ABSTRACT
Politicians and sport leaders around the globe often argue that elite sport has a positive effect on mass participation. The idea of the so-called demonstration effect or trickle-down effect, seeing international pride gained by medals won in the Olympics or other prestigious sporting events as a major catalyst for mass participation, is widespread. The trickle-down or demonstration effect secures the ground from which new elite athletes rise, thus closing the virtuous circle of sport containing mutual stimulation between elite sport and mass participation. The Olympic Movement itself has promoted the idea of elite sports various positive externalities. Football is chosen as it is the national sport in Denmark, with more than 340,000 club members under the umbrella of the Sports Confederation of Denmark. Team handball is chosen as it is the number-two Danish national sport and places fifth in regard to club members, having reached 110,000 members in 2013.
