Sports CONNECT
Sports CONNECT is a national framework that develops pathways for people with disability to get involved in sport, by creating and developing relationships between sports and disability organisations.
Currently many people with disability participate in sport outside a sporting organisation which results in missed opportunities for the individual and the sporting organisations.
Through Sports CONNECT more people with disability are recognising the social and health benefits from being involved in sport. At the same time sporting organisations are becoming aware of the benefits of involving people with disability either as participants, administrators, volunteers, coaches or officials.
How does Sports CONNECT work?
At a national level
There are 24 national sporting organisations that are supported directly by the Australian Sports Commission through Sports CONNECT. All receive funding over a five-year period to develop a Disability Action Plan. In addition to funding, sports are supported by a dedicated case manager over the life of the plan.
The Disability Action Plan is designed so that after five years of support, the national sporting organisations have gained the internal know-how to incorporate inclusive strategies into their regular planning processes, without the external support of the Australian Sports Commission.
The sports involved at a national level include:
| Athletics Australia | Golf Australia |
| Australian Baseball Federation | Gymnastics Australia |
| Australian Football League | Netball Australia |
| Australian International Shooting Limited | Rowing Australia |
| Australian Rugby League | Softball Australia |
| Australian Rugby Union | Surfing Australia |
| Australian Volleyball Federation | Surf Life Saving Australia |
| Basketball Australia | Swimming Australia |
| Bowls Australia | Table Tennis Australia |
| Cricket Australia | Tennis Australia |
| Cycling Australia | Tenpin Bowling Australia |
| Football Federation Australia | Yachting Australia |
At a state/territory level
Sports CONNECT is supported at the state and territory level through partnerships with state departments of sport and recreation. These partnerships are critical as they provide the link to state and local organisations and communities. As well as providing feedback to the Australian Sports Commission to guide national strategies.
The Sports CONNNECT Network (SCN) is the collective name given to these partnerships. The SCN supports state and local sporting and disability sector organisations in many ways. This includes advice, funding, education and training.
The SCN includes:
|
Sport and Recreation Services ACT |
NSW Sport and Recreation |
| Office of Sport and Recreation NT | Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association |
| Office for Recreation and Sport SA | Sport and Recreation Tasmania |
| Sport and Recreation Victoria | Department of Sport and Recreation WA |
At a local level
A key element of the Australian Sports Commission’s partnership with state and territory departments and the SCN is the Building Inclusive Communities model.
This model supports the SCN to target specific communities and organisations to get more people with disability involved in sport.
An example of how this model could work:
A SCN coordinator is working directly with a state football association in developing a Disability Action Plan. This state plan would reflect the existing national plan for that sport. Through the use of a nationally consistent assessment tool, the SCN coordinator is able to identify football clubs in a particular region that are prepared and willing to service people with disability.
The SCN can then follow the same process with disability sector organisations, finding organisations that value sport and want their clients to be physically active. The SCN coordinator can then begin connecting the willing football clubs with the willing disability sector organisations in the same area, with the outcome being more people with disability participating in sport.
