
Management of Sports Development
Routledge (Publisher)
2nd Edition
Published on 23. September 2025
Book
Hardback
434 pages
978-1-032-83618-8 (ISBN)
Description
Now in a fully revised and significantly expanded new edition, Management of Sports Development is a complete introduction to the theory, policy and practice of sports development. With a focus on professional knowledge and managerial competencies, this book defines conceptually and semantically the field of sports development and explains how a clear vision, managed processes of change and effective delivery can lead to the best sustainable outcomes for people, communities and sports organisations.
The first section of this book introduces the developmental doctrines that underpin contemporary sports development and considers how research and writing about sports development influence policy and practice. The second section of this book then explores the diversity of perspectives and interests in the sports development landscape, from public policy, international sports development to cultural perspectives and social value. The third section takes a closer look at the personal, organisational and social change stimulated by sports development visions, a critical consideration for effective strategy, programme implementation and management, including current issues such as social justice, sustainability and mega-sporting events. The fourth and final section of this book looks closely at delivery, unpacking key functional areas such as governance, building organisational capacity, networks and partnerships, volunteering, digitalisation, and monitoring and evaluation.
Management of Sports Development is an essential textbook for any sport development course and is invaluable reading for any policy maker or practitioner looking to improve their subject knowledge or professional skills.
The first section of this book introduces the developmental doctrines that underpin contemporary sports development and considers how research and writing about sports development influence policy and practice. The second section of this book then explores the diversity of perspectives and interests in the sports development landscape, from public policy, international sports development to cultural perspectives and social value. The third section takes a closer look at the personal, organisational and social change stimulated by sports development visions, a critical consideration for effective strategy, programme implementation and management, including current issues such as social justice, sustainability and mega-sporting events. The fourth and final section of this book looks closely at delivery, unpacking key functional areas such as governance, building organisational capacity, networks and partnerships, volunteering, digitalisation, and monitoring and evaluation.
Management of Sports Development is an essential textbook for any sport development course and is invaluable reading for any policy maker or practitioner looking to improve their subject knowledge or professional skills.
More details
Edition
2nd edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
23 s/w Abbildungen, 23 s/w Zeichnungen, 27 s/w Tabellen
27 Tables, black and white; 23 Line drawings, black and white; 23 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 250 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
957 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-83618-8 (9781032836188)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Vassil Girginov | Mathew Dowling
Management of Sports Development
Book
09/2025
2nd Edition
Routledge
€74.30
Shipment within 10-20 days

Vassil Girginov | Mathew Dowling
Management of Sports Development
E-Book
09/2025
2nd Edition
Routledge
€65.99
Available for download

Vassil Girginov | Mathew Dowling
Management of Sports Development
E-Book
09/2025
2nd Edition
Routledge
€65.99
Available for download
Previous edition

Vassil Girginov
Management of Sports Development
Book
06/2017
1st Edition
Routledge
€282.26
Shipment within 10-20 days
Persons
Vassil Girginov, PhD, is a Professor of Sport Management at Brunel University London, UK. He also serves as the President of the European Association for Sport Management and the General Editor of Routledge Resource Online: Sport Studies. Girginov has authored and edited several books with Routledge and other publishers. His most recent book is Running Events: Policies, Marketing and Impacts (Routledge, 2018).
Mathew Dowling, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Management in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK. His research focuses on sport governance and organisational and systemic change within not-for-profit sport organisations. He has an established track record of publishing in leading journals and has co-authored books within sport management, sport governance and comparative methods in sport.
Mathew Dowling, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Management in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK. His research focuses on sport governance and organisational and systemic change within not-for-profit sport organisations. He has an established track record of publishing in leading journals and has co-authored books within sport management, sport governance and comparative methods in sport.
Content
PART ONE
The Sports Development Field
Introduction
1 Management of Sports Development as a Maturing Field and Profession
VASSIL GIRGINOV
2 Theoretical Foundations and Advancements in Sports Development
POPI SOTIRIADOU AND BOWEN YAO
PART TWO
Visions of Sports Development
Introduction
3 Analysing Sports Development Discourses
ISRA IQBAL, JULIA FERREIRA GOMES AND LYNDSAY HAYHURST
4 Public Policies on Sports Development: Mass and Elite Sport 'Visions'
JONATHAN GRIX
5 Non- and Quasi-Governmental Organisations in Sports Development
MATHEW DOWLING AND SPENCER HARRIS
6 International Sports Development Policies
VERITY POSTLETHWAITE AND DAVID O'BYRNE
7 A Cultural Perspective on Sports Development
CORA BURNETT
8 The Social Value of Sports Development
LARISSA DAVIES AND PETER TAYLOR
PART THREE
Sports Development as a Process of Change 159
Introduction 161
9 Sport as an Agent for Social and Personal Change
B. CHRISTINE GREEN AND SHERANNE FAIRLEY
10 Sports Development and Organisational Change
JONATHAN ROBERTSON AND LOCHLIN HAMER
11 Major Sport Events and Sports Development
BECCA LEOPKEY AND DANA ELLIS
12 Sports Development Addresses Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
SHANNON KERWIN, ERIK L. LACHANCE AND ASHLEY THOMPSON
13 Sports Development Strives for Social Justice
JOANNE CLARKE, ANNETTE STRIDE, LOUISE MORBY AND JANINE PARTINGTON
14 Sports Development Faces Gender Representation
LARA LESCH, CHRISTIAN ZIERKE AND PAMELA WICKER
15 Sports Development and Geography: The Importance of Space and Place
NICHOLAS WISE
16 Sustainable Sports Development
BRIAN MCCULLOUGH
PART FOUR
Sports Development as a Practice
Introduction
17 Sports Development Governance Modes
CHRISTOS ANAGNOSTOPOULOS
18 Building Organisational and Management Capacity for the Delivery of Sports Development
KATIE E. MISENER, PATTI MILLAR AND SARAH DUNBAR
19 Partnerships and Networks in Sports Development
IAIN LINDSEY AND PHIL BROWN
20 Developing Sports Volunteering
JOHN HAYTON, L INDSAY FINDLAY-KING AND KATE MARKS
21 Implementing Sports Development Programmes
MARC K EECH
22 Competencies of Sports Development Managers
ELIZABETH LEWIS AND STEVEN OSBORNE
23 Communicating Sports Development
GASHAW ABEZA
24 Digitalisation of Sports Development
MICHAEL L . NARAINE AND BRAD MILLINGTON
25 Monitoring and Evaluation for Sports Development
SHUSHU CHEN AND ZHAOYU DUAN
26 Afterword: Managing Visions, Change and Delivery in Sports Development
VASSIL GIRGINOV
The Sports Development Field
Introduction
1 Management of Sports Development as a Maturing Field and Profession
VASSIL GIRGINOV
2 Theoretical Foundations and Advancements in Sports Development
POPI SOTIRIADOU AND BOWEN YAO
PART TWO
Visions of Sports Development
Introduction
3 Analysing Sports Development Discourses
ISRA IQBAL, JULIA FERREIRA GOMES AND LYNDSAY HAYHURST
4 Public Policies on Sports Development: Mass and Elite Sport 'Visions'
JONATHAN GRIX
5 Non- and Quasi-Governmental Organisations in Sports Development
MATHEW DOWLING AND SPENCER HARRIS
6 International Sports Development Policies
VERITY POSTLETHWAITE AND DAVID O'BYRNE
7 A Cultural Perspective on Sports Development
CORA BURNETT
8 The Social Value of Sports Development
LARISSA DAVIES AND PETER TAYLOR
PART THREE
Sports Development as a Process of Change 159
Introduction 161
9 Sport as an Agent for Social and Personal Change
B. CHRISTINE GREEN AND SHERANNE FAIRLEY
10 Sports Development and Organisational Change
JONATHAN ROBERTSON AND LOCHLIN HAMER
11 Major Sport Events and Sports Development
BECCA LEOPKEY AND DANA ELLIS
12 Sports Development Addresses Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
SHANNON KERWIN, ERIK L. LACHANCE AND ASHLEY THOMPSON
13 Sports Development Strives for Social Justice
JOANNE CLARKE, ANNETTE STRIDE, LOUISE MORBY AND JANINE PARTINGTON
14 Sports Development Faces Gender Representation
LARA LESCH, CHRISTIAN ZIERKE AND PAMELA WICKER
15 Sports Development and Geography: The Importance of Space and Place
NICHOLAS WISE
16 Sustainable Sports Development
BRIAN MCCULLOUGH
PART FOUR
Sports Development as a Practice
Introduction
17 Sports Development Governance Modes
CHRISTOS ANAGNOSTOPOULOS
18 Building Organisational and Management Capacity for the Delivery of Sports Development
KATIE E. MISENER, PATTI MILLAR AND SARAH DUNBAR
19 Partnerships and Networks in Sports Development
IAIN LINDSEY AND PHIL BROWN
20 Developing Sports Volunteering
JOHN HAYTON, L INDSAY FINDLAY-KING AND KATE MARKS
21 Implementing Sports Development Programmes
MARC K EECH
22 Competencies of Sports Development Managers
ELIZABETH LEWIS AND STEVEN OSBORNE
23 Communicating Sports Development
GASHAW ABEZA
24 Digitalisation of Sports Development
MICHAEL L . NARAINE AND BRAD MILLINGTON
25 Monitoring and Evaluation for Sports Development
SHUSHU CHEN AND ZHAOYU DUAN
26 Afterword: Managing Visions, Change and Delivery in Sports Development
VASSIL GIRGINOV