Abstract
Sports facilities account by far for the largest share in public expenditures on sports. Since they are inevitable for participation in sports, they are also the most important tool policy makers can use to promote sports participation. Despite their importance for sports promotion, the effect of quality, characteristics and location of sports facilities on people’s participation in sports has received limited attention. Studies that have been carried out have emphasized the effect of distance and willingness to travel, but neglected the personal circumstances of individuals, their social networks and perceptions of and preferences towards sports facilities as additional important factors.
This presentation reports on the first stage of a research project that investigates the effects of sports facilities on sports participation and sports location decisions in different urban and rural places in the Netherlands. Our approach distinguishes between the importance of distance and accessibility of sports facilities for different target groups, different type of athletes and sports. Not only objectively measured characteristics of sports facilities are taken into account, but also perceptions, motivations and emotions with regard to sports participation and the sports facilities itself are assumed to affect sports location decisions.
A final element in the theoretical framework is the adoption of time geographical point of view, which depicts sports participation as an activity in individuals’ time-space continuum. A time-geographical approach gives insight in spatio-temporal dimensions of activities, and explains how individuals’ constraints with respect to travel options, obligations towards others and time-pressure may limit possibilities to participate in sports activities.
The presentation will discuss theories that extends the dominant distance-based approach by incorporating insights from time-geography, attitude and lifestyle theory, social network theories and theories of sports motivation and emotion. These theories will be integrated into a comprehensive theory of the effect of sports facilities on sports participation.
This presentation reports on the first stage of a research project that investigates the effects of sports facilities on sports participation and sports location decisions in different urban and rural places in the Netherlands. Our approach distinguishes between the importance of distance and accessibility of sports facilities for different target groups, different type of athletes and sports. Not only objectively measured characteristics of sports facilities are taken into account, but also perceptions, motivations and emotions with regard to sports participation and the sports facilities itself are assumed to affect sports location decisions.
A final element in the theoretical framework is the adoption of time geographical point of view, which depicts sports participation as an activity in individuals’ time-space continuum. A time-geographical approach gives insight in spatio-temporal dimensions of activities, and explains how individuals’ constraints with respect to travel options, obligations towards others and time-pressure may limit possibilities to participate in sports activities.
The presentation will discuss theories that extends the dominant distance-based approach by incorporating insights from time-geography, attitude and lifestyle theory, social network theories and theories of sports motivation and emotion. These theories will be integrated into a comprehensive theory of the effect of sports facilities on sports participation.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Published - 8 May 2014 |