Elitist rhetoric and the sports gap. Examining the discourse and reality of sport in Spain

Abstract

This article analyses the ambivalent situation regarding sport in Spain, as a result of the predominance of a double morality (elite sport and sports for all). It does so by taking a diachronic look at the democratisation of sport in Spain. The thesis is that the Spanish administration prioritises policies for elite sport and these hinder the development of grassroots sports and sports for all. The study aims to examine this thesis by using two main sources of statistical and sociological data regarding sport: the Survey of Sport Habits in Spain (SSHS; Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas [CIS], 2010) – based on a survey of 8,925 individuals; and the National Census of Sporting Facilities (NCSF; Consejo Superior de Deportes [CSD], 2005), carried out in the 8,116 municipalities of the country. The results show that, despite the successes and the triumphalism of the national media regarding competitive sports in Spain, thanks to the victories of famous athletes and the national soccer team, the reality of the practice of sport in Spain is quite different. The majority of the population does not practice sport, most of the sport facilities were constructed before 1995 and, lastly, sports policy – focused on high performance sport and entertainment – is the cause of a significant sports gap.