Explaining similarities and differences between European sports clubs (2017)

This report sets out to disseminate the most central information from the European research project ‘Social Inclusion and Volunteering in Sports Clubs in Europe’ (SIVSCE). More specifically, the report has combined knowledge about sports club policies, sports clubs and members and volunteers across borders in ten European countries. The data applied has previously been disseminated in three mainly descriptive reports, but this report has condensed the information from these three reports in order to provide the reader with an overview of the most important findings. Furthermore, potential explanations for the identified similarities and differences have been found and presented. The report consists of three topical chapters that also set the structure for the summary. The first chapter provides an overview of European sports clubs with a focus on history, policies and central characteristics, the second informs us about social integration, while the third chapter provides information about volunteering in sports clubs.