Despite the importance of sport as a social, economic and political institution, research into sport and social capital has not been extensive. This book examines this high profile area. It explores the ways in which sport contributes to the creation, development, maintenance and, in some cases, diminution of social capital.

1. Sport and social capital: An introduction Part I: Concepts and contexts 2. Avoiding the numbers game: Social theory, policy and sports role in the art of relationship building 3. Sport-in-development: Development for and through sport? 4. Locating social capital in sport policy by Russell Hoye and Matthew Nicholson; Chapter 5: Narrowing the gap through sport, education and social capital? Part II: Clubs and community sport organisations 6. Community sport networks 7. Voluntary sport clubs: The potential for the development of social capital by Chris Auld; Chapter 8: Community sport/recreation members and social capital measures in Sweden and Australia 9. Volunteering in community sport organisations: Implications for social capital Part III: Sport and social capital in action 10. Sport’s ambiguous relationship with social capital: The contribution of national governing bodies of sport 11. Public policies, social capital and voluntary sport 12. Race equality and sport networks: Social capital links 13. Stepping into community? The impact of youth sport volunteering on young people's social capital 14. Soccer and social capital in Australia: Social networks in transition 15. Sport facilities as social capital

"The chapters in this collection provide a sound contribution tothe burgeoning literature that surrounds sport and social capital. The many case studiesprovide ample sources of evidence for further discussion and analysis of the role sport has orcan have in forming social capital in all its guises."Andrew Adams, International Journal of Sport Policy