Community sport policy is characterised as complex and multi-faceted partly due to the number of agencies involved. This thesis explores the community sport policy process in England, specifically the significance of the relationship between CSPs and NGBs in the community sport policy process. The four key objectives of this study are (i) to analyse the significance of the relationship between CSPs and NGBs with regard to the national community sport policy process; (ii) to analyse the significance of the relationship between CSPs and NGBs in local-level policy making and policy implementation; (iii) to identify CSP and NGB attitudes and perceptions toward the community sport policy process; and as the study focuses on the meso-level of analysis, (iv) to evaluate the explanatory value of selected meso-level theories of the policy process in developing a better understanding of the community sport policy process. This study uses a mixed method comprising a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Initially, a quantitative questionnaire was used to gather information regarding CSPs and NGBs and support the selection of CSP cases. From this CSP-based case studies were developed involving semi-structured interviews with CSP, NGB and local authority representatives. The study draws attention to the hierarchical nature of the community sport policy process, the implications for collaboration, the mediating role of CSPs in national and local policy settings, and the associated challenges that agents face in implementing community sport policy. The study emphasises the value of theoretical pluralism in analysing the community sport field, particularly the combined used of meso-level frameworks such as the Advocacy Coalition Framework and the Policy Networks Approach with micro-level considerations from implementation theory and the partnership literature. It concludes that empirically, it is only by giving policy agents a voice that we can develop a more accurate understanding of the policy process and that practically only by harnessing the commitment and energy of the grassroots can we step toward a more effective policy community.

Community sport organizations (CSO) are the most predominant type of nonprofit and voluntary organization in Canada (Gumulka, Barr, Lasby, & Brown-lee, 2005), and, it is vital that researchers recognize the critical, and often contradictory, social roles that these organizations are expected to perform. Community sport is both lauded as a progressive force of individual and community development (Sport for Development and Peace, International Working Group [SDP IWG], 2006) and criticized for reproducing race and class-based stereotypes that marginalize Aboriginal peoples (Canadian Heritage, 2005). Added to these challenges is the fact that sport leaders are expected to negotiate conflicting interests and unequal power relations (see Forester, 1989) while relying on a very limited body of research in which to guide their work in designing, delivering and facilitating culturally relevant sport programs for Aboriginal youth (see Forsyth, Heine & Halas, 2007; Maskawachees Declaration, 2000). Positioned within a transdisciplinary theoretical framework and guided by principles of indigenous research (Schnarch, 2004; Wilson, 2008), I conducted a multi-layered community-based study with sport leaders and youth participants at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Center (WASAC), a successful urban Aboriginal sport organization in Manitoba, Canada. Building on similar research in the area of culturally relevant physical activity and education (e.g., Carpenter, 2009; Forsyth et al., 2007), the purpose of my research was to examine the politics and praxis of culturally relevant sport education (CRSE) – specifically, program planning and leadership practices - as an alternative to deficit-based and culturally inappropriate sport programs for urban Aboriginal youth. Findings reveal that WASAC leaders utilize a complex set of explicit and tacit cultural teachings rooted within a context- and relationship-based approach to program planning and facilitation. Findings also indicate that culturally relevant sport leadership practices are strongly related to the personal, experiential and cultural background and knowledge of sport leaders. The study concludes by suggesting that sport leaders who understand the cultural landscape of urban Aboriginal youth and utilize critical self-reflexive practices are more likely to recognize and build upon the resilience of urban Aboriginal youth while proactively responding to the complex challenges that shape the lives of youth.

Community sport organizations (CSO) are the most predominant type of nonprofit and voluntary organization in Canada (Gumulka, Barr, Lasby, & Brown-lee, 2005), and, it is vital that researchers recognize the critical, and often contradictory, social roles that these organizations are expected to perform. Community sport is both lauded as a progressive force of individual and community development (Sport for Development and Peace, International Working Group [SDP IWG], 2006) and criticized for reproducing race and class-based stereotypes that marginalize Aboriginal peoples (Canadian Heritage, 2005). Added to these challenges is the fact that sport leaders are expected to negotiate conflicting interests and unequal power relations (see Forester, 1989) while relying on a very limited body of research in which to guide their work in designing, delivering and facilitating culturally relevant sport programs for Aboriginal youth (see Forsyth, Heine & Halas, 2007; Maskawachees Declaration, 2000). Positioned within a transdisciplinary theoretical framework and guided by principles of indigenous research (Schnarch, 2004; Wilson, 2008), I conducted a multi-layered community-based study with sport leaders and youth participants at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Center (WASAC), a successful urban Aboriginal sport organization in Manitoba, Canada. Building on similar research in the area of culturally relevant physical activity and education (e.g., Carpenter, 2009; Forsyth et al., 2007), the purpose of my research was to examine the politics and praxis of culturally relevant sport education (CRSE) – specifically, program planning and leadership practices - as an alternative to deficit-based and culturally inappropriate sport programs for urban Aboriginal youth. Findings reveal that WASAC leaders utilize a complex set of explicit and tacit cultural teachings rooted within a context- and relationship-based approach to program planning and facilitation. Findings also indicate that culturally relevant sport leadership practices are strongly related to the personal, experiential and cultural background and knowledge of sport leaders. The study concludes by suggesting that sport leaders who understand the cultural landscape of urban Aboriginal youth and utilize critical self-reflexive practices are more likely to recognize and build upon the resilience of urban Aboriginal youth while proactively responding to the complex challenges that shape the lives of youth.

This study sought to examine power, resources and environmental negotiation through an examination of the operations and governance of two Community Sport Organizations (CSOs) located in a mid-sized city in the Midwest region of the United States. This was undertaken by answering three research questions: (1) How does power shape the allocation of resources within CSOs? (2) How do CSOs secure access to resources from their organizational environments? and (3) How do CSOs attempt to manipulate their organizational environment? The dissertation took a case study approach, combining documentary review with in-depth semi-structured interviews to develop a greater understanding of the CSOs under study and of the dynamics of power that animate the organizations’ activities, decisions, and outlook. By using two theories of power, Lukes’ Three Dimensional (3D) approach and Resource Dependence Theory (RDT), the dissertation examined both an institutional and episodic view of power, providing a richer view of power within the organizations under study. In RQ1, the study finds that CSOs are willing to allocate resources to the social construction of their sport; that they are sensitive to threshold effects in resource allocation, meaning they provide resources up to the point that a need is met, and not beyond; and that gender played a role in internal resource allocation. In RQ2, the results indicated that the CSOs under study were able to secure resources from their environments through not valuing their institutional existence, and through working with their multi-level governance structures. RQ3 finds that CSOs used anticipatory compliance with environmental actors and borrowing capacity of means to change their organizational environments. The overall conclusion of the study notes that low organizational capacity in CSOs has considerable benefits to go with the drawbacks previously noted in the CSO and not-for-profit literatures. The study outlines that CSOs are able to use their low capacity status to help ensure their organizational environment remains passive, allowing them to maintain a focus on their members and mission while securing sufficient resources to survive. Further discussion of volunteer leadership being a type of participation in sport and of the challenges of studying CSOs, as well as participant recruitment, are also included.

This study analysed the strategies of selected National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and voluntary sport clubs (VSCs) in the process of policy implementation of Sport England s generic Clubmark (a quality mark accreditation framework). Within the overarching Clubmark framework, other policies (safeguarding and increasing membership and/or participation) adopted by VSCs working towards the accreditation (or re-accreditation) standard were also examined. Policy-makers are predominantly centrally located, often a distance from the point of delivery where, it is argued; the environment is highly variable, pressured and political, often requiring negotiation and interpretation during the process of implementation. Traditionally, implementation analysis assumed two distinct approaches: top-down theorists (e.g. Hogwood & Gunn, 1984) suppose a perfect rational, systematic process as the starting point, with the focus placed on central policy-makers. The top-down theorists acknowledge that the ideal is unattainable but use the perspective to establish generalisable descriptive policy advice; in contrast, bottom-up theorists (e.g. Lipsky, 1980) argued that to gain a more realistic understanding of implementation the role of street-level bureaucrats (e.g. VSC members at the point of delivery) should be the focus for analysis and seek to offer prescriptive advice. More recently, a number of theorists have developed hybrid implementation models, which offered a synthesis of the two contrasting approaches, such as Matland's (1995) Ambiguity-Conflict model. The combination of these three approaches coupled with Kingdon's (1997) Multiple Streams framework, used to help organise and set a context for the understanding of implementation during analysis, established the theoretical framework that guided this study. The research adopted a qualitative approach using case studies for the three sports of boxing, swimming and rugby union. Data collection consisted of 29 semi-structured interviews from VSC members, NGB officials, a senior Sport England official and a County Sports Partnership officer. The interview data were combined with document analysis (from VSCs, NGBs and Sport England), which included policy documents, guidance templates, electronic communications and various website content. Two clubs from each sport were examined (one urban, one rural). VSC member selection was based on positions of authority within the committee who had some prior knowledge of Clubmark. Three to four NGB officials from each sport provided data for the top-down perspective of policy implementation. Analysis of the data revealed that policy implementation is not straightforward; NGBs had to be flexible with their strategies and be willing to modify criteria to deal with the varying nature and capacities of VSCs. Available NGB capacity to offer VSC support proved to be pivotal for implementation success in addition to the ability of the NGBs recognising the range of contextual constraints, which limited VSCs in the implementation process. At the club-level, motivation and willingness of VSC compliance for the three main policy strands varied across sports and clubs, which demonstrated how the role of the VSC members, as implementing agents, was fundamental in the policy process. At the NGB-level, the urgency or importance placed on the three policies and the variable capacity (to offer support) affected implementation. Application of the theoretical framework that guided the research proved effective in developing the understanding of implementation in this particular sport context. Furthermore, this research has provided a contribution to the literature by demonstrating how the complex and heterogeneous nature of VSCs affects the implementation process in community sport, which provides a useful point of reference for future comparative studies analysing NGBs and VSCs in different contexts.

The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between city branding and community sport focusing on the role of citizens. Community sport means more than just organized sport events, covering all of physical activities, recreation, and leisure that are based on the region. Therefore, Community-based Sport and Recreational Physical Activity (CSRPA) is closely related to urban experience and quality of life of local residents. Specifically, the objectives of this research are to: (1) evaluate the perceptions of internal stakeholders of city branding through CSRPA; and (2) examine the possibility of considering CSRPA as branding opportunities. Participatory city branding theory provided the most relevant theoretical frameworks to shed light on co-creative image building process by leveraging citizens’ participation to CSRPA. The methodology used in the study was case study with the city of Ottawa, Canada. City representatives (n=17) took part in semi-structure interviews to elucidate their perceptions and lived experiences associated with Ottawa city branding. Citizens (n=127) participated in an online survey to express their voices surrounding city brands and sport participation. The findings of the study suggest that CSRPA constitutes an interesting opportunity to contribute to co-creative city branding by incorporating citizens’ voices and promoting collaborative public governance.

Background: The management, prevention, and recognition of injuries forms an integral part of coaches training. It is imperative that coaches are equipped with a sound understanding of specialised coaching to teach developing athletes correct performance techniques, promote strategies to reduce the risk of injury, and be able to determine the need for medical attention in the event of an injury (9). The South African Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) has created opportunities for young people living in low socio-economic settings to participate in various sports within the Mass participation, Opportunity and Development and growth (MOD) programme (10). Athletes showing potential for competing at a provincial or national level are selected into the specialised Talent Development Programmes (TDP). The MOD and TDP also provides an employment opportunity for coaches. At present, very little is known about the knowledge and practices of coaches working with young athletes in low socio-economic settings within South Africa. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the knowledge and practices of youth athletics coaches employed by the Western Cape (WC) TDP branch of the MOD within the under 12–14 year age group. The specific objectives were to: 1) describe the coaches qualifications and experience, using an online Demographic and Coaching Practices (D&CP) questionnaire; 2) assess coaches' knowledge regarding athlete development, injuries, and the management of injuries using an online Multiple Choice Quiz (MCQ); 3) describe coaches practices regarding injury prevention techniques using the D&CP questionnaire and 4) assess the relationship between the coaches a) experience and their MCQ scores, b) qualification and MCQ score, and c) qualification in first aid and the MCQ subsection score relating to injury and injury management. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Inclusion criteria were: 1) coaches associated with the TDP for Athletics in the WC, 2) coaches with > one year's experience coaching U12-14 athletics, and 3) access to internet. Exclusion criteria were: 1) coaches < one season coaching experience. Ethics approval was granted by the University of Cape Town Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC REF 554/2019). The online MCQ consisted of 40 questions covering topics relating to coaches' knowledge and understanding of methods used to reduce the risk of injury and management of acute injuries. The D&CP questionnaire included questions related to the practices used by coaches to reduce injury risk and management protocols used during pre-season, training, or in competition. Results: Twenty-six coaches consented to participate; five coaches exercised their right to withdraw after having only completed the online MCQ component. Profile of coaches: 16 of the 21 coaches (76.19%) reported having a coaching qualification. Most coaches were certified by Athletics South Africa (n = 12; 57.14%). Most coaches (n = 17; 81%) held a first aid qualifications ranging from level one to three. Participants' experience ranged from less than five years to 15 years (median = 7 years; IQR = 10.5 years). Performance on the MCQ: The median score achieved by the coaches (n = 26) for the MCQ was 14 out of 40 points (35%; IQR = 4) and only two coaches achieved a score greater than 50%. Coaching Practices: Most coaches (71%) used 30-minute warm-up sessions which included various exercise techniques. During warm-ups, a few of the coaches (n = 11) included static stretching, while the majority (n = 19) included dynamic stretching techniques. During competition season, most coaches encouraged athletes to complete a cool-down following each event (n = 17; 80.95%). Most coaches (90%) incorporated a pre-season conditioning programme, lasting an average of 7.5 weeks (range = 2-16 weeks). Injury Management: 19% of coaches relied on the first aider present at each training session. Sixteen of the 21 coaches depended on medical professionals to make the final decision regarding to returning the athlete to training and competing, and 38.5% (n = 26) of coaches believed it was the coach or parents' decision. Relationship between MCQ Performance and Coaching profile: A moderate correlation between coaches' years of experience and MCQ score was found, however this was not significant (r = 0.43; p = 0.054), and weak non-significant correlations were found between MCQ scores were not significantly for groups of coaches who held or did not possesses a coaching qualification (u = 37; z = 0.21; p = 0.84). There was no difference between coaches who had a first aid qualification and those who did not on the MCQ test scores (u = 22; z = 1.03; p = 0.32). Discussion and Conclusion: Coaches' knowledge regarding injuries, practices used to reduce the risk of injuries, and the acute medical management of injuries is less than optimal. Several coaches performed poorly on the MCQ, and some practices used by the coaches in our sample were questionable. Despite the majority having qualifications in both coaching and first aid, their understanding relating to injuries and the practices used did not always reflect the latest guidelines for coaching youth athletes. The findings of the present study are similar to the findings of others studies (11). This may be as a result of insufficient coaching development throughout their careers. The present findings indicated that 42.3% of TDP coaches still use outdated warm-up techniques (i.e., static stretches). Coaches are generally aware of the importance of strength and conditioning programmes. The moderate correlation between years of experience and MCQ score suggests that coaches do gain implicit knowledge through their experience. As health professionals working in the field of sport, physiotherapists are key allies for sharing knowledge with coaches. Empowering coaches with the knowledge and skills required to reduce the risk of injury development and manage injuries appropriately may, in turn, provide developing athletes with the support they require.

The aim of this thesis is to create knowledge on processes of change in the contemporary organizing of Swedish voluntary sport and the systems of meaning at work in these processes. The thesis proceeds from the assumption that the contemporary public sport policy climate is characterized by a pressure on organized sport to change in order for sport to better serve as an implementer of non-sport goals. In attempting to capture the possible ramifications of this pressure on the organizing of voluntary sport, the thesis work relies on the argument that processes of change are best captured in instances where new and established ideas are confronted with one another. Following this argument and drawing upon the concept of theorization, the first research question treated in the thesis concerns how legitimacy is established for a new practice (reported in Article 1). The second research question addressed is how, why, and with what consequences new ideas on organizing are implemented in sport organizations (reported in Article 2 &amp; 3). In relation to this question, the concepts of translation and organizational identity are mobilized in the analysis. Empirically, these two questions are addressed using data from 29 interviews covering the emergence and organizing of organized spontaneous sport, so-called Drive in sport, in four Swedish municipalities. The analysis relating to these two questions shows that the same systems of meaning invoked to legitimize and specify Drive-in sport as a practice that has the potential to remedy problems being faced by both the Swedish society and the Swedish sports movement, also made Drive-in sport an unlikely developmental direction for the majority of implementing sport clubs. This process is understood with reference to a mismatch between the organizational identity of the clubs and the cultural material of the idea of Drive-in sport. This insight is brought into the formulation of the third research question treated in the thesis, which is concerned with sport clubs’ readiness, willingness, and ability to respond to policy changes (reported in Article 4). Building on data from short, qualitative interviews with representatives from 218 randomly selected sport clubs, 10 organizational identity categories are constructed. Between these categories, there is a variety of clubs’ core purposes, practices, and logics of action. The implications of this heterogeneity, in terms of sport clubs’ role as policy implementers, are discussed with reference to what clubs in each category might "imagine doing." The analysis provided in the thesis as a whole suggests that at stake in processes of change in the contemporary organizing of Swedish voluntary sport, is the very definition and meaning of sport.