Sports club contribution monitor: Insight into accessibility and affordability
NIKKI follows with great interest the developments surrounding the contributions of sports clubs in the Netherlands. It Mulier Institute carries out the Contribution and Admission Price Monitor every year in cooperation with HAN University of Applied Sciences and Fontys. These monitors help sports providers and municipalities understand the affordability of sports and can contribute to coordinating subsidies and regulations. In this article, we review the key findings of the past few seasons and the impact of inflation on contributions.
What is the contribution and admission price monitor?
Since 2016/2017, the Mulier Institute and universities of applied sciences have been collecting data about contributions and admission fees within the Dutch sports sector. In 2020, this was expanded to include swimming pools, ice rinks and climbing and bouldering halls. Every year, the monitor focuses on other sports and social developments. The results of this monitor provide a good picture of how the sport remains accessible and affordable for everyone.
Influence of inflation on contributions
An important finding from the 2023/2024 season monitor is the influence of high inflation on contributions. Between January 2022 and January 2024, inflation rose by around 10%. This led to higher costs for sports clubs, resulting in increased contributions. For example, pupils in basketball and rugby saw an increase of 10.3% and 11.7%, respectively. However, when inflation is taken into account, the contribution appeared to have fallen in many cases. This real decline ranged from 0.7% to 9.3%.
Entry fees to swimming pools and other sports venues
In addition to contributions, the admission prices for swimming pools, ice rinks and bouldering halls were also examined. Here we saw an average increase of around 3%, in line with inflation from January 2023 to January 2024. In particular, the admission prices for bouldering among young people showed some outliers.
Trends of the past few years
A striking trend that the monitors show is that sports clubs are often reluctant to fully calculate inflation. In the 2022/2023 season, contributions in many sports actually fell by percentages between 1% and 14%. This is partly because associations often set their contributions one year in advance, without taking into account any future inflation increases.
Increasing contributions
Although contributions often rise in line with inflation, a Mulier Institute poll in 2023 shows that more than a third of members are willing to pay more when associations face higher costs or lower income. However, 20% of the members say they do not agree to this. Interestingly, members who are willing to pay more are more likely to come from households with an above average income.
Contribution differences by municipality
The monitors also show differences between municipalities. In highly urban areas, contributions are usually higher, due to factors such as higher incomes and educational levels. In addition, the high price of land in cities plays a role, especially in sports that require a lot of space, such as tennis and hockey. In less urban areas, on average, we see lower contributions, and people are also more likely to be members of a sports club.
Accessibility of sports clubs
A high contribution can be a barrier for certain groups to join a sports club. Especially in cities, where more people with a migrant background and a lower socio-economic position live, contribution prices are on average higher. However, it is not only the price that seems to play a role; the Dutch association culture is also sometimes an obstacle.
Developments in Youth Fund Sports & Culture
In particular, the accessibility of sport for children remains an important issue. It Sports & Culture Youth Fundreported a 20% increase in financial aid applications in 2023 compared to the previous year. This shows that the need for help for children from financially disadvantaged families is growing. Ensuring affordable sports opportunities for young people is essential, especially now that contributions for pupils and juniors seem to be rising more rapidly than for other age groups.
Conclusion
The Contribution and Access Price Monitor provides valuable insights into the accessibility and affordability of sports in the Netherlands. Although inflation often results in higher contributions, many sports clubs are doing their best to keep these increases under control. Municipalities and funds play a crucial role in keeping sport accessible to everyone. It remains important to follow these developments closely, so that sports remain accessible to as many people as possible.
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