Sports Clubs in Germany: Results from the Ninth Wave of the Sport Development Report: Sport Development Report for Germany 2023–2025: Part 1

The results of the ninth wave confirm once again that sports clubs in Germany are not only central institutions for sports and exercise but also play an essential role in society as places of social interaction and community cohesion. In recent years, a stronger self-conception of the clubs as communities of solidarity can be observed, and clubs attach greater importance to community and conviviality. If one looks at the clubs’ resource situation, it emerges that voluntary engagement remains their key challenge. Volunteer retention and recruitment represents a threat to the existence for 17.5% of clubs. The decline in the number of young volunteers is particularly problematic. Although the number of coaches and trainers remains stable, it comes against the backdrop of a rising number of members, which is likely to increase the workload of existing staff. At the same time, the number of positions for the training and further education of club employees and the number of positions for the further development of the clubs’ offers are on the decline, as are the number of paid management positions. In addition, clubs are facing growing challenges both due to a lack of political and administrative support and the condition of the sports facilities used…