Social impacts of community sport organisations: a scoping literature review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping literature review (SLR) to explore and describe the social impacts of community sport organisations (CSOs) within local communities in which they are located. Following the PRISMA protocol, we conducted a search of academic and grey literature in sport and broader social sciences and humanities databases. From the initial 16,438 records found, 40 made the final sample. Specifically, we conducted a scoping review on CSOs to describe what social impacts such organisations have produced based on previous empirical data. Findings showed that social impacts are not automatically produced by sport participation but emerge through deliberate organisational practices, relationship building and strategic resource mobilisation through CSOs. The selected studies showed that these deliberate organisational practices operate across organisational, individual, and community levels. The review also revealed that whilst sports participation is the fundamental instrument for individual changes and for CSOs’ survival, participation is not sufficient to produce social impacts. To produce social impacts, CSOs need deliberate programming, with activities designed specifically to promote social development. The study indicates that purposeful approaches are the most optimal means for accruing social impacts. Thus, social impacts within CSOs are produced not from participation itself but from the intentional strategies of sport programmes.