Both the sports and tourism industries have developed continuously and rapidly since the 1960s. When they intersected, they resulted in a new field, sports tourism, which integrates one of the most widespread social phenomena and one of the largest industries in the world. Sports tourism is understood as a phenomenon that relates the direct and indirect benefits of tourists travelling to actively participate in and/or attend a sporting event (Fernández et al., 2023). In recent years, sporting events have become increasingly relevant not only as entertainment spectacles, but also as catalysts for social change and community development. These competitions have the potential to have a profound impact on host communities, positively affecting economic, social and educational outcomes (Schnitzer et al., 2021). Beyond tangible benefits, such as improving infrastructure or boosting tourism, sport events can leave an intangible legacy that includes promoting social cohesion, developing human capital and strengthening community participation (Preuss, 2004; Malchrowicz-Mośko & Rozmiarek, 2017).

The concept of legacy, as defined by Preuss (2007), implies planned and unplanned consequences that endure beyond the event, affecting various areas such as the economy, environment, politics and society. However, the lack of efficient planning can lead to considerable challenges, such as corruption and misuse of resources (Dolles & Soderman, 2010; Leopkey & Ellis, 2019). Hence the importance of a clear strategy that considers both short-term leverage, image enhancements and regional promotion to ensure long-term positive impact (O'Brien & Chalip, 2007).

At the socio-educational level, sport events have the potential to generate lasting change by fostering education and personal development, although these aspects are often underestimated. A thorough impact assessment and good legacy planning in this area are essential to ensure that tangible and intangible benefits are not limited to economic, but also include the enhancement of human and social capital (Sánchez-Sáez et al., 2020). As organisers and partners seek to justify the value of an event, the integration of a socio-educational approach can generate lasting effects in the community and contribute to holistic development (Fonseca et al., 2022; Association of Summer Olympic International Federations [ASOIF], 2021).

Historical and recent evidence suggests that sport generates social and educational benefits in a number of areas, such as improved health, reduced crime, educational advancement and increased subjective well-being (Davies et al., 2019). These positive impacts are closely linked to the planning and objectives set prior to organising a sporting event. To maximise socio-educational impact, it is essential that events have a clear vision, well-defined mechanisms and concrete goals that explain how these effects will be realised (ASOIF, 2021).

In addition to the direct benefits that sport events bring to participants and spectators, they also contribute to the development and strengthening of sport organisations. The resources used to run these events can be harnessed to improve the provision of sport, health and wellbeing in communities. Indeed, sport events act as catalysts to increase participation in sport activities, inspiring both individuals and organisations, which directly contributes to the creation of social value through sport (Davies et al., 2019). This makes sport a strategic investment to address social and educational issues, as detailed in recent studies (Sanatkhah, 2021).

Volunteering, which is often a key component in the organisation of these events, plays a central role in creating this legacy. Volunteers not only support competitions logistically, but also gain organisational, leadership and teamwork skills that they can transfer to other areas of their lives (Cuskelly et al., 2006). Furthermore, volunteering promotes important civic values such as commitment, fairness and solidarity, contributing to the social cohesion of the communities involved (Koutrou et al., 2016).

However, in order to maximise the benefits of sport events in terms of socio-educational impact, proper planning that considers both the evaluation of immediate legacy and long-term impact is essential. This includes the development of tools to objectively measure the effects of volunteering on skills development and social cohesion in host communities (ASOIF, 2021).

This paper analyses the planning and evaluation of the socio-educational impact of volunteering in sport events, with a specific focus on the Badminton World Championships 2021 held in Huelva where a study of the different areas of impact was carried out where a socio-educational impact assessment focused on volunteering was necessary, but was not finally carried out due to the need for a simple tool that provides a correct view of the impact.

Through a review of the literature and the use of validated measurement tools, we explore how volunteering can contribute to the lasting legacy of these events and how strategic planning can ensure that the social benefits transcend the duration of the competition.

For this study, a review of relevant literature was conducted using academic databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus from which eleven articles, one conference paper and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) handbook (2021) were selected. The selection of articles focused on research addressing the social and educational impact of volunteering in sport events, as well as studies exploring the motivations and outcomes of volunteering in similar contexts. Specific case studies were included on international mega sporting events such as the Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics, Super Bowl, medium-scale events such as the Pan American Youth Games, and regional community events. We also considered the main scales and measurement instruments developed to assess the motivation and impact of volunteering in each of the studies, such as the Volunteer Motivation Scale for International Sporting Events (VMS-ISE), proposed by Bang et al (2008) and subsequently modified by Bang & Chelladurai (2009), the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), developed by Clary et al. (1998), the Olympic Volunteer Motivation Scale (OVMS), developed by Giannoulakis et al. in 2008, the Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale (SEVMS) conducted by Farrel et al, (1998), in addition to the common indicators proposed by ASOIF (2021).

Relevant information extracted from the articles searched and used for the literature review is attached in Table 1 below. Here you can find the author(s), the event at which the study is conducted, the method of study, what is studied and the scale used.

The analysis reveals that volunteering at sport events generates multiple benefits, both at the individual and community level. On a personal level, volunteers acquire key competencies such as organisational skills, teamwork and leadership, which can enhance their employability and their ability to integrate into community life (Bang et al., 2008). In addition, participation in sporting events fosters important values such as respect, fairness and social engagement.

At the community level, volunteering contributes to the strengthening of social capital, promoting inclusion and cohesion within host communities (Zhou & Pappous, 2024). Sport events provide a unique platform for people from different backgrounds to interact, creating an environment of collaboration and mutual support. This interaction not only benefits the volunteers, but also enhances the perception of the event within the community, increasing its legitimacy and long-term impact.

A key aspect emerging from this review is the need to create a comprehensive tool for planning and evaluating the impact and socio-educational legacy of sport events. Despite the recognition of the benefits of volunteering at such events, there is a clear lack of standardised methodologies to effectively measure short and long-term impact. Currently, while surveys and post-event analysis are used, these approaches are often limited and do not adequately capture the long-term effects and the experience of volunteers in terms of personal and professional growth (ASOIF, 2021). Without a clear and consistent methodology to measure these impacts, organisers and policy makers miss the opportunity to generate valuable data that could improve the planning of future events and justify investments in social and human capital development.

As a result, the creation of the BEAT ‘Badminton Events Assessment Tool’ is proposed for the planning and evaluation of the impact and legacy of Badminton sport events.

The creation of such a tool would enable organisers and stakeholders to:

The Volunteer Motivation Scale for International Sporting Events (VMS-ISE) (Bang et al., 2009) and the Special Event Volunteer Motivation Scale (SEVMS) (Farrell et al., 1998) are validated scales that could be integrated into this tool to assess volunteer motivation and satisfaction more specifically. Also, the incorporation of pre- and post-event surveys would allow organisers to better understand how the event has influenced the community and what aspects require adjustment in addition to common indicators proposed by ASOIF (2021).

An important finding is that volunteer satisfaction and motivation are strongly linked to the perceived tangible impact their participation has on the community (Bang & Ross, 2009). Volunteers who feel that their work is meaningful and contributes directly to the success of the event are more likely to continue to participate in future events and to maintain a long-term commitment to volunteering.

There is a need for a model to follow with hybrid methodologies and tools to obtain quantitative and qualitative information that allows for proper planning before, during and after the event while being a useful and realistic tool from the point of view of available resources but can provide insight and measurement of the success of the event in terms of social, educational and community impact, and contribute to establishing a positive, sustainable and lasting legacy.

The development of such a robust tool would not only support effective event planning, but also ensure that socio-educational benefits are accurately measured and maximised, contributing to the creation of a positive, sustainable and replicable legacy for future large-scale sporting competitions and facilitating the comparison of events in different contexts, providing quantitative and qualitative data that would serve to adjust and improve future volunteering programmes by providing an equal and 360° view of all impacts (Figure 1. ) and legacies of a sporting event without focusing only on the economic impact.

Figure 1 Impact’s dimensions measured for a Badminton Event