In Western societies, modern sports have always been subjected to diverse expectations of social benefits. One especially bold and frequently repeated claim is that voluntary sports clubs serve as 'schools of democracy'. Based on a pragmatist framework of critique, the present study provides the first comprehensive map of evidence on this subject from German sports science, revealing limitations in the content, research methodologies, and democratic theories of past studies. Based on the shortcomings identified in the established concept of democracy underlying past research, an alternative theory is proposed, rooted in John Dewey's pragmatist philosophy of democracy. The final outcome is essentially alternative 'schools of democracy', basically prepared to be tested in further empirical studies.