Libro de Actas del III Congreso Latinoamericano y del Caribe e Investigación en Educación Superior- LatinSoTL- 2025

217 47 The Sports Club Greatness Index: A Comprehensive Tool to Measure Sport Clubs José Francisco Navarro Picado, jose.navarro_p@ucr.ac.cr.Jhulian a Jiménez, jhuliana.jimenez@ucr.ac.cr . Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica. Introduction Defining the greatness of a sports club has long been debated (PRESS, 2024). Traditional metrics such as titles won, fanbase size, and club valuation offer insights, but they fall short of providing a comprehensive view. The Sports Club Greatness Index (SCGI) addresses this gap by integrating multiple dimensions of success into a single, quantitative measure. This index combines data on league titles and market share to offer a more holistic evaluation of a club’s stature. The sports industry continues to grow rapidly (Navarro-Picado et al., 2024), and accurate measurement tools are essential. For example, 41% of Europeans engage in weekly sports activities (Seippel et al., 2023), highlighting the societal impact of sports. The SCGI not only reflects competitive success but also commercial and community relevance. This article outlines the SCGI’s development, methodology, and application across leagues, demonstrating its objectivity and utility. Although designed for professional clubs, the literature review also considers community and amateur contexts, bridging academic insights with practical implementation in the evolving sports landscape. This research aligns with the principles of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) by addressing a genuine question about how to measure sports club greatness in a pedagogically meaningful way. Developed collaboratively by a faculty member and an undergraduate student, the SCGI project exemplifies inquiry-based learning and critical engagement with real-world data. It not only contributes to academic discourse in sport management but also fosters reflective practice and methodological rigor, offering a replicable model for integrating research and teaching in higher education. Literature Review Community or amateur sport organizations Research on community and amateur sport organizations highlights the importance of club size, membership, and staffing in determining resources (Wicker & Breuer, 2015). Larger clubs often enjoy diverse revenue streams and better infrastructure, though benefits plateau at higher levels (Wicker, et al., 2013). While size correlates with capacity, its influence lessens when other factors are considered (Svensson, et al., 2018). Smaller clubs face survival risks due to limited resources and unstable membership (Gilmore, et al., 2011). In contrast, larger clubs operate more efficiently, adopt standardized management practices, and retain members more effectively (Doherty & Cuskelly, 2020). However, growth can hinder democratic participation, as engaging members and addressing diverse needs becomes more challenging (Ibsen et al., 2019). Professional sport clubs