Since the survey went live on the 26th of May, the survey website has received nearly 4,000 hits. Just under 2,000 clubs have attempted the questionnaire, and we have over 1500 usable responses. This compares with a final total of 2,200 responses from the 2007 survey, and a target for this survey of 30 completions each from 50 sports. It is pleasing to note that each time an NGB sends out the information about the survey to its member clubs, there is a surge in responses. The best example of this so far has been Football, with over 350 hits on the website on the day the information was e-mailed to clubs.

 

To date, 11 sports have achieved the minimum threshold level of 30 completed questionnaires required for an individual sport report, namely: Athletics, Badminton, Bowls, Cricket, Cycling, Gymnastics/Trampolining, Hockey, Netball, Rugby Union and Volleyball. Bowls (197 attempts, 123 complete) has the largest number of responses, followed by Football (166/117), Netball

(128/87) and Rugby Union (91/63).

 

A further 7 sports (Archery, Basketball, Climbing/Mountaineering, Fencing, Rugby League, Sailing and Shooting), are only a few completions short of the target, with Basketball and Rugby League in particular requiring only 1 or 2 more responses to cross the line. The remaining sports have some way to go in reaching the 30-club threshold, and I am therefore pleased to be able to tell you that CCPR have agreed to leave the survey running for an additional period of time, until the end of July, in order to ensure that we generate the size of sample that we have set as our target.

 

I would also like to make you aware of a technical hitch which hit the survey website on Monday evening and lasted until yesterday, when the server which is hosting the survey was 'offline'. I am pleased to say that the issue has now been completely resolved, and that the survey is running normally once again. In fact, we have received a large number of submissions from baseball/softball clubs, and from climbing and mountaineering clubs since 7am today.

 

For these reasons, I would like to suggest that this would be an opportune moment to send out a reminder to your affiliated clubs. This could stress any or all of the following: the importance of the survey; the value of the information it will generate; the potential value to clubs in terms of the draw prizes; that the survey is back online after the glitch; and the extra time available for those who are willing to fill it in.

 

I would also like to reassure you if you are concerned that your sport's volunteers will object to filling in the questionnaire. We have evidence from the responses so far that, if given the opportunity, club administrators are keen to share their information and their experience. We have over 1,500 responses so far, but I am sure that number could be significantly higher with a small additional push.

 

 

David Barrett, Research Fellow, Sport Industry Research Centre.