Participation in sport and membership of traditional sports clubs: a case study of gymnastics in The Netherlands (with British comparisons)

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Abstract
In the Netherlands, gymnastics is a major participation sport. Historically a high proportion of gymnasts have been members of clubs affiliated to the national governing body, the Koninklijke Nederlandse Gymnastiek Bond (KNGB). Over recent years there has been a steady decline in the membership of the KNGB. This paper reports the results of an investigation into this decline in membership. Prior to the study it was suggested that the cause of declining membership was an increase in the rate at which people were leaving the KNGB and one part of the investigation concentrated on identifying former members and analysing their reasons for leaving. However, on the basis of our evidence, it appeared that no more people are leaving than normal. The research indicated that the problem is that less people, in particular young people, are joining gymnastics clubs. The problem is not one of exit but one of entry. Although the empirical results relate only to gymnastics in the Netherlands, the paper broadens the discussion to the international context by comparing the situation in the Netherlands with that in Britain. The Dutch structure of sport, and the position of the sports club in it, is similar to that in other northern European countries such as Denmark and Germany but the British situation is substantially different. Weisbrod's theory of the voluntary sector is used to investigate the broader question of the role of the sports club in the changing market for sport.

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