The Relationship Between Participation in Sport and Sport Volunteering: An Economic Analysis

This paper explores the relationship between participation in sport as a consumer activity and sport volunteering as a producer activity. Using data from the Taking Part Survey, evidence is found that the decision to engage in sports participation and sports volunteering as well as the duration of the activities are complementary. In general, the findings confirm the well-established impacts of human and economic capital on engagement in sports-related activities, as well as the availability of time. However, there is evidence of the shifting roles of consumption and production of sport as family commitments change while differential effects are also found with respect to ethnicity, health, and the accessibility of sports facilities.