Elite Sport Systems Research Articles

The Prediction of South Korea Elite Sports Function and System Change

The Prediction of South Korea Elite Sports Function and System Change

Policy transfer, lesson drawing and perspectives on elite sport development systems

Over the past 40 years at least, governments have shown a considerable willingness to devote significant sums of public or government controlled money (e.g. national lotteries) to the maintenance or improvement of elite (Olympic) sporting success. With a focus on the relationship between the UK and Australia, this paper explores the salience of the concepts of policy transfer and lesson drawing in an analysis of the development of elite sport systems. The evidence suggests that sport policymakers and bureaucrats in the UK have drawn lessons from Australia but primarily in the form of policy ideas or generalised discourses that legitimise and prioritise elite objectives. A 'dominant' elite sport discourse has potential ramifications for the design, implementation and evaluation of sport programmes. The conclusions therefore draw attention to some of the (potentially) deleterious consequences for sport management practice in the light of this dominant policy discourse.

The Institutionalization of an Elite Sport Organization in Norway: The Case of “Olympiatoppen”

In this article, we argue that neoinstitutional theory can increase our understanding of the different ways nations develop structures for top-level sport. Theorists of the neoinstitutional school concentrate on how and to what degree organizations adapt to both formal and informal expectations in their institutional environment. Elite sports organizations participate in different organizational fields, and that pulls the organization in different directions. The empirical case for our discussion is the organization of elite sport in Norway. We will attempt to place elite sport in Norway in an international context by relating its development, structure, and working procedures to the development of corresponding elite sport systems in other Western countries. In addition to striking similarities among various national models for the organization of top-level sport, there are distinguishing national features that result from different cultural and political traditions.

Evaluation of the support of young athletes in the elite sports system

The paper addresses the extraction and empirical testing of the hard core of assumptions underlying the construction principles of the German supportive system in youth elite sport. The support system turns out to be based on a mainly input-oriented concept. Invested sport-related time is regarded as a critical input variable and extensive and intensive time economy is systematically aimed at. Among 1,558 national squad athletes in all Olympic sports, those with international and with national success at each junior age and elite age are compared regarding their former juvenile success and volume of training and participation in support programmes. Effects of juvenile training- and support-related variables vary over time and in some cases turn into the opposite in the long run. Juvenile success, the training volume in the individual’s current main sport, and the inclusion in support programmes have no significant or negative effects on long-term success in elite sport. In contrast, international elite athletes are characterized by a higher juvenile training volume only in other disciplines beyond the individual’s current main sport and correspondingly by a decelerated juvenile training-, competition-, and support-related development in their main sport. Results are discussed by integrating social science, training science, economic, and educational perspectives.

Epilogue: ‘empire in denial’: An exceptional kind of imperialism

The paradox of globalization is that as the world becomes integrated, so power becomes more diffuse. (Niall Ferguson, Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire) [ 1] The United States is e...

Beijing Ambitions: An Analysis of the Chinese Elite Sports System and its Olympic Strategy for the 2008 Olympic Games

Fan Hong was Professor Mangan's PhD student from 1991 to 1994. As Professor Mangan's first IRCSSS PhD student she benefited enormously from his quality of supervision: speedy in response, meticulous in textual scrutiny. He was always available for discussion, continually encouraging and enthusiastic in approach. For an overseas student in an alien academic culture this was invaluable and much appreciated. Dr Fan Hong is now Reader in the Faculty of Education and Contemporary Studies at De Montfort University and Deputy Director of IRCSSS. Ping Wu and Huan Xiong are her doctoral students. She tries to follow in Professor Mangan's footsteps to give them quality supervision. Ping Wu and Huan Xiong too have been inspired by Professor Mangan's work and impressed by his committed academic effort to bring East and West together.

엘리트체육과 생활체육의 연계운영을 위한 조직구조 및 기능 연구

The purpose of this study was to suggest the effective sports development structure. Therefore this study focuses on the current issues behind the development of korean sports organization system and its functions, thus to find alternative measure in resolving such problems. Korea has been inclined to insist elite sport system in a long time. This inherent nature is seen in every type sports in korea. But there are limits of development in social environment changes and ineffectiveness of sports organization management. The focus of resolving problem is functional link and affairs cooperation between organizations of sport for all and organizations of elite sports. To figure out the present circumstances, these two organization were tested by objects, functions, affairs etc. Also, this study was investigated through many previous research on history bacgrund and properties of sport for all and elite sports. Based on above analysis results, this study has a conclusion as follow: It is possible to integrate or separate two organizations of sport for all and elite sports. But first of all, It is important to functional link and affairs cooperation between organizations of sport for all and organizations of elite sports. Hence to extending this mutual commonality far and beyond, we must utilize every interest for improving the current environment and strategically implement a phase approach for over success.

Elite sport development systems and playing to win: uniformity and diversity in international approaches

This paper explores the former Eastern Bloc's (primarily the GDR and the Soviet Union) supremacy in developing elite sporting excellence and traces the ‘flow’ of elements of such systems to selected Western nation-states. The national elite sport development systems discussed in the West are: Europe (UK, France and Spain), North America (Canada, United States) and Australia. A tentative conceptualization of ‘centre’ (West) and ‘semi-periphery’ (Eastern Bloc) states is outlined in relation to these global sporting flows. Discussion focuses on whether we are currently witnessing a trend towards uniformity in (global) elite sport development systems, or whether room remains for diversity in the development of these systems in different countries. The methods employed for the generation of data include study visits and interviews with key personnel responsible for French, Spanish and UK elite sports institutes. In addition, a comprehensive review of secondary sources is employed to discuss the notion of a uniform, elite sport development model and the efficiency of different systems. Insights from the globalization and figurational/process sociology literature underpin our discussion of elite sport development systems in selected Western nation-states. Analysis of the data reveals that, in the development of elite sport systems in the West, many antecedents of the former Eastern Bloc's ‘managed approach’ to elite sport are increasingly apparent. A number of these antecedents are outlined that point to increasing similarities between countries in the West and to the putative emergence of a uniform (global) model of elite sport development. These similarities are analysed and provide evidence for best practice and ‘efficiency gains’ in Western elite sport systems. However, it has also been found that there remains a certain diversity to each country's elite sport development system: the United States – minimal government intervention; and France – sport as public service; are key examples of this phenomenon.