There are some limitations present in this study that also provide directions for further
research. First, the study was restricted to individual variables. This means that
variables on the club level, such as number of members or the quality of sports programs
and facilities, were not included in the survey. Second, the study was limited to
active and adult members. Children, youth, and passive members were not part of the
survey. Moreover, non-members were also excluded from the survey. Third, the quality
of the sample has to be mentioned. The sport-specific subsamples and the total
sample are only convenience samples. Although random samples could not be drawn
in the study, this aspect has to be acknowledged as a limitation. The results, therefore,
cannot be generalized. Moreover, the sample is based on cross-sectional sampling and
not on time-series data. Therefore, no developments over time can be analyzed.
Fourth, not all sports played in Germany were covered by the study. Although the
study provided findings for 21 sports, some sports are not represented, such as ice
hockey, fencing, and triathlon. Even with these limitations, the current research contributes
to the research on WTP as it provides results for non-profit sports clubs that
have not been investigated in previous research.