Mapping the Landscape of Organized Sport in a Community

Implications for Community Development

Bibliographic Data

ID13130208
AuthorsAlison Doherty (0000-0002-3021-7302, Western University, corresponding author), Swarali Patil (0000-0001-9634-2301, Western University), Justin Robar (Western University), Abby Perfetti (Western University), Kendra Squire (Western University)
Year2022
Volume4
Pages855798-855798
Publication date2022-04-12
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Sports and Active Living (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2624-9367 • E-ISSN: 2624-9367
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fspor.2022.855798
PMID35498530
OpenAlexW4223522823
LanguageEN
References cited41

This study presents the landscape of private community sport organizations in the City of London, Ontario, Canada based on a profile of organizational features that align conceptually with critical aspects of community development. Features representing the scope—variety of sports offered, program age targets, and other offerings—and operations—nonprofit/commercial sector, open/closed program type, independent/affiliated/franchise status, and shared/exclusive facility use—of community sport organizations were captured from publicly available information about the population of 218 organizations. The location of sport delivery points for each organization was also mapped. The landscape is characterized by a balance of nonprofit and commercial organizations, offering a wide variety of sports, across all ages and City districts, but predominantly offered through closed programming that typically requires an extended financial commitment. Community sport organizations in this city are also most likely to operate independently, and share facilities. These features, and the landscape, are conceptualized as having implications for access, social inclusion, engagement and citizenship, and social capital that are fundamental to community development. Mapping the landscape in this community provides a valuable resource for understanding that potential

Environmental planning · Geography · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts

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Open DOIOpen Access