Sport Development in Action: Plan, Programme and Practice

This practical textbook explains the sport development process from a practitioner’s viewpoint, showing what actually works, how, and why. Focusing on the development of sport, the book considers the efforts of sport organisations to revitalise their sports at a community level to ensure their future relevance, growth, and sustainability.

Full of real-world cases and data, as well as the voices and reflections of a wide range of practitioners, Sport Development in Action explains how to research and draw up a development plan, how to design and implement programmes and establish delivery networks, and how to monitor and evaluate initiatives.

This is essential reading for any sport development course, and useful reading for courses in sport management, sports coaching, or sports studies. It is also an indispensable reference book for practitioners.

Alec Astle is an Independent Researcher and Level III Cricket Coach with lifelong experiences of sport as a player, coach, and administrator; he previously held roles as New Zealand Cricket's National Development Manager and SPARC's Manager, Community Sport. In 2014, he received the Sutcliffe Medal from New Zealand Cricket for outstanding services to cricket.

Sarah Leberman is Professor of Leadership and Dean Academic at Massey University, New Zealand. Her research focus is on women in leadership within sport and academia. She co-founded Women in Sport Aotearoa, an organisation providing leadership, research, and advocacy to ensure women and girls are valued, visible, and influential in sport. Sarah has had over 30 years’ experience in sport at all levels, as an athlete, coach, administrator, board member, and manager.

Geoff Watson is Senior Lecturer in History at Massey University, New Zealand. He has written and contributed to many books and articles on sport in New Zealand, and has been actively involved in playing and coaching sport.