(Un)sustainable travel and organised sports in Sweden: A social practice approach

This study investigates the role of travel in four different sports − soccer, jujutsu, horse riding and orienteering. It has a focus on non-elite-level, organised sports for children and youth in Sweden. Based on 33 interviews, the study applies a practice-theoretical approach to unpick how the materiality of sports is arranged in time and space, inducing the need for travel, and whether sports practices can be adjusted to enable more sustainable travel. Through the practice approach, we consider how material arrangements are ultimately shaped by meanings and competences inherent in sports practices. Our findings show that important aspects of specific sports shape related travel, such as whether they are individual or team sports, the function of facilities, the use of equipment and the importance of competition versus training. The study also illustrates the intertwining of sports practices and other practices of everyday life, rendering the car an often-used problem solver and provider of flexibility. This is particularly evident for parents who often appear as chauffeurs in relation to their children’s sports participation. The study also finds that competition and the strive for improved performance are significant drivers of sports-related travel, governing much of the spatial and temporal arrangements of sports practices. In conclusion, we suggest opportunities for enabling sustainable travel that can be transferred between sports with similar arrangements. These include adjusting the timing of training arrangements, using facilities as resources in storing equipment and supporting independent travel for children, and enhancing the role of teams as a collective unit for travel coordination.