What makes community sports programs successful? A group concept mapping study to identify effective elements.

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Sports Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Socially vulnerable adults can gain from community sports programs.
• Effective program elements require further investigation.
• Stakeholder insights are crucial for program development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify effective elements in community sports programs.
• To understand stakeholder perspectives on program success.
• To systematically organize identified elements using group concept mapping.

Main Methods:

• Employed group concept mapping (GCM), a mixed-methods approach.
• Consulted three stakeholder groups: social sports coaches (n=14), program coordinators (n=5), and social workers (n=8).
• Systematically arranged identified effective elements based on stakeholder input.

Main Results:

• Identified overlapping elements crucial for all groups: coach role, safe sports climate, program structure.
• Program coordinators uniquely highlighted coaches' sport-specific knowledge and skills.
• Social workers emphasized protective elements, such as avoiding participant overburdening.

Conclusions:

• Multiple effective elements are essential for successful community sports programs.
• Group concept mapping is an effective tool for identifying intervention elements from stakeholder viewpoints.
• Understanding diverse stakeholder perspectives enhances program design and effectiveness.