Sports and Community on Campus: Constructing a Sports Experience That Matters

Student affairs personnel are often charged with the task of creating a sense of community on campuses. Sports is among the many activities that historically have been used to meet this need for community among students. Yet, how and when a sense of community is created within a sports context has not been appropriately addressed in literature. Utilizing a community psychology theoretical framework for this study, we employed a qualitative approach to uncover the necessary factors for creating a sense of community within a sports club setting. The results revealed that Common Interest, Leadership Opportunities, Voluntary Activity, and Competition were the most critical components to creating a sense of community. The results advance community building theory and suggest practical application for improving the student experience. The implications for sports managers and student affairs administrators are also discussed.