Sport Funding Research Articles

Factors Behind Lebanon’s Difficulties Achieving Success at the Olympics

Lebanon’s record in international competitions is meagre. Since 1948, the year the country first participated in the Olympics, Lebanon has won only four medals: two silver, and two bronze. The last medal was obtained in 1980, during the Civil War that had ravaged the country from 1975 to 1990. Since 1992, the year of the first post-conflict era Olympics, only 11 athletes qualified for the Winter and Summer editions, but none won a medal. For the same period, countries such as Estonia, Georgia, and Jamaica with smaller populations and lower gross domestic product were able to win 20, 32, and 58 medals respectively. What are the reasons behind this condition? Is it the low public funding for sport? Is it rampant corruption gangrening the Lebanese sport structure? Or is it the fact that the sport sector, similar to any other public sector in this country, is a mere arena of struggle among political parties; thus, unable to provide the proper conditions for the establishment of an efficient national elite sport policy? This paper seeks to answer these questions by thoroughly examining the historical aspects of the Lebanese sport system.

A structural perspective of cross-sector partnerships involving youth sport nonprofit organizations

ABSTRACTResearch question: Reductions in public funding for sport and recreation programs have created a vacuum in services that has increasingly been filled by nonprofit organizations. However, nonprofits often lack the organizational capacity to efficiently and sustainably deliver sport and recreation programs to the public. Cross-sector partnerships have been highlighted as an effective strategy to build organizational capacity, yet are currently underutilized by youth sport nonprofit organizations. While previous research has focused on functional characteristics of these partnerships, very few studies have examined their broader structural characteristics.Research methods: This study utilized structured interviews to collect quantitative network data from youth sport nonprofits registered in a large Southeastern US city (n = 32) to understand how cross-sector partnerships have been used to build organizational capacity. Using social network analysis, the study uncovers the size and composition of the network, identifies key external actors and industry sectors, and examines the network’s underlying balance and stability.Results and findings: Results indicate wide variation in the utilization and composition of partnerships, and an unbalanced structure that may influence their functional characteristics.Implications: The discussion provides empirically grounded recommendations to improve these structural characteristics and help youth sport managers effectively utilize cross-sector partnerships.

Understanding the privatisation of funding for sport for development in the Northwest Territories: a Foucauldian analysis

ABSTRACTIn the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada, the political landscape has created opportunities for mining, oil, and gas (‘extractives’) industries to ‘replace’ some of the federal and territorial governments’ provision of social programmes. With the ‘boom’ or ‘bust’ uncertainty of the resource economy in Canada, questions arise concerning the long-term stability of extractives industry-funded provision of services, including sport for development (SFD) initiatives. In this study of SFD in the NWT, we use a Foucauldian approach to examine historical and present-day discourses to identify the conditions of possibility – that is, those conditions that have facilitated an apparent need and funding for SFD in the NWT. The format of our paper is as follows: First, we provide an overview of Foucauldian theory and our methodology, archaeology. Through an archaeological examination of discourse related to sport and the NWT, we argue that there are four conditions of possibility that have created the need for SFD in the NWT: the history of settlement, the rise of SFD, corporate social responsibility, and NWT socio-economic agreements signed at the territorial and community levels. We conclude this paper by raising important implications that these conditions may have for sport and the provision of services and social and political issues in the NWT.

AS INFLUÊNCIAS DOS MEGAEVENTOS ESPORTIVOS NA AGENDA E POLÍTICAS ESPORTIVAS: PLANEJAMENTO, ARRANJO INSTITUCIONAL, ORDENAMENTO JURÍDICO E FINANCIAMENTO.

Este texto trata dos megaeventos esportivos, especificamente sobre as influências exercitadas sobre a agenda e as políticas esportivas. Para tanto, foi realizada uma revisão de literatura sobre megaeventos esportivos e política de esporte, bem como uma pesquisa documental, de abordagem qualitativa e de cunho exploratória. Percebeu-se que os megaeventos esportivos estão associados mais a questões mercantis de (re) estruturação de novos mercados, cidades e nichos econômicos e menos a questões de democratização do esporte. O que provocou mudanças no planejamento, no arranjo institucional e jurídico e no financiamento do esporte no Brasil.

Differences in formal and informal sports participation at regional level in England

ABSTRACTThe aim of the article is to provide a regional approach to analyse sports participation in two different contexts: organised/formal versus non-organised/informal participation, using Sport England’s Active People Survey national data set. We have estimated two models: first, a general model to explain differences in regional informal and formal participation rates; second, an econometric model dealing with formal participation at a regular frequency. The results emphasise the different roles played by some correlates depending on the context of sports participation under study. Only economic and cultural variables seem to have a general influence throughout all the sports participation contexts. The results reinforce the role played by sport supply and sport funding in some sports participation levels, offering interesting implications for sport policy. The urban environment, for example, appears to be positively related to the transition from informal to formal sport participation. The distinct analyses of the sports participation contexts provide the opportunity to evaluate ways of boosting participation as well as to suggest some interesting policy implications towards this aim. For example, sporting infrastructure is only influential for the transition from non-participation to formal participation, implying that in general the key question about sport funding and supply is not the amount of funds but rather the direction and aims of sport policy. Finally, the article offers some explanations about the gender inequality detected in some forms of sports participation.

Особенности сочетания социальных и экономических черт в современном подходе к управлению в области спорта

The management in sport is usually associated with a number of aspects and features of administration, adopted in national and international sports federations and organizations, but also in the past decades, sports management in most countries entirely absorbed the sphere of sports marketing. The development of sports business is associated with the marketing principle of customer-orientation, with an offer of expanded service package to the audience, with improving the quality of sports and entertainment services to viewers. Widespread use of sponsorship for the financing of sports and the application of marketing technologies for the organization of spectator flows suggests the formation of modern management concepts in the area of professional sport, which is based on a sports business (provision of recreational and sports entertainment services on a commercial basis). The paper concludes that sports business in professional sport and its elements in the sphere of amateur Olympic sports is formed by a combination of the two major levels or components - competition process of professional athletesand the organization of spectacular entertainment side of sports events. The paper distinguishes and describes seven key characteristics that reflect the actual combination of social and economic characteristics of sport management.

Macro Economical Tendencies for Sport Sponsorship Development

Organization of sports policy priorities and responsibilities are very different in all Member States, with implications on the flow of financial resources to the lowest level, public financing and sport sponsorship. Sports sponsors return on investment generates benefits for the economy as a result of increased activity on sports events, infrastructure development as well as for employment, quality of life or state and city image formation, creating soft power prospects, generating state competitiveness, more revenue from sports tourism, leisure and other sales sectors. All interested parties are funding sport directly and indirectly. For example, companies pay corporate taxes, which generate income to government, which can invest in the sport. However, the government can also define a fiscal framework that is conducive to private companies investing in the sport, such as tax relief. The goal of the article is to reveal the problems of sports funding system on the theoretical basis for sport sponsorship integration. Results indicate, that sports sector in the EU countries limited by the legal framework and the tax burden when the tax ratio is the demand and supply elasticities regulator. On the other hand, a decrease in costs for sporting events or activities of the organization to obtain more funding for sport, modeling macroeconomic legal and tax environment, can provide more opportunities for return on investment for sponsors within the larger media publicity contracts, licensing business expansion, thus generating more sales for sponsors, ensuring higher tax collection in the budget, the growing GDP and social capital development. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2016.v5n3s1p128

Do sports mega-events boost public funding in sports programs? The case of Brazil (2004–2015)

This article explores public expenditure in Brazilian sport from 2004 to 2015 and aims to understand if hosting sport mega-events has influenced investments in different types of sport (elite sport and educational/participation sport). Data were collected through governmental records and examined through descriptive statistics. Positive and negative variations of spending were reported, regarding both the overall budget allocated to sport and among the different types of sport. This study concluded that sport mega-events have influenced the funding of sports programs to some extent, but other aspects of public funding are likely to be more significant influencers on the observed variations. The study also argues that further research on different host countries is necessary to understand the impact of sport mega-events on public sport funding.

Efficiency of Governmental Funding in Hungary

Abstract This paper presents the initial results of a significant research project conducted under the IOC PhD Student Research Grant Program with the support of the Hungarian Olympic Committee. Macro- and meso-level analyses were conducted within the framework of this research to analyze the competitive position of the Hungarian elite sport policy system. In the following, an essential part of the research will be presented with the aim of modeling the efficiency of the Hungarian sport funding system as the increasingly international sporting competition forces governments to invest more money in elite sport development just so they can maintain their elite sport success as the supply of medals remains basically constant. Due to these diminishing returns to the scale of investment, an elite sporting system with an efficient structure will be key in future sporting success. Data collection was based on information gained through a general questionnaire and interviews with the main stakeholders of national sport federations and the Hungarian Olympic Committee, which is the main governing body of Hungarian high-performance sport. Data collection focused on the sixteen prioritized sport federations and the five team sports that benefited from a tax relief system. Secondary data were collected regarding the national public funding for sport, elite sport, and sport by sport since 2006, and Gracenote’s database was used to analyze historical performance in the different disciplines and compare Hungarian performance with that of other countries. This research will provide information to policy makers about the competitive position of Hungary in elite sport and, in this respect, explore the critical success factors that will allow Hungary to assess how best to manage its future success in an increasingly competitive international environment.

State of the Science-Ultraendurance Sports.

Participation in ultraendurance sports has been increasing in recent years. This participation growth has been associated with an increase in research focused on such events. While the total amount of research related to these sports remains relatively small compared with other sports, the research growth is encouraging. New sources for research funding for ultraendurance sports should advance the science. In addition to continued opportunities with observational studies, promising areas of investigation remain for experimental studies and research that uses ultraendurance-sport environments as models for studies relevant to wider populations. Insight into the breadth of research opportunities in ultraendurance sports can be gained by reviewing the abstracts published online in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance from the annual Medicine & Science in Ultra-Endurance Sports Conference that took place this year in Chamonix, France.

Manifestation of Sport in Programmes of Political Parties of Lithuania Striving To Be Elected To the Parliament of the Republic Of Lithuania for the Term 2016–2020

Tyrimo tikslas – išanalizuoti politinių partijų, pretenduojančių patekti į Lietuvos Respublikos Seimą 2016–2020 m. kadencijai, programose įrašytus šalies sporto sistemos funkcionavimą apibūdinančius (apibrėžiančius) teiginius, ištirti politinių partijų suinteresuotumą plėtoti sporto sistemą, įvertinti partijų programinių teiginių atliepimą visuomenės lūkesčiams, tarptautinėms direktyvoms. Tyrimo tikslui įgyvendinti buvo taikomi empiriniai tyrimo metodai, kurie, remiantis Tidikio (2003) klasifikacija, įvardijami kaip dokumentų analizės ir turinio (kontent) analizės. Išanalizavus politinių partijų, siekiančių patekti į Seimą, programas paaiškėjo, kad teiginių apie sporto politiką kiekybė nesikeičia. Politinių partijų programose įrašyti sporto sistemos plėtojimo teiginiai suskirstyti į septynias grupes: švietimo per sportinę veiklą bendrojo ugdymo įstaigose, visuomenės sveikatinimo, sporto infrastruktūros, sporto visiems, neįgaliųjų sporto, sporto finansavimo ir bendrąją. Didžiausia politinių partijų programose sporto politikos teiginių grupė – švietimo per sportinę veiklą bendrojo ugdymo įstaigose, beveik trečdalis teiginių. Visuomenės sveikatinimo per sportinę veiklą grupę sudaro ketvirtadalis teiginių. Sporto infrastruktūros plėtotę apibūdina 16 % visų partijų sporto politikos teiginių, sporto sistemos finansavimo valdymą – 13 % teiginių. Bendrieji sporto sistemos funkcionavimo teiginiai sudaro dešimtadalį, sportui visiems teiginiai – 4 %, neįgaliųjų fizinio aktyvumo ir sporto teiginiai – 2 % visų partijų sporto politikos teiginių. Labiausiai suinteresuotų plėtoti sportą partijų grupę sudaro Lietuvos laisvės sąjunga (liberalai), Lietuvos Respublikos liberalų sąjūdis ir Darbo partija, labai suinteresuotų – Lietuvos lenkų rinkimų akcija – Krikščioniškų šeimų sąjunga, Lietuvos socialdemokratų partija, Tėvynės sąjunga – Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai, santykinai suinteresuotų – Lietuvos žaliųjų partija, partija „Tvarka ir teisingumas“, santykinai nesuinteresuotų – Tautininkų sąjunga, Lietuvos valstiečių ir žaliųjų sąjunga, Lietuvos liaudies partija, partija „Jaunoji Lietuva“, nesuinteresuotų – politinė partija „Lietuvos sąrašas“ ir Lietuvos centro partija. Geriausiai sporto politikos teiginius savo 2016 m. rinkimų į Seimą programose išreiškė Lietuvos laisvės sąjunga (liberalai) ir Lietuvos Respublikos liberalų sąjūdis. Geriausiai 2014 m. priimtos rezoliucijos „Dėl sporto politikos“ susitarimų laikėsi Lietuvos laisvės sąjunga (liberalai), Lietuvos Respublikos liberalų sąjūdis ir Darbo partija. Darbo partija pagal 2008 m. Seimo rinkimams parengtoje programoje išreikštus sporto politikos teiginius buvo priskirta prie labai suinteresuotų plėtoti sportą grupės. Ši partija inicijavo 2014 m. rezoliucijos „Dėl sporto politikos“ priėmimą. Labiausiai suprastėjo Tėvynės sąjungos – Lietuvos krikščionių demokratų programa. Ši politinė partija 2008 m. buvo labiausiai suinteresuota plėtoti sportą.

Crowd Funding: the New Frontier of Sports Sponsorship?

Background: At a time when the economy becomes increasingly unstable, some large companies put an end to their partnerships. Sports sponsorship must therefore be reinvented with a more collaborative vision. Individuals but also corporations can now actively help their favorite teams or athletes and be rewarded for their success. Objective: The present study aims at studying these two concepts by analyzing their potential substitution as financing models. Our research offers an insight into the implementation of those two concepts. Our goal is to assess the potential substitution or co-existence of sponsorship and crowd funding in communication strategies. Method: This study is based on two qualitative analyses. The first was made with crowd funding platform professionals considered as equity financing experts. Five interviews were conducted, with an interview guide articulated around two axes: corporate motivations supporting crowd funding projects and perception of substitution between sponsorship and crowd funding. Second, based on the business objectives identified among sponsors, a grid of thematic analysis was built. A qualitative study was then conducted with project leaders (people looking for financing). The information was gathered via mail. Following those two steps, an analysis of the career financing modes chronology for the athletes prior to filing a project was studied. Results: The results of our qualitative analysis articulate points of views from platform leaders and elite athletes, i.e. users of these platforms. It appears that specialists see these two sport funding modes as complement, particularly in the communication strategy of large corporations. But results show that there is no systematic permanence between getting a project funded and having access to corporate financing. The study shows the existence of a hybrid model between sponsorship and crowd funding: participatory sponsorship. Conclusion: Sponsorship targets long-term relation whereas crowd funding is more project-based with a short-term approach. Keywords: Sponsoring; crowd funding; awareness; communication strategies; sports projects

Which wider social roles? An analysis of social roles ascribed to voluntary sports clubs

It has long been established that voluntary sports clubs (VSCs) are ascribed a prominent social role by governments. Several scholars highlight the ascribed social values in sport policy to voluntary sports clubs and their possible implications for these voluntary organizations. Most of these studies focus on national sport policies. However, several studies signal a dominant role for local government in the public funding of sport. This discrepancy between local funding responsibility and scholarly attention to national sport policy legitimizes the following question: Which social roles do local governments ascribe to voluntary sports clubs? Further, the particularities of the social values of voluntary sports clubs have received only sparse attention. Using institutional theory as a theoretical lens, this paper addresses these lacunae through a systematic document analysis of the municipal sport policies of the twenty largest Dutch municipalities. These municipalities address four different social roles for voluntary sports clubs: (1) sports clubs as social infrastructure operators, (2) sports clubs as educational institutes, (3) sports clubs as service providers, and (4) sports clubs as project implementers. The article further elaborates on these four social roles and argues that these form a normative institutional framework for VSCs.

Comparing Practices of US Swimming against a Global Model for Integrated Development of Mass and High Performance Sport

AbstractThis study examines the current state of swimming in the USA against an ideal-type model for developing high performance sport integrated with mass participation. A questionnaire was developed for the following elements of the model: talent development; advanced athlete support; training centers; competitions; intellectual services; partnerships with supporting agencies; and, balanced and integrated funding and structures of mass and elite sport. Survey questions were validated by twelve international experts including executives from sport governing bodies, swim coaches, academicians, and administrators. To determine the areas for improvement, 102 coaches completed the questionnaire. Possible advancements were further identified through semi-structured discussions with fifteen swimming administrators. Results suggest possible enhancements at macro level (e.g., new partnerships and incentives for greater support of mass and elite swimming), meso level (e.g., additional sources and models for better coach education and facilities), and micro level (e.g., advanced lifelong swimming guidelines for excellence of everyone).

Competencies and training needs for school sport managers in the North- west Province of South Africa

It is important to understand which competencies are needed for managerial and administrative effectiveness of school sport managers with regard to the design, delivery and direction of school sport programmes. The purpose of this study was to determine the competencies and training needs for secondary school sport managers in the North- west Province of South Africa. Data were gathered from 79 school sport managers in the North- west Province by means of a validated self-compiled questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and a dependent t-test were used to compare which competencies school sport managers perceive as important in their work with the competencies they actually perform. Functional and core competencies were found to be important for managing school sport effectively. There were statistically significant differences between the perceived importance of competencies and the frequency with which competencies were actually performed. Respondents attached greater importance to functional and core competencies than the proportion of time spent actually performing them. Furthermore, results indicated the need to train teachers in managing sport finance, sport facilities and human resources, as well as presenting workshops in public relations, sport marketing and sport organisation. Key words: Competencies, functional competencies, core competencies, school sport manager, training needs.

Financial Management and Gender Equality in Interscholastic Athletics

Interscholastic athletic programs must avoid gender-based budgetary inequity lawsuits to ensure their successful operation. Potential problem areas are the methods used to generate athletic funds, female sports funding and the maintenance of Title IX compliance. Eighty-two interscholastic athletic directors from eastern Kentucky region shared their perceptions concerning these potential problem areas. They completed an online survey based on past literature (1, 2, 3) addressing themes concerning effective strategies for generating athletic funds and maintaining equitable athletic budgets for both gender sports. The results indicated that participants adopted both direct sales (food, apparels, and tangible product items) and indirect sales (advertising spaces, conducting camps, and offering services) to generate revenues for their athletic programs. They had adopted the popular fundraising methods which were commonly suggested by past literature. In general, participants also agreed that female students should receive necessary financial support and opportunity to accommodate their participatory need. It is suggested that keeping an accurate Title IX report is the key to ensure a high level of Title IX compliance. Potentially the most controversial finding is that participants prefer to keep the majority of funds for football and men's basketball.

Flipping a Class: Active Learning and More of It

Despite what many claim, just because there is teaching does not mean there is learning. Clear and convincing evidence supports changing the instructional paradigm to a learner-centered classroom. Flipping a class shifts the delivery, often through technologically presented lectures, to free class time for student participation in a plethora of learning activities, such as think-pair-share and discussions, leading to student perceptions of greater learning and more enjoyment. In an action research approach with one class, 72% of juniors and seniors in an undergraduate sport finance and economics class reported out-of-class lectures often positively impacted their learning, and the remaining 28% responded these lectures did sometimes. End-of-course evaluations and surveys were overwhelmingly positive about class engagement, interaction, and enjoyment.

Can ‘English Premier League’ funding for PE and school sport achieve its aims?

There are a number of assertions being made for a £10 m investment by the English Premier League for primary school sport. For example, it is claimed that Physical Education plus school sport can improve cognitive functioning, concentration, behaviour, educational attainment and overall physical health. However, far from being sufficient in helping to achieve these benefits and sustain long-term activity participation, for some children, Physical Education and competitive sport may actually be counterproductive. In some instances, it may switch them off from activity altogether. Therefore, we need to understand more about which elements of this scheme work, who they work for and which circumstances they work in. Fundamentally, this will only be achieved through hard evidence and robust evaluation.

The relevance of sports financing

According to estimations sports exploit approximately two percent of world GDP. In addition sports represent an important function in culture, socialization and also in education, act an outstanding role in economy, as well, though academic researchers cannot find positive relationship between sports financing and economic growth. Sports were originally civil actions, with non-profit nature, where they did not aspire to reach high returns, but fulfilment of sport itself. However returns can be realized and reinvested in sports. This paper tries to collect the different aspects of sports financing in order to highlight its relevance.

Alternative lottery systems in Europe and key variables for using lottery as a financial resource for sport

Financial support of the sport from public budgets has a long tradition however sport in comparison with other state priorities needn’t be always among top priorities. Lack of direct public resources enforces seeking alternatives. Lottery and gambling seems to be natural object for extra taxation respectively reallocation part of profit to the good purposes scheme including sport. The question is how to do this “reallocation” in proper way. We have noticed many different methods in practice from direct tax transfer to the state budget to reallocation of lottery surplus to sport organization selected by the lottery company. The aim of the paper is to gather alternative approaches to the lottery as a tool for sport financing in selected countries and to identify and discuss relevant and most important variables for the lottery system.