مرور مدیریت ورزش – Sport Management Review

Sport development decisions can affect sport participation in both positive and negative ways, whether those decisions are made by a government, sport governing body, or sport managers operating a program. Selecting an effective sport velopment approach often requires the consideration of multiple, and sometimes conflicting, factors and stakeholder groups. Interacting with the sociocultural context, such decisions may impact opportunities for individuals to experience the possible benefits of sport participation. Sport development programs can also help diversify the participants in an activity and contribute to the equitable provision of participation opportunities that may not have been available to segments of the population previously (Green, 2008; Taylor, Floyd, Whitt-Glover, & Brooks, 2007). This has been particularly true for the sport of swimming in the United States (USA).

Amidst evidence of significant racial disparities in drowning fatalities and the ability to swim, some communities in the USA (e.g., Cincinnati, Ohio; Charleston, South Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Novato, California) have formulated and implemented innovative swimming programs specifically designed to teach this life skill to the disadvantaged segments of the local populations. In order to fulfill this purpose, it is critical that program leaders incorporate emerging sport development principles in the attraction and retention of the participants. In many cases, it is difficult for a single entity to effectively address such a social challenge on its own, which often requires the coordination of multiple organizations within a community. Such collaborations between sport and non-sport entities are also more likely to be sustainable (Green, 2008). As opposed to one-time events, sustainable community programs have a greater potential to significantly contribute to the development of the local population (Skinner, Zakus, & Cowell, 2008). Against the backdrop of complicated sociopolitical environments and vital public needs that must be addressed, this case study is designed to illustrate the complexity of sport development decision making at the local level and the considerations for attracting and retaining the participants meant to be served by community sport programs.

Bob Shell is the director of the parks and recreation department in Memphis, Tennessee, one of the 25 largest cities in the USA that must create its own swimming program. After recent tragedies in Memphis, Bob is tasked with designing a program that will help alleviate the problem of drowning and teach more non-White residents how to swim. To help him in this endeavor, Bob selects one of his senior managers, Brenda, to conduct research and generate viable approaches that will address this social challenge. Brenda must offer the most effective solutions to recruit participants for swimming and then keep them involved in the Memphis program. While several alternatives may exist, the case presents a set of proposals that would shape the new swimming program, Memphis Swims Now.