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The framework for promoting community sports varies from country to country. In Japan, there is a system for appointing “Community Sport Leaders” who serve under local administrative organizations, such as the Board of Education. Currently, approximately 48,000 people are appointed to serve as Community Sport Leaders throughout the country.
The job title "Community Sport Leaders" was renamed from “Community Sports Commissioners” with the enactment of the Basic Act on Sport in 2011. Currently, many local municipalities across the country appoint Community Sport Leaders, and approximately 48,000 individuals are active in these roles.
Their roles include planning and implementing local sports and physical activity programs, serving as instructors in these programs, and acting as coordinators for community sports matters, which involves communicating with local government officials. For example, Community Sport Leaders organize various local events for residents, such as yoga or boccia classes and physical fitness tests when elementary school facilities are available. In some regions, they support larger events such as city marathons and engage in other activities in collaboration with organizations such as medical associations or Junior Chambers.
Community Sport Leaders are recognized as special public servants—individuals who are appointed to perform certain duties for public service but are not regular government employees—under the authority of a local municipality. Although they are paid a modest monthly wage (e.g., JPY 8,000, approximately USD 50, in Sumida Ward in Tokyo*1), they serve as volunteers in a broader sense.
They engage in policy planning as citizen representatives or expert panel members when local municipalities develop policy proposals to promote community sports or health.
The responsibilities of “Community Sports Commissioners,” the former job title of Community Sport Leaders, were defined in 1957, and the legal status of the role was further clarified with the enactment of the Sports Promotion Act in 1961. Today, Community Sport Leaders are appointed by the Board of Education or the administrative department of each local municipality.
Over 60,000 Community Sport Leaders were appointed and active when Japan had more local municipalities and a larger population.
However, with the amendment to the Sports Promotion Act following the enactment of the Omnibus Decentralization Act in 1999, the appointment of Community Sport Leaders was no longer mandatory for every local municipality. Although a very small number of municipalities discontinued appointing Community Sport Leaders after this amendment, most of Japan’s 1,741 local municipalities (including cities, towns, and villages) still appoint them, and they continue to play a central role in the promotion of community sports. Many Community Sport Leaders are nominated by local community organizations or various sports associations because they are expected to serve as a liaison among the community, sport associations and municipalities. However, in recent years, an increasing number of Community Sport Leaders have been appointed through open recruitment.
Fig. 1: Types of Nominating Bodies*2
*Referrals from local teachers, medical associations, and incumbent Community Sport Leaders are included under “Other.”
It is a fact that half of Community Sport Leaders, as individuals or as members of organizations, play a key role in promoting community sports by managing operations for comprehensive sports clubs modeled after overseas community sports clubs.
According to a 2020 survey*2 by the Community Sport Leaders Association, the age breakdown of Community Sport Leaders is as shown in the figure below. Only 33.7% of Community Sport Leaders across Japan are under the age of 50, making aging a significant challenge. Although the minimum term of service is two years, the majority of Community Sport Leaders renew their contracts for multiple terms. In fact, as many as 46% have served for over ten years.
In addition, Community Sport Leaders are responsible for attending monthly meetings, organizing events once every month or two, and participating in various workshops and seminars. Although they receive a modest wage, they essentially serve as volunteers, which creates challenges in recruiting new members.
Fig. 2: Age-specific rate*2
Fig. 3: Years of experience*2
Another challenge is that many active Community Sport Leaders belong to other sports organizations, keeping them rather busy within the community. This makes it even more difficult for each leader to fully engage in their roles and take on new initiatives as Community Sport Leaders. To address this issue and fully utilize the community’s human resources, it is essential to establish a framework that encourages a more diverse group of people in the community to become Community Sport Leaders.
In addition, Community Sport leaders are appointed based on referrals from various individuals and organizations, such as local government bodies, community sports organizations, and other regional entities. Rather than relying solely on community connections or on their passion for sports to recruit Community Sport Leaders, it might be more effective to specify the various skills necessary for the roles and clearly define the job descriptions for each position to better utilize human resources within the community.
The advantage of the Community Sport Leader system is that the knowledge and expertise required to organize and smoothly operate specific sporting events, among the various sports-related policies that local municipalities wish to implement, can be accumulated through the dedication of long-serving members.
Another major advantage is that, in addition to sports facilities in each region, public education facilities, including schools, can be utilized for their activities without the need for complicated procedures associated with the use of private organizations. The proactive involvement of Community Sport Leaders further promotes community sports and brings significant cost benefits to local municipalities by reducing the workload of regular government employees.
Above all, establishing a local policy framework that supports Community Sport Leaders in taking the initiative and being self-reliant in their activities will accelerate the progress towards achieving 'Sport for All' society.
*1 Wage examples (Sumida Ward in Tokyo):
Sumida Ward in Tokyo:
https://www.city.sumida.lg.jp/kurashi/sports/shinkou/recruitment_smd_spc.html
*2 Japan Community Sport Leaders Association 2022
https://www.zentaishi.com/Portals/0/overview/%E4%BB%A4%E5%92%8C%EF%BC%94%E5%B9%B4%E5%BA%A6%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9B%E3%82%9A%E3%83%BC%E3%83%84%E6%8E%A8%E9%80%B2%E5%A7%94%E5%93%A1%E7%B5%84%E7%B9%94%E8%AA%BF%E6%9F%BB.pdf
