Building Organizational Capacity for the Army Strong Martial Arts Team in Preparation for the 2029 World Martial Arts Championship

Abstract

The Army Strong Martial Arts Team is a nonprofit, volunteer-led organization preparing to host and compete in the 2029 World Martial Arts Championship while sustaining its mission of developing athletes and future leaders. This study examined how the organization can strengthen leadership structures, organizational systems, and volunteer capacity to support continued growth beyond founder-led operations without compromising its strong organizational culture. A convergent mixed-methods design was used, integrating surveys, semi-structured interviews, and organizational document analysis from athletes, coaches, parents, and organizational leaders. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were examined through multi-cycle thematic coding, with findings integrated through triangulation. Results indicated that Army Strong's strong organizational culture and leadership positively influence organizational readiness; however, informal systems, limited leadership capacity, and inconsistent organizational processes constrain long-term sustainability. The study concludes that sustainable organizational readiness depends on aligning culture, distributed leadership, and formalized systems. These findings contribute to the understanding of capacity building in founder-led, mission-driven nonprofit organizations and provide practical recommendations for organizations preparing for strategic growth and large-scale organizational change.