Street-level coaches and the question of ‘semi-professionalized’ volunteers in Swedish youth football: a Lipskian case study

Abstract

Coaches in youth sport stand as crucial actors in the implementation of policies and rights. But there are expectations, stresses, and pressures on the coaches from parents, the culture, sport governance, local organizations, as well as the children, that work implicitly or explicitly, either as supports or obstructions. Thus, the vital aim of this article is to present and discuss the dilemmas in acting as a coach in youth football, at a minor level–at a ‘street-level’, Hence, Michael Lipsky’s study on several professions (in service and welfare) and, especially, his thesis on ‘street-level bureaucracy’ stands basically as the important influence in the design, presentation and final discussion and statements. The article is grounded in an empirical study, labelled as FC Countryside, which embodies and exemplifies a large number of Swedish football clubs in the lower divisions. These coaches in youth sports are regularly recruited and engaged as volunteers. Despite this position, due to sport policies, demands on skills and knowledge and the implementation of rights, they are subject to an increasing professionalization process of football in general. The discussion, due to the empirical findings, present the coaches as semi-professionals, and as ‘street-level coaches’, in the perspectives of Lipsky.