International Sports Volunteering (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society)

Sport volunteering is becoming an increasingly popular motive for international travel. Many tourism organisations now advertise sport volunteering projects, with colleges and universities also offering students the opportunity to participate in similar projects abroad. This is the first book to bring together diverse and interdisciplinary insights into the development of the contemporary sport volunteering phenomenon. It addresses conceptual uncertainties and challenges emerging from the growing international sport volunteering market, and offers insight into its future directions, impact and sustainability.

Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, Part I examines volunteering in the context of international sporting events, while Part II evaluates volunteering initiatives related to sport development. Including case studies from Australia, Cameroon, Namibia, Norway, Russia, the UK, the US and Zambia, this substantial volume provides a truly international perspective on the changing roles of sport volunteering.

Showcasing the latest research from across the globe, International Sports Volunteering is a valuable resource for any course on sport studies, sport event management, sport development, sport tourism, sport geography, the sociology of sport or leisure studies.

Angela M. Benson is a Principle Lecturer at the University of Brighton, UK. She is the Founding Chair of the Volunteer Tourism Research Group on behalf of the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS); Adjunct Associate Professor of the University of Canberra, Australia; a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with IBG and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Angela has recently been appointed by the International Standards Office (ISO) as the convener for the International Volunteer Tourism Standard that is currently being developed. She has published widely in the areas of volunteering, sustainability and research methods

Nicholas Wise is a Senior Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. His research interests traverse the subjects of sport, events and tourism, and human geography. Originally from Pennsylvania, Nicholas has been a sports volunteer in several countries, including Australia, the Dominican Republic and Scotland. He is a member of the Regional Studies Association and has served as co-secretary of the Sports Volunteering Research Network. Nicholas has published widely across several disciplines. His work has appeared in academic journals, book chapters, conference proceedings, and encyclopaedias and he recently co-edited books on sport and interdisciplinary perspectives