Leveling the playing field: exploring how community embeddedness shapes institutional translation in youth sport

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research question Institutional change in sport is supported by the adoption of new models. An institutional translation perspective suggests that as local organizations adopt models from the field, they edit and ‘fill in’ these frameworks, sometimes in different ways. This translation process is relatively underexplored in sport management. In this study, we looked at how community embeddedness shapes institutional translation in sport, focusing on the role of a linking organization that connects local organizations to the broader field. Research methods We used a qualitative approach centered on the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative in the U.S., aimed at promoting participation and access, aligned with a youth development logic in sport. Results and findings We found that local organizations translated the Project Play model to their communities, and a linking organization facilitated this process by helping local groups identify and interpret the approach, secure resources, and convene local stakeholders. We traced differences across communities in what was implemented to aspects of the local context and approach, and we mapped similarities to connections between communities. Implications This study contributes to the literature on institutional dynamics in sport by broadening understanding of translation. Our findings around community embeddedness and the role of a linking organization in shaping local organizations’ approaches to a new model of youth sport demonstrate how a translation perspective can account for agency and constraint, and global and local dynamics.