Consumerism vs. traditionalism in voluntary sport clubs: a contrast study

Since the early 1980s, voluntary sport clubs are facing increased competition due to the emergence of fitness centres and other commercial sport organisations. During the last three decades voluntary sport clubs have lost market share in the Netherlands, which has resulted in a pressure to become more market-like. Moreover, policy actors within the voluntary sport sector have promoted a ‘consumer logic’ in which voluntary sport clubs are encouraged to develop flexible and short-term membership forms. These new membership forms contradict the traditional membership structures in a voluntary sport club that follow an ‘association logic’ in the sense that they do not have ideals and sporting objectives as point of departure (Ibsen & Seippel, 2010). Rather, individual needs and demands are foregrounded in this new way of thinking. In the Netherlands, these pressures have led to a process of modernisation in some clubs, whilst other clubs have remained ‘traditional’. However, it is unknown whether the new consumerist membership forms actually meet the demands of members in voluntary sport clubs. Also, the consequences of a consumerist attitude towards voluntary sport clubs for these clubs are unknown. In this contrast study, the attitudes of members in modern and traditional clubs are researched. Ten clubs from five sports were selected from the Dutch Voluntary Sport Associations Monitor. In every sport, one club had the characteristics of a modern consumerist club, while the other had the characteristics of a traditional club. Online questionnaires concerning questions on consumerist attitudes, organisational commitment and social capital were distributed among the members of the voluntary sport clubs.