Managing the Mix of Sport and Social Capital: A Study of Local Networks in the Belgian Homeless Football Cup

Abstract

In this study, local networks surrounding the 11 homeless teams of the Belgian Homeless Football Cup (BHFC), a social football project for socially excluded homeless people, are analyzed from an organizational social capital perspective. Semi-structured interviews with key representatives within the local networks (including social, football, and government-related partners) were conducted. An organizational analysis is performed to explore the composition of the different networks, and to identify significant actors. Facilitating and constraining circumstances in sport for social change projects, like the BHFC, are examined. The features and conditions of the networks revealed in this study are of relevance for field workers and policy-makers and can be key factors for the management of sport for social change projects. This knowledge contributes to the sustainability and stability of the networks, and of the projects for social change in which these networks are embedded.