 Voluntarism, democracy, loyalty and equality are essential values to sports in Norway. The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports is the country's largest voluntary organisation, and more than one third of the population engage in sport in different ways. Football and skiing are the traditional sports. The basis is the physical activity together with a set of values that are shared by the elite sportswoman and the mass sportsman, children and youth alike, i. e. enjoyment of sport, the spirit of community, health and fair play.
The 12 300 clubs are traditionally formed by friends, by fellow workers, or simply by people who find a mutual interest in one or more branches of sport. Democratic elections and traditions are integral parts of the life of all of these clubs.
Historically, the clubs established sports federations to coordinate and develop their common sport. The federations are only answerable to their members - the clubs. The federations together with the regional organisations formed the Confederation of Sports in 1861.Today the organisation is known as "Idrettsforbundet", formally as Norges Idrettsforbund og Olympiske Komité (The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports) or just NIF.
The general assembly of the Confederation consists of representatives of the federations and of the regional bodies, and gathers every four years to draw up objectives and strategies, to pass sport laws and to elect the Board of Sports. The Board is headed by a president.
This structure of a pyramide upside down, with the members and the clubs on top and the national body at the bottom, is basically and principally non-governmental. The major sources of “financing” is made up of 24 000 man years of voluntary work and of money raised by all members, not least by parents of the 500 000 children and youths. Only 10 per cent of the financing are grants from various government authorities.
The return on the governmental investment is a healthy society where sports provide leisure activities, social education, and social network.
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