The Fachhochschule Dortmund has analyzed the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on sports clubs together with the Unna District Sports Association. The study shows an overall loss of members for 2020 and 2021. However, this does not affect all clubs equally. The study also reveals the innovation potential of sports clubs as a result of the crisis.
The coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on active sports activities. At times, competitions and team matches were completely canceled. Training was prohibited or severely restricted. Sports clubs in the district of Unna lost a total of 3,570 members during the pandemic, which is just under four percent, but less than the national figure of around eight percent. The Fachhochschule Dortmund study shows that smaller clubs in rural areas in particular can benefit from their strong member loyalty.
More clearly than the loss of members, the clubs are experiencing a kind of alienation. "They report less carefree togetherness and sociability," says Prof. Dr. Ute Fischer from the Faculty of Applied Social Studies at Fachhochschule Dortmund. Clubs are seen as service providers. "The intertwining of work and leisure time, for example through mobile working, is also leading to a reorientation - away from binding club structures towards individualized offers in the gym," says Ute Fischer.
Cohesion and new ideas
The social scientist also emphasizes that the clubs' biggest problems already existed before the pandemic and have only been exacerbated by coronavirus - for example, the recruitment of trainers, but also issues such as volunteering and the renovation and maintenance of training facilities.
"The important thing is that club life has also been strengthened by the pandemic," adds Sina-Marie Levenig, a student of Applied Social Sciences at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and co-author of the study. Some clubs report a special sense of cohesion among the remaining members. And ideas that were initially developed out of necessity during the pandemic, but have since proven their worth, have further strengthened the associations.
"This includes all forms of digital communication and services," says Sina-Marie Levenig. Due to the pandemic, messenger services have become a common means of communication within clubs, and websites have been fundamentally revamped during this time and expanded to include virtual training or booking and payment systems. However, many clubs still need support with digitalization. "Our study also shows that it is precisely those clubs that have accepted the situation and become socially involved, for example with neighborhood help during the coronavirus period, that are now continuing to benefit from the increased activity of their members," adds Ute Fischer.
The study was conducted on behalf of KreisSportBund Unna e.V. from September to December 2022. In addition to extensive interviews with city sports association chairpersons, more than 125 clubs in the district of Unna were surveyed.