A study on the frequency of participation and time spent on sport in different organisational settings

Research question: As a result of the expansion of opportunities for leisure-time sport participation (LTSP), the question arises if differing organisational settings relate to differences in participation behaviour. This paper compares participation frequency and time spent on sport between club-organised and non-club-organised sport participants.

Research methods: Data originate from the 2009 Household Study on Sport Participation in Flanders (Belgium). The sample consists of 4020 sports participants that are parents of school-aged children. The frequency of LTSP, time per training session and total time spent on sport per week are constructed as dependent variables for log-linear regression analyses. The organisational setting for LTSP is the main independent variable. Analyses are conducted at a total sample level and a sport-specific level.

Results and findings: Participation frequency and time spent on sport increase when participants engage with club-organised sport. The association between the organisational setting for LTSP and the dependent variable varies as a function of different variables related to participation in a specific sport.

Implications: As a contribution to ongoing debates on the promotion of LTSP in different organisational settings, results of this study allow for discussing the popularity of non-club-organised sport in relation to advantages of club-organised sport. For managers in sport organisations, it is important to gain insight in participation behaviour of (potential) participants to develop targeted strategies. Results are also relevant to policy-makers in order to adequately allocate resources aimed at increasing participation rates and time spent on sport among a broader range of the population.


KEYWORDS: Sport participation, sport clubs, sport light, time spent, frequency,