Model of Organizing Mass Sports Events in Rural and Sparsely Populated Territorial Communities of Ukraine

The article presents a structural-functional model for organizing mass sports events in rural and sparsely populated amalgamated territorial communities (ATCs) of Ukraine. The purpose of the study was to substantiate a model for organizing mass sports events in rural and sparsely populated ATCs, aimed at promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle among the population. Scientific sources on physical activity in the context of decentralization were analyzed, revealing a lack of adapted mechanisms for implementing sports initiatives at the local level. The empirical research was conducted in two pilot communities, where resident and organizer surveys were carried out, as well as observations of event implementation and a pedagogical experiment. The developed model includes six functional components: organizational, content-related, managerial, resource-based, informational, and analytical. It was found that the effectiveness of mass sports activities largely depends on the consideration of local context, community engagement, and cooperation with educational and cultural institutions. The implementation results of the model showed positive dynamics: the number of event participants increased, the rate of repeated participation grew, and self-assessed physical fitness improved. The model proved to be effective under limited resources and can be used as a practical tool by community specialists.