The civilized skateboarder and the sports funding hegemony: a case study of alternative sport

Abstract

This paper critically investigates public funding of alternative and niche sports. Based on research examining the funding of skateboarding in Scotland, the paper demonstrates that sports funding and policy decisions are based upon a hegemonic conceptualization of sport and its benefits which clashes directly with the typically referenced motivation for participation in alternative sports. Subsequently, an environment is created in which such sports are the victims of funding discrimination, leading to fundamental problems for providers and causing social exclusion among participants. The paper draws upon the work of Norbert Elias to argue that funding methods for sport represent a ‘civilizing process’ which is directly at odds with emerging, alternative sporting forms such as skateboarding and other lifestyle sports and, that as such, greater consideration for alternative funding strategies and conceptualizations of sport is required in future.

Notes

^1.Tomlinson et al., Lifestyle Sports and National Sports; Wheaton, Understanding Lifestyle Sports; Guttmann, Being Extreme; Midol, Cultural Dissents and Rinehart, Emerging Arriving Sport, 506.

^2.Gilchrist and Wheaton, ‘Lifestyle Sports, Public Policy’.

^3. Tomlinson et al., Lifestyle Sports and National Sports.

^4.Elias, The Civilizing Process.

^5.Holt, Sport and the British.

^6. Wheaton, Understanding Lifestyle Sports.

^7.Beal, ‘Disqualifying the Official’.

^8.Borden, ‘Speaking the City’ and Borden, Skateboarding.

^9.Lewis, ‘Climbing Body’ and Holyfield, ‘Manufacturing Adventure’, 5.

^10.Elias and Dunning, Quest for Excitement.

^11. Elias, Civilising Process.

^12.Haywood et al., Understanding Leisure, 228.

^13. Elias and Dunning, Quest for Excitement.

^14.Mennell, Norbert Elias: An Introduction and Dunning, Sport Matters.

^15.Dunning and Curry, ‘Public Schools’; Malcolm, ‘Cricket and Civilising Processes’; Dunning and Sheard, ‘Bifurication of Rugby’; White, ‘Rugby Union Football’ and Elias and Dunning, ‘Folk Football’.

^16. Beal, ‘Disqualifying the Official’.

^17.Brooke, Concrete Wave and Beal, ‘Disqualifying the Official’.

^18. G. Beatto, ‘When Skateboarding Shook the World’. The Guardian, August 24, 2001.

^19.Mann and Stewart, Internet Communication and Qualitative Research.

^20. G. Beatto, ‘When Skateboarding Shook the World’. The Guardian, August 24, 2001.

^21.Garrett, ‘Response of Voluntary Sports Clubs’ and Green, ‘From “Sport for All”’.

^22.Ravenscroft, Recreation Planning and Development.

^23.Coalter, ‘Public and Commercial Leisure Provision’ and Putnam, Bowling Alone.

^24.Houlihan, ‘Sport National identity’.

^25.Department of National Heritage, Sport Raising the Game and Oakley and Green, ‘Still Playing the Game’.

^26. Hylton, Bramham, and Jackson, Sports Development, 5.

^27. Adapted from ibid.

^28.Stebbins, ‘Serious Leisure’.

^29.Turner, ‘Skate Conform or Die’.

^30. See Oakley and Green, ‘Still Playing the Game’.

^31. Garrett, ‘Response of Voluntary Sports Clubs’.

^32. Ibid.

^33. Oakley and Green, ‘Still Playing the Game’; Green, ‘From “Sport for All” ’; SportScotland, Annual Report and SportScotland, Sport 21, 4.

^34. SportScotland, Sport 21.

^35. SportScotland, Annual Report, 6.

^36. Adapted from 2006 Annual Report for facility.

^37.L'Aoustet and Griffet, ‘Experience of Teenagers’.

^38. Borden, ‘Speaking the City’ and Freeman and Riordan, ‘Locating Skateparks’.

^39. Garrett, ‘Response of Voluntary Sports Clubs’.

^40. Green, ‘From “Sport for All”’, 656.

^41.Van Krieken, ‘Norbert Elias and Process Sociology’ and Elias, Civilising Process.

^42. Elias, The Civilising Process, 370.

^43. Malcolm, ‘Cricket and Civilising Processes’ and Mennell, ‘Contribution of Eric Dunning’.

^44. Elias, Civilising Process.

^45. Ibid., 268, 381.

^46. Ibid., 396.

^47.Brymer, ‘Risk Taking in Extreme Sports’; Allman, Mittelstaedt, and Goldenberg, ‘Exploring Motivations of BASE Jumpers’; Haines, Smith, and Baxter, ‘Participation in the Risk Taking’ and Laurendeau, 2008 in Brymer, ‘Risk Taking Occupation of Skateboard’, 211.

^48. Haines, Smith, and Baxter, ‘Participation in the Risk Taking’.

^49.Jenson, Swords, and Jeffries, ‘Accidental Youth Club’.

^50.Weyland, Answer is Never and Wooley and Johns, ‘Skateboarding’.

^51. L'Aoustet and Griffet, ‘Experience of Teenagers’; Chiu, ‘Street and Park Skateboarding’ and Jenson, Swords, and Jeffries, ‘Accidental Youth Club’.

^52. Gilchrist and Wheaton, ‘Lifestyle Sports, Public Policy’; Dumas and Laforest, ‘Skateparks as a Health Resource’ and Coalter, Wider Social Role for Sport.

^53. Putnam, Bowling Alone, 406.