Sports clubs turn new members away due to lack of space

Thousands of Dutch sports clubs have stopped accepting new members or introduced waiting lists because of a shortage of space, according to new research by sports federation NOC*NSF.

One in 10 football, hockey and other sports clubs across the country now has a waiting list or membership freeze, rising to one in five in the big cities. The sports body is now calling for “firm agreements” to guarantee space for sport in new housing developments.

More than half of all clubs with waiting lists say they are unable to take on new members due to limited space, both indoors and outdoors. A shortage of volunteers is also a major factor, the NOC*NSF found.

The problem is especially acute among larger clubs with more than 250 members. Across the Netherlands, more than 3,000 sports associations have now closed their doors to newcomers. Many of those waiting to join are children and teenagers.

At football club Unitas ’59 in Eindhoven, around 350 children are on the waiting list, says chairman Gijs van Geffen. “We recently decided to stop adding new names. There simply isn’t enough space to give everyone a place unless we get more pitches. In practice, it means some children will never get the chance to play here,” he told RTL Nieuws.

The city’s football clubs have a combined total of around 1,500 children on waiting lists. Eindhoven council plans to convert half of all grass pitches to artificial turf because they can be used more intensively and are less affected by weather.

NOC*NSF director Marc van den Tweel urged local councils to reserve space for sport in both existing neighbourhoods and new housing areas. “Children and young people are hit hardest by the waiting lists, especially in densely populated areas,” he said.

Junior health minister Judith Tielen said the government recognised the issue and had begun developing a non-binding guideline for sport and physical activity.

The document will include recommendations on the amount and location of sports space in urban planning. “This is not a legal standard, but guidance for local authorities when making spatial planning decisions,” she said.