Dear all,
Last week the following items were published on idrottsforum.org (see below; language and publication dates, YYMMDD, in brackets). Click on the red headings to go to content. Utilize the Google Translate service to turn Scandinavian language pages into (some sort of) English.
And remember, if you’re not already hooked up to one of the social media outlets that we utilize, for now they are Facebook, LinkedIn and X, you’re missing quite a lot of information from idrottsforum.org that never appears on the website. So, if that is the case, check out, by clicking on the names, our Facebook, LinkedIn and X accounts.
Have a great week,
Kjell Eriksson
Editor
Research Article
Critical capacities for membership growth in voluntary sports clubs
There is a paucity of studies that have used qualitative methods to examine organizational capacity in relation to membership growth. Against that background, Eva Berthelsen Schmidt & Karsten Elmose-Østerlund set out to identify critical capacities for membership growth in voluntary sports clubs. Data was collected through telephone interviews. Their peer review article identifies critical capacities for membership growth that other studies have found to be important for goal achievement, but the authors also identifies differences in the role of some capacities. (Published in English 250512.
Book Reviews
New book gives a voice to transgender athletes: A valuable contribution
Abby Barras discusses transgender people’s inclusion in amateur and recreational sports in the United Kingdom in her new book Transgender and Non-Binary People in Everyday Sport: A Trans Feminist Approach to Improving Inclusion (Routledge). Her focus is the perspective of transgender athletes themselves to ex-plore the barriers to participation. It’s a great read, says Lina von Petersdorff, and an important perspective that scholars and others involved in the transgender debates should take into consideration. (Review in English, published 250513.)
It’s (almost) all in the mind: the psychology of running
Why do people run? How can I improve my running performance? Will running help me feel better? Noel Brick and Stuart Holliday’s The Psychology of Running (Routledge) delves into the psychological motivations and benefits of running. Andy Fuller, host of the Everyday Runners Podcast, provides a useful introduction to and presentation of the book, which, he claims, gives the agency of performance back to the everyday individual athlete who can engage with their mind and the course in ways which change how they get through a race. (Review in English, published 250514.)
Highly interesting collection of articles about the Qatar World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, and thus a unique sporting mega‑event. The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar: Global and Local Perspectives, edited by Nikolay Kozhanov, Mahfoud Amara & Mahjoob Zweiri (Routledge) explores its wider significance across political, socio‑cultural, economic, organisational and historical dimensions. Our reviewer, renowned sport and football sociologist Arve Hjelseth is generally appreciative of the analyses offered in the various contributions, albeit not uncritical. (Review in English, published 250513.)
New Issues of Scholarly Journals
(We’re currently reviewing this service, since it’s a rather time-consuming undertaking. In the meanwhile we’re presenting some of the journals in line with the Forum’s core mission.)
- European Physical Education Review, Vol. 31, 2025, No. 2 [250512)
- Soccer & Society, Volume 26, 2025, Issue 3 (250513)
News items (calls for papers, vacancies, etc.)
- Public Defense of doctoral thesis | From Cardiorespiratory Limitations through the Cancer Journey to Benefits of Cardio Training in Cancer Survivors: The Effect of Exercise Among Breast Cancer Survivors by Sara Hassing Johansen, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, May 20, 2025 (250514)
- Public defence of doctoral thesis | A Multiverse of Talent – Contemporary Understandings of Talent in Swedish and German Elite Youth Football | Leah Monsees, Malmö University, May 22, 2025 (250514()
