caused or reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, (too) high thresholds may be experienced lowering sports club participation. In this article, we study dropout from sports club membership among the Dutch population in COVID times and relate it to neighbourhood characteristics to determine whether inequality in sports behaviour is increasing or decreasing. Specifically, we analyse changes in the association to sport clubs by utilizing membership register data of the National Sport Federation in the Netherlands (NOC*NSF). This longitudinal information on 3.6 million club members in 2019 within Dutch sport federations was used to analyse developments at the individual level between 2019 (pre-COVID) and 2021. Based on register information on the area of residence of sporters, neighbourhood characteristics were added to these individual membership data. Our results display that the socioeconomic status of a member's neighbourhood and the sport infrastructure in this neighbourhood impacts the likelihood of dropping out of a sport club of both youths and adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dropout among members is lower in higher socioeconomic status neighbourhoods and in neighbourhoods with abundant sport facilities. Remarkably, the impact of these living environment features seems higher for youth than for adults. To conclude, our study enhances a further understanding of inequalities in sport club membership dropout during COVID-19. First, it may inform policy makers to intensify sport promotion policies and to especially support sport clubs in lower status neighbourhoods. Second, given the relatively high dropout rates during the COVID-19 pandemic particular attention for retention seems necessary.

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The vulnerability of community sport organizations to criminal interference

van Bottenburg,

Claringbould

2024

Trends Organ Crim

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There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that Community Sport Organizations (CSOs) are increasingly susceptible to individuals with criminal affiliations or intentions. Despite its significance, this subject has received limited examination and theoretical exploration. This gap is particularly pronounced when considering the factors contributing to the vulnerability of CSOs and their susceptibility to criminal interference, as well as the mechanisms facilitating connections between CSOs and individuals with criminal ties. Our investigation employed various methodologies, including media searches, expert interviews, and case studies, with a detailed examination of one particular case. Drawing upon distinct literature perspectives —research on occupational fraud within CSOs, studies addressing the normalization of corruption in organizational settings, and literature exploring unethical pro-organizational behavior—we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the data. Through our research approach, we identified legal, financial, structural, cultural, and environmental factors that increase the vulnerability and susceptibility of CSOs to criminal interference. These factors are exacerbated by dynamic processes of rationalization, neutralization, and normalization of unethical behavior. Our findings underscore the necessity of maintaining continuous vigilance regarding these factors and mechanisms to safeguard the public function of CSOs.

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Netherlands: Sports Clubs at the Heart of Society and Sports Policy

Cited by 4 publications

References 14 publications

Sport policy practice and outcome: theoretical and empirical approaches

Sport policy practice and outcome: theoretical and empirical approaches

Sport club dropout under COVID-19 in the Netherlands: do characteristics of the neighbourhood matter?

The vulnerability of community sport organizations to criminal interference

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