ABSTRACT
Sport diversity Sport is an enigmatic institution, and comes in many forms and shapes. For instance, the mainstay of sport in many countries is the community club which relies on the support of its members to sustain its activities. These clubs can be single-sport organizations like tennis clubs and swimming clubs, but they can also be multifunctional, and provide a range of sports under the same
generally develop the sport they represent, whether it is netball, table tennis, or volleyball. While these organizations have many paid employees, they also rely on volunteer staff to run their programs and manage their affairs. Then there are commercial leisure centers that provide sport services on a feefor-service or user-pay principle. Gymnasia and swim centers often fall into this category, and can be either privately owned, or owned by local councils. There is also a raft of professional sport clubs and leagues that play in large stadia, attract thousands of spectators, and generate mass media coverage. These sport organizations are book-ended by first, government and its agencies, and second, the media and sport merchandisers who both promote sport and use its star players to attract customers. The different types of sport organizations that comprise the Australian sport system are listed in Table 1.1. While this structure will be similar for many other English-speaking nations with a strong government presence, there will also be variations that reflect different political and cultural conditions.
