Beyond lockdowns: A retrospective analysis of COVID-19 measures on amateur sporting behavior in Germany

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Now that the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, examining its impact on daily life provides important insights into behavioral adaptation under crisis conditions. This study analyzes how lockdown measures affected amateur sport participation in Germany, using original survey data collected between 2020 and 2021 (N = 1724). The results reveal a marked divergence between organizational forms of sport participation. Individuals dependent on club-based and facility-bound sport reported significant declines in activity during lockdowns, whereas those engaged in informal, self-organized sport often maintained or increased their activity levels. In addition, sport-related motives moderated behavioral change. These findings highlight the role of organizational structures and individual preferences in shaping resilience to external constraints and contribute to a better understanding of how opportunity structures, motives, and institutional dependence interact under conditions of restricted alternatives and provide implications for strengthening adaptive capacity in community sport systems.