A different ball game? In pursuit of greater collaboration between sport-specific and community sports development

This book’s stated commitment to inclusive sport development is consummated in this and the following chapter as we consider the strategic implications of developing truly inclusive sport. What, if anything, is intrinsically different about the strategic development of sport compared to development through sport? How does this impact upon strategic decision-making and implementation? This chapter argues that assumptions of an irreconcilable division between community sport development (CSD) and sport-specifi c development (SSD) are conceptually fl awed, and that attempting to work in either of these settings in isolation from the other impairs progress. We will examine the common weaknesses of the two approaches and consider how greater collaboration may lead to improved strategic outcomes.