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Athlete maltreatment in organized sport has attracted considerable attention from governing bodies, stakeholders and the general public. Despite numerous studies and policy proposals from various countries, the problem remains unresolved due to its inherent complexity. Drawing upon the concept of 'a wicked problem' widely utilized in policy analysis, this study first identifies the wicked features of maltreatment, focusing on: (1) the difficulty of establishing a definition of maltreatment; (2) the challenges of identifying its causes; and (3) the impediments to identifying solutions in a context of embedded stakeholders and unintended consequences. To provide further analysis, we compare athlete maltreatment with other issues in sport such as doping and match-fixing, to suggest that lessons can be drawn from other wicked problems in the same contested terrain. Overall, given the complex interplay between maltreatment and the maintenance/legitimization of sport systems, this paper calls for continuing attention and evaluation of existing research/policies and advocates for a more multidimensional view that acknowledges maltreatment as a wicked problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers the reforms of Chile's state sport structures from 2001 to 2022. Drawing upon institutional frameworks, the purpose of this article is to analyse the emerging rules, practices and narratives from these reforms. This study employed a qualitative approach, with data gathered from document analysis and semi-structured interviews with six policymakers/bureaucrats from the Ministry of Sport (MINDEP) and National Institute of Sport (IND). Data was analysed through thematic coding of available texts (e.g. policies, government documentation, media sources and interview transcripts) via MAXQDA 2022 qualitative analysis software. The findings highlight that incommensurate rules, practices and narratives may be the impetus for institutional change. Rules connected with New Public Management (NPM) and the creation of the National Institute of Sport (Law 19.712 of 2001) conflicted with the discretionary practices of previous institutional arrangements. Subsequent legislation created a (rule-based) dichotomy between 'thinkers' (MINDEP) and 'doers' (IND), which has been influenced by the practice of politically based appointments into the IND. While informants suggested that the system's parochialism and incapacity render change unlikely in the future, there is nevertheless evidence of change emanating from the combination of broken rules (in the form of scandals), incommensurate practices and contemporary narratives about the need to engage with communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 17th May 2020, the New Zealand Government announced a $265 million investment to support sport and recreation amid the country's first COVID-19 lockdown. The Sport NZ Recovery Package (RP) focused on three investment outcomes for the sector: 'Reset and Rebuild', 'Strengthen and Adapt', and [become] 'Different and Better' (Sport NZ 2020a). This study examines the overall design features and funding initiatives of the RP as a novel policy response to 'turbulence'. Of particular interest is whether this instrument was 'system changing' (McDonnell and Elmore 1987) and how it might enable future transformation or stability in the sports sector. Drawing from documents and interviews with officials from Sport NZ, one National Sports Organisation (NSO), and six Regional Sports Trusts (RSTs), three key findings relate to 1) the characteristics of the RP as policy instrument; 2) the novelty of Tū Manawa relative to Sport NZ's shifting strategy; and 3) the way in which organisations coped with the administration of new funds. The findings suggest that Sport NZ's funding strategies were multidimensional (targeting a wider array of activities and organisations than those pre-COVID-19) and could themselves be 'turbulent-inducing'. Future studies should examine the long-term legacy of the package and its associated goals to interpret if Sport NZ's initiatives are sustained for the [promised] readjustment and strengthening of the New Zealand sports sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concern for athlete maltreatment in elite sport emerged in response to a wide range of high-profile cases. While diverse theories and concepts have been used to explore the subject, there is a need for non-Western analyses that can attend to the cultures, practices and narratives of Asian states. Drawing on the case of South Korea's elite sport system, this paper scrutinises the mix of institutional practices and narratives that may variously converge to enable maltreatment or diverge, to prompt calls for systemic change. Grounded in ‘new institutionalism’ and a qualitative approach that incorporates document analysis and semi-structured interviews, this research examines maltreatment within a unique Korean Confucian hierarchical socio-cultural context. The results indicate that complementary practices and narratives enable maltreatment and facilitate the continuation of the system. Conversely, this study also investigated instances of divergence highlighting the impetus for change. However, there is some evidence to suggest that accommodating reforms, which remain essentially shaped by existing practices and narratives, often lead to resistance against substantial change. In sum, the combination of convergent and divergent practices and narratives, within the complex and unique cultural and structural context of Korea, signals that while policy changes to address athlete maltreatment are emerging, barriers to fundamental, sustained change remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-betting-related match-fixing constitutes an important integrity issue in contemporary sports. With varied forms ranging from passive tanking to the purposeful, coercive, calculated bribing of others to gain advantages, non-betting-related match-fixing can be a form of corruption that deters sport development. This paper examines high-performance athletes' involvement in non-betting-related match-fixing in South Korea. Drawing from survey data (n = 731), this paper describes and analyses the prevalence of match-fixing, its locales (i.e., levels of competition) and origins (i.e., who made the offer/approach). Results show that: (1) 74 athletes (10.12%) were approached to take part in match-fixing, while 33 of those athletes (4.51%) actually participated; and (2) the match-fixing offers were usually made 'by coaches', 'at high school-level nationwide competitions', 'for the purpose of entering universities'. Finally, this paper concludes by suggesting that the excessive incentives (e.g., university admission) linked with elite sport development structures may account for the strong motive behind non-betting-related match-fixing, and its endangering of sport integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study illustrates how the rules and practices of a task force inquiry shaped the formulation of its policy. Adopting an institutional approach, it analyzes New Zealand's Ministerial Taskforce on Sport, Fitness and Leisure (2001). Specifically, this article investigates the role of institutional arrangements (including public consultation and submission procedures) in shaping, delimiting, and circumscribing that task forces findings and recommendations. The investigation consists of a critical analysis of available texts—including recorded observations of public consultations, written submissions, committee notes—and interviews with task force members. Two features of this task force are described and analyzed: (1) its terms of reference and operative assumptions and (2) its rules and procedures that guided the public participation processes. It is shown that the institutional arrangements can channel debates and thereby recast political relations among interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taskforces, commissions of inquiry, and advisory committees are significant institutional features in the development of government sport policy. This study analyzes New Zealand's Ministerial Taskforce on Sport, Fitness, and Leisure (2001) and uses empirical data gathered from observations of consultations, interviews with committee members, and available documents. It is argued that procedural, organizational, and political considerations significantly shaped and constrained the Taskforce's findings and recommendations. Two fundamental contradictions are discussed. The first concerns the expectations for these bodies to develop both innovative and pragmatic recommendations in light of their ad hoc nature, their broad mandates, and short time lines. The second contradiction speaks to the paradoxical nature of taskforces in developing sport policy, noting in particular their dual roles as both advocates for the sport sector and investigators responsible for addressing problems and issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sport policies are underpinned by particular interpretive frameworks or paradigms. These paradigms shape: a) the construction of policy problems, b) the alternative approaches to resolving these problems and c) what is considered to be an acceptable government intervention. This article investigates how a policy paradigm shaped the findings and recommendations of New Zealand's Ministerial Taskforce on Sport, Fitness and Leisure. Using empirical data gathered from observations of the Taskforce's consultations, interviews with Taskforce members and a review of public submissions, it is argued that a paradigm (stressing rationalization and integration) served as the basis for recommendations to reduce the number of regional sports trusts, to centralize control over the sector and to coordinate the administration of sport. Two fundamental contradictions and paradoxes arising from this paradigm shift are discussed. The first notes the historical contingencies that gave rise to the problem of fragmented sport delivery structures, including govermnent's preference for contractual agreements and decentralized control. The second examines the appropriateness of centralizing powers given the inherent need for specialized (and autonomous) delivery mechanisms. This study's focus on paradigms helps to explain how policies can alter institutional relations and the lived world of actors with respect to their identities, opportunities and capacities to act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]