The influence of voluntary sports clubs on the management of community sports facilities in Denmark

Abstract

In this article, we use institutional theory to investigate how the role of the manager of Danish community sports facilities (CSFs) was initially defined and then developed from when the first CSFs were established in 1890 until 2017. We focus on three periods: The formative period , the confirmative period and the challenging period . We conclude that the expectations for the manager's role were initially defined by the needs and wishes of voluntary sports clubs (VSCs) and, further, that these expectations were stable throughout the two following periods. The management of CSFs has primarily been concernedwith technical aspects such as budgeting, maintenance and cleaning, while the sporting activities in the CSFs have been the responsibility of the VSCs. Based on the analysis, we discuss how the managers of CSFs could handle current challenges such as an excess of available timeslots, cutbacks in subsidies and a maintenance backlog. We conclude that it is questionable whether the managers can provide the solutions to these, as their role seems to remain stable primarily due to a persistent pressure from VSCs to aintain the status quo for the role of the manager -i.e. that the manager should primarily focus on the need and wishes of the VSCs. Finally, we argue that if the aim is to make it possible for the manager to handle the challenges, the municipalities should consider to hange the way municipalities allocate subsidies to CSFs.

Skaber ledere af idrætsanlæg offentlig værdi?

“…om året på drift og etablering af idraetsanlaeg (Danmarks Statistik, 2017). I det perspektiv er det bemaerkelsesvaerdigt, at vi ved meget lidt om idraetsanlaegs drift og ledelse, og at der først inden for de senere år er kommet fokus herpå (Forsberg & Iversen, 2019;. I et historisk perspektiv har ledelsesspørgsmålet i idraetsanlaeg haft begraenset interesse fra kommuners side (Ibsen, 2011), hvilket står i kontrast til opmaerksomheden for ledelse i andre typer af decentrale velfaerdsinstitutioner (Klausen, 2006;Klausen, Michelsen, & Nielsen, 2011;Pors, 2005Pors, , 2010.…”

“…I et historisk perspektiv har ledelsesspørgsmålet i idraetsanlaeg haft begraenset interesse fra kommuners side (Ibsen, 2011), hvilket står i kontrast til opmaerksomheden for ledelse i andre typer af decentrale velfaerdsinstitutioner (Klausen, 2006;Klausen, Michelsen, & Nielsen, 2011;Pors, 2005Pors, , 2010. Den begraensede interesse for ledelse af idraetsanlaeg har betydet, at ledelse af idraetsanlaeg primaert har handlet om de tekniske sider af idraetsanlaegs drift (Forsberg & Iversen, 2019), og at en stor del af lederne af landets idraetsanlaeg ikke i samme grad som ledere i andre decentrale velfaerdsinstitutioner (som f.eks. daginstitutioner, plejehjem og skoler) har en formel lederuddannelse .…”

“…det andet hjørne i Moore's strategiske trekant), som vi ikke har fokuseret indgående på i analysen. Den kontinuerlige økonomiske støtte fra kommuner til idraetsanlaeg over tid (fra begyndelsen af 1900-tallet før kommuner var forpligtet hertil lovmaessigt (Forsberg & Iversen, 2019)) kan vaere et udtryk for, at idraetsanlaeg ved at vaere ramme om idraetsforeninger har skabt offentlig vaerdi. Idraetsanlaeg har således vaeret opfattet som legitime modtagere af offentlige midler, fordi de har understøttet foreningers aktiviteter og trivsel.…”

Predictive Modelling of Sports Facility Use: A Model of Aquatic Centre Attendance

“…These leisure facilities are continuously diversifying as interest in health, wellness, and high-quality recreation intensifies [11][12][13][14]. They are more versatile but are also more expensive.…”

Local Governance Structures and Their Role in Mobilising Community Action: A Case of Recreational Facilities in Mining Towns in the Copperbelt Province

“…There is need therefore, to improve the management of these facilities in order to explore possible regeneration. Scholars suggest that in situations where public and private management models fail, community-based approaches are often the favourable alternative (Findlay-King et al, 2018;Forsberg and Iversen, 2019). This paper therefore set out to suggest solutions to the management quandary experienced by the recreation facilities.…”