Deconstructing the Structure of Collegiate Sport Clubs

Abstract

Sport clubs provide a unique middle ground between varsity athletics and intramurals, offering opportunities for growth, community building, and continued athletic engagement. This study explores how clubs’ structural features influence club athletes’ experiences. Drawing on semistructured interviews with club administrators and athletes across multiple universities, findings reveal that clubs operate with simple, flexible structures characterized by centralized decision-making, limited complexity, and informal coordination mechanisms. While these dynamics foster autonomy and adaptability, they challenge leadership sustainability. This study advances prior research by incorporating new dimensions of structural analysis, highlighting the interplay between formalized university oversight and informal club governance. Practical implications suggest that administrators can enhance athletes’ experiences by providing targeted leadership training, supporting role transitions, and fostering equitable decision-making processes. These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of sport clubs’ organizational structures and their impact on student engagement, offering actionable insights for administrators to optimize club environments and outcomes.

Keywords

organizational structure student experience club governance student organizations club sports

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