Record number of women, youth, and seniors are joining Flemish sports clubs

Flemish sports clubs are seeing their membership numbers steadily increase, according to figures from the Flemish Sports Federation. Especially the number of women and older people in sports clubs is growing.

Flemish sport clubs are experiencing unprecedented growth, with a record number of women, young people, and seniors joining their ranks. According to recent data from the Flemish Sports Federation, over 1.4 million Flemish citizens are currently members of sport clubs, marking a nearly 6% increase over the past five years. Women now represent 41.3% of total membership, and the number of seniors aged 60 and above has surged to over 267,000 - an increase of 20,000 from two years ago.

Youth participation has also seen a boost. Today, 220,000 young people aged between 12 and 17 have joined a sports club. That is an increase of 6 per cent compared to two years ago. Almost 6 in 10 of them are boys. “The figures on young people in sports clubs make us feel positive. They show that even the smartphone generation continues to choose sports as a weekly leisure activity. It is important to keep our young people playing sports. Not only for their health, but also for their overall development. Do not underestimate the social role of sports clubs. Young people make friends, build self-confidence and learn about fair play and cooperation,” says general director of the Flemish Sports Federation Pieter Hoof.

But while sports clubs are getting more popular, the number of club administrators is declining. Their number fell by 4 per cent compared to last year. Compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even a 7 per cent drop. This is raising concerns about the future governance and management of these clubs. “Our sports clubs urgently need more board members. Or rather, sports club members joining the board,” Hoof said. “Sportsmen used to stay active in the club after their active career by taking up a board seat. In recent years, we see that this is becoming less of an obvious thing to do and club boards are rapidly ageing.”

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