Is the Traditional Sports Club Family Becoming a Thing of the Past?

Is the Traditional Sports Club Family Becoming a Thing of the Past?

For generations, community sports clubs have been built around the idea of the whole family becoming part of the club.

Children played, parents coached or managed teams, someone helped in the kitchen, another took a turn on the committee, and everyone stayed afterwards for a drink, a meal or a catch-up. The sport mattered, but so did the friendships and the sense of belonging.

For many clubs, that traditional family culture remains at the heart of how they operate.

But are we expecting today’s families to live in a world that no longer exists?

Modern family life is busy. Parents are working longer hours, managing rising household costs and juggling the activities of several children. Weekends are often spent moving between different sports, birthday parties, family commitments and everything else that did not get done during the week.

For many parents, the time their child spends at sport may be one of the few opportunities they have to go grocery shopping, spend time with another child, complete some work or simply take a breath.

That does not mean they do not support their child’s sport.

It means they may prefer to pay a clear and realistic fee for their child to participate, knowing the coaching, administration and organisation are being taken care of. They are paying for their child to have a positive sporting experience while they manage the rest of their busy lives.

Community sports clubs have traditionally relied on far more than membership fees. They have relied on families giving their time, attending social events, fundraising, helping around the facilities and eventually stepping into committee positions.

The problem is that many clubs are still operating on the assumption that every new junior member brings at least one available parent volunteer with them.

Increasingly, that is simply not the case.

The figures support what many clubs are already experiencing. According to the 2025 National Sport Club Survey, the average New Zealand sports club had 20 members volunteering for at least three hours each month. While this was a slight improvement from 17 in 2024, it remained well below the average of 31 volunteers recorded in 2018.

In Canterbury, the 2025 average was slightly higher at 22 volunteers per club, but that does not necessarily mean clubs have enough people. In many cases, the work is still being carried by the same small group of committed volunteers.

The wider research also found that volunteer numbers have fallen by 28% since 2018, placing increasing pressure on the people who continue to coach, administer and govern our clubs. New Zealand Amateur Sport Association and AUT National Sport Club Survey

Clubs can become frustrated when parents drop their children off and leave. Parents can become frustrated when they are continually asked to volunteer after already paying registration fees. Both sides feel they are being reasonable—and, in many ways, both are.

The real issue is that expectations have changed, but many club operating models have not.

Not every parent wants to join a committee, spend Saturday in the kitchen or stay at the clubrooms after the game. Some may be happy to help with one event, transport a team, complete a small task from home or contribute financially towards paid support.

Clubs need to make these options clear, manageable and genuinely optional.

We also need to have an honest conversation about the true cost of providing community sport. If families have less time or interest in volunteering, clubs need to employ administrators, coaches and coordinators to complete work that was previously carried out for free.

That may result in higher membership fees, but it may also create stronger, better-organised and more sustainable clubs.

This is not about replacing volunteers. It is about supporting them and recognising that a model built around unlimited volunteer availability is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

The traditional sports family has not disappeared completely. There will always be people who value the friendships, social activities and sense of community that clubs provide.

But families should not be judged because they participate differently.

Community sport is evolving, and clubs need to evolve with it. That may mean reviewing how your club operates, being more realistic about what you ask of families and finding better ways to support the volunteers who continue to give their time.

If your club is struggling with volunteer workloads, outdated systems or changing member expectations, Mursetter can help.

Mursetter provides practical, behind-the-scenes support with administration, governance, funding, finances and club operations. Together, we can look at what is placing pressure on your volunteers and create a more sustainable way forward.

Is it time to rethink how your club operates? Let’s have a conversation.

Mursetter — Keeping Clubs Moving.

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