The underestimated contributions: social capital construction of internal migrant participants in local sports communities in China

Local Sports Communities (LSCs) have become a prominent avenue for mass sports participation in China, coinciding with the rise of a younger, highly skilled internal migrant population. Challenging the prevalent view of migrants as disadvantaged in sports, this study investigates their proactive roles in LSCs as agents of social capital construction. Through a mixed-methods approach, incorporating semi-structured interviews ( n = 32) and a subsequent questionnaire ( n = 786), the research reveals that migrant participants are significantly more likely than local participants to assume high-contribution functional roles (e.g., organisers, cooperators). This strategic integration is driven by their motivation to build local social capital. The study synthesises these findings into a conceptual model that delineates the process of social capital formation, from motivation through role-based engagement to outcomes. It concludes by positing LSCs as an organic platform for migrant integration and discusses their potential as a transferable social design method to foster inclusive, vibrant urban communities in contexts of significant population mobility.