The Unsustainable Strategy of Voluntary Sports Clubs or an Opportunity for Rational Management of Sport Management?

Abstract

The strategy of voluntary sports clubs depends on structural measures that favour essential revenues, as well as the commitment of their consumers to pay for the service provided. When analyzing the social mission of local sports clubs (non-profit organizations that develop a service for public interest), it is crucial to understand the financial balance and the factors that influence decision-making when managing expenses and revenues. This study aims to analyze the strategic management and service prices of sports clubs that offer sports services to the local community. It is based on a mixed analysis methodology that integrates quantitative and qualitative variables relating to sports practice services’ pricing, expenses and revenues and uses interviews as the main data collection tool. It involves the voluntary and anonymous participation of 12 directors belonging to the Board of 12 sports clubs, through a semi-structured interview of three themes: the club’s mission and objectives; pricing of services and the factors that influence its definition; expenses versus income. Data processing was based on analysis of the answers to each question, with the researchers’ agreed coding process. The results point to 1) an absence of sufficient structural measures that can ensure the financial sustainability of sports clubs; 2) a significant dependence of sports clubs on public subsidies; and 3) unclear governance in management of objectives and results of sport clubs. The results also point to an opportunity for improved professionalization and communication for sports clients, which will lead to a more sustainable model for these clubs.