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The Impact of Organizational Capacity on Strategic Approaches to Membership Retention and Growth in Community Sport Organizations

Kristen A. Morrison et al.

Journal of Sport Management2026https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2025-0188article
AJG 2ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This purpose of this study was to investigate the strategic approaches used by community sport organizations for membership retention and growth as well as the specific organizational capacity elements needed to support these approaches. The approaches examined included: Trailblazer (i.e., new market/program expansion), Enhancer (i.e., market penetration), Maintainer (i.e., optimize existing programs), and Carer (i.e., community philanthropy). A total of 250 community sport organization presidents or representatives completed an online survey. Findings indicate that creativity in planning supports Trailblazer, Enhancer, and Carer approaches, while long-term planning is crucial for Enhancer and Carer approaches. Quality infrastructure negatively predicts the use of a Trailblazer approach, whereas having sufficient volunteers predicts a Maintainer approach. This study highlights internal factors that community sport organization leaders can leverage to optimize their approaches for membership retention and growth, providing implications for organizational development and planning within community sport.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2025-0188

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@article{kristen2026,
  title        = {{The Impact of Organizational Capacity on Strategic Approaches to Membership Retention and Growth in Community Sport Organizations}},
  author       = {Kristen A. Morrison et al.},
  journal      = {Journal of Sport Management},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2025-0188},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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