Between Institutionalization and De-Institutionalization: Lifecycles of Sports Clubs in Israel

Abstract

In the first decades after the establishment of the State of Israel, Hapoel [Workers] Houses were incubators of top Israeli athletes in various fields of sport, which also served as social and cultural community hubs. Applying the lifecycle approach to the study of sports clubs, this study explores the establishment, institutionalization, and demise of Hapoel Houses. Through analyses of reports, correspondence, and press clippings, this study describes and explains the social, political, and economic developments that led to the institutionalization and flourishing of Hapoel Houses. This analysis shows that, paradoxically, institutionalization bore the seeds that eventually led to the nationwide decline and closure of these facilities.