Governance in the sport sector – it is time to step up!

In contrast, the grassroots and recreational sports sector promotes social, physical and mental health and assists and encourages citizens to become physical active. This sector is driven by democratic civil society organisations including thousands of citizen volunteers. It teaches future generations to balance their personal well-being with the need for global sustainability.

These two very different sectors are not a continuum with sports entertainment at one end and grassroots participation at the other. The so-called “pyramid structure” is a myth. In fact, they are not strongly interrelated at all.

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For many years we have relied on models of collaborative governance that do not reflect our best-available knowledge. It is claimed that big sport events and elite athletic performances promote and increase grassroots sports participation.  But extensive data and research over decades has shown that this is not the case. Big sports events are not a driver for increased sport participation. That’s a fact. Perhaps not a convenient or welcome fact, but a fact nonetheless. Collaborative governance, policymaking and economic support should reflect this reality – which means that the different sport sectors should be governed and supported very differently.

Over the next two years ISCA will steer a new initiative that will illustrate, promote and present the reality of the very diverse European sport sectors and models. This initiative will examine models of collaborative governance that reflect the real differences in these sectors, and we are very pleased to see this theme was also on the agenda at the recent ministerial conference of the Council of Europe Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS). ISCA welcomes the fact that the EPAS is rethinking the way public authorities and the sports movement co-ordinate and co-operate, and is considering governance models that meet the sectors’ actual needs.

In order to increase sports participation in Europe, we believe that these major sectoral differences should be acknowledged. While aiming to treat the various sport sectors equally, we must be aware that they should be served and governed very differently.

This article is an adapted version of the speech that Mogens Kirkeby gave at the recent ministerial conference of the Council of Europe Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS).