“Two silos of thinking that were not connected”: a board’s attempt to manage the logics of recreational and elite youth soccer in an urban community club

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the Board of a youth soccer club’s decisions and actions as it transitioned from a small community club to the biggest soccer club in a metropolitan area in the United States. The study was designed as a case study using observations, interviews, document analysis as its primary method. Using an institutional logics perspective, this study examines how board members’ social identities and goals were not always congruent with each other, and explains why the organisation was unable to make any meaningful changes and instead most often reproduced prevailing institutional logics. We argue this case serve as an example of embedded agency. The consequence was a dysfunctional board that was unable to further develop sport programs and services. More studies are needed to further problematise how community clubs navigate the new youth sport landscape from a leadership and government perspective and help navigate positive change.