The Changing Contexts of Sports Development

While action sports have historically been observed as being individualistic and rebellious activities, their increased popularity over the past decade has attracted the attention of policymakers regarding the social development of communities. Skateboarding is one such activity or “sport” that governmental bodies have attempted to capitalise on to increase physical activity levels and social capital. In this chapter, we explore the evolving landscape of sports development (SD), focusing on the provision of skateboarding in Aotearoa New Zealand. First, we explore the policy shift in SD and funding in Aotearoa and the role action sports play in community development globally. Next, we draw on empirical research and present case studies to illustrate the provision and SD of skateboarding in Aotearoa and for disabled skateboarders. We demonstrate how Olympic inclusion and concurrent shifts in national sports policy have impacted skateboarding-focused SD initiatives from grassroots to elite levels in Aotearoa. In doing so, the broadening definitions of sport can be observed, and we recognise that action sports have potential benefits for developing competitive sports and sport for development.