Inspiration from the Hague Sports Table

Within the Hague Sports Table, twelve major sports clubs from The Hague join forces. Together, they undertake many initiatives to be of value to their neighborhood and district. Within this project of the research group Impact of Sport, we investigate: What can other clubs learn from the Hague Sports Table (De Haagse Sporttafel)? How do you organize such social initiatives? And what do clubs themselves gain from them?

Background

The project takes place against the backdrop of social change, in which sports clubs could play an important role in keeping their neighborhood, district, and city livable and healthy. At the same time, clubs face their own challenges, so the project works with existing practices. How can clubs — amid their own challenges — still succeed in taking on initiatives that benefit the neighborhood? And how does this, in turn, help the clubs themselves?

Sports clubs are extremely important. First and foremost for their members, of course, but clubs can also mean a great deal for non-members, for the neighborhood and the district. This does not happen automatically, however. It is highly instructive to see how the clubs of the Hague Sports Table give shape to this.

- Koen Breedveld, Professor of research group Impact of Sport

Objective

The aim of this project is to learn from best practices. We want to share lessons on how sports clubs can be more meaningful in keeping their neighborhood, district, and city livable and healthy.

Method

Researchers from Research Group Impact of Sport conducted interviews with all twelve clubs and compiled their stories into a concise publication. The interviews were analyzed and the findings were brought together in this publication.

Results

The final outcome is a concise publication in which all lessons learned are shared. Alderman for Sports of the Municipality of The Hague, Hilbert Bredemeijer, and Regional Director of Rabobank, Harry Wientjens, provided the publication with an afterword.

Impact

The intention is to share the publication widely among sports clubs in The Hague, in close consultation with the Municipality of The Hague and the clubs of the Hague Sports Table.

Duration

The project ran from February 2025 through January 2026.

Funding

This project is an own investment of Research Group Impact of Sport, with support from the Municipality of The Hague.

Collaboration

This project was carried out in collaboration with the Hague Sports Table and its twelve clubs, the Municipality of The Hague, and Rabobank.

Team

From The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the following were involved:

• Professor Koen Breedveld
• Researcher Sander Bloemendaal
• Researcher Wesley van de Breul
• Researcher Surya Sutarto Hardjosusono

Contact

Koen Breedveld ([email protected])