Supporting the team, caring for the players: understanding fan perceptions of athlete wellbeing programmes

Purpose Active supporters and the organisations they form are crucial stakeholders for football clubs. Previous literature has noted the increasing interest and positive outcomes associated with corporate social responsibility initiatives within sport organisations, which fans perceive and include employee wellbeing. Whilst scholars have explored various stakeholders’ perceptions of athlete wellbeing, an opportunity exists to understand how active supporters perceive athlete wellbeing programmes. Thus, the purpose of the current research was to explore the perceptions of A-League Men’s active supporters regarding an athlete wellbeing programme. Design/methodology/approach Informed by stakeholder theory, active supporters of the A-League provided their perceptions of the Player Development Programme (PDP) – the athlete wellbeing programme associated with professional football in Australia. Data were collected through open-ended questions within an online survey and analysed through inductive thematic analysis. Findings Three themes were generated that answer the research question: impactful and beneficial; worthy of more attention and promotion and limited understanding. These themes underscore the positive impact of the wellbeing programme on both the club and its athletes whilst highlighting the necessity for increased programme visibility within the club and the broader community. Originality/value The current study’s findings contribute to the sport management literature by exploring active supporters’ perceptions of an athlete wellbeing programme in football. Since athlete wellbeing is essential for active supporters, including wellbeing initiatives within the club’s corporate social responsibility initiatives could produce positive marketing and sponsorship outcomes for clubs.