Cultural background
Cultural background and identity (e.g. language spoken, country of birth, religion) can impact engagement in sport.
There has been considerable research linking general socio-economic factors—such as household income, attained education of parents, family size, and language spoken within the home environment—to participation in organised sports activities. The influence of parental attitudes and early school opportunities to engage in quality physical education has also been shown to increase the likelihood that children will engage in sports.
For people from cultural, racial, and linguistically diverse backgrounds, the participation rate in organised sports in Australia is generally lower than in the wider population. The lower rate may be attributed to socio-economic factors as well as disadvantage created by location and access to programs and facilities.
Within CaLD groups the participation rate appears to vary with the concentration of that cultural or ethnic group within the community. In 2012 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures showed that people born in Australia are more likely to participate in sport and physical recreation than those born in non-English speaking countries, with women from non-English speaking backgrounds having the lowest levels of participation.
The participation rate of children between 5-14 years from families where both parents were born in Australia was 69% (75.7% for males and 62.6% for females), compared to 41.5% for both parents born in other countries (50% for males and 32.4 percent for females). [Note: the ABS stopped collecting sport participation statistics in 2014]
Although not specific to country of birth the Australian Sports Commission AusPlay survey also shows that both adults and children from households who speak a language other than English at home are less likely to participate in sport or physical activity than those who spoke only English. Results from 2020-21 show that:
Adults - at least once per week (81.0% only English; 75.7% other language); At least 3 times per week (63.6% English; 56.8% other language).
Children - at least once per year (73.3% only English spoken at home; 60.0% language other than English spoken at home).
Resources and reading
- Culture of competition discourages some kids from sport, opens in a new tab, Victoria University media release, (6 May 2019). A study of Aussie sports clubs finds that a culture of competitiveness is preventing kids from diverse backgrounds and abilities from participating in junior sport. The research also showed that many clubs were uncertain about the concept and how it related to them, or how to actively promote diversity and social inclusion. Some other key findings included: Diversity was often viewed as diverting resources from a club’s core business, which revolved around organising teams and improving playing skills; Clubs that actively promoted diversity were generally regarded by coaches and parents from outside clubs as not serious clubs, and suitable only for children who were ‘no good’ at sport; Men at clubs that focused on competition above participation were, on average, more likely to be homophobic, endorse stricter gender roles, enforce violence as a natural masculine trait, and were less likely to hold pro-disability attitudes.
- Multicultural Sports Club, Case Study, opens in a new tab, Settlement Council of Australia, (August 2018). The Multicultural Sports Club promotes young people to transition into mainstream clubs. MSC provides a fun, inclusive soft entry into sport through a range of participation and development opportunities targeted at young people under age 25 from all cultural backgrounds. By providing young people with the opportunity to engage in low cost, accessible and culturally appropriate opportunities, the young people are more likely to transition into mainstream clubs.
- AusPlay Survey (AusPlay) is a large-scale national population tracking survey funded and led by the Australian Sports Commission that tracks Australian sport and physical activity participation behaviours to help inform investment, policy and sport delivery. Results are updated two times per year, in April and October.
- Migration, Australia 2019-20, opens in a new tab, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (23 April 2021). Statistics on Australia's international migration, internal migration (interstate and intrastate), and the population by country of birth. In 2020, there were over 7.6 million migrants living in Australia. This was 29.8% of the population that were born overseas. One year earlier, in 2019, there were 7.5 million people born overseas. Nearly every single country from around the world was represented in Australia's population in 2020. England (980,400) continued to be the largest group of overseas-born living in Australia. However, this decreased from just over a million, recorded throughout the period 2012 to 2016 Those born in India (721,000) were in second place, with an increase of 56,300 people. Chinese-born (650,600) fell to third place, with 17,300 fewer people. Those born in Australia (18.0 million) increased 211,400 during the year.
- Boys and Pony Club, opens in a new tab, Pony Club Australia, (February 2021). PCA conducted a survey to find out what boys (Pony Club members and non-members) like and don't like about Pony Club, or any obstacles they face to join a Pony Club. The key issues influencing males joining and staying are attached: Encouraging and supporting conversations about diversity; Developing a differentiated approach; Strengthening the club-level relevance of diversity policies; Being flexible in the promotion of diversity to and within community sports clubs; Valuing and supporting diversity champions within clubs; Getting ‘best players’ onside; Engaging coaches as key actors in diversity practice; Critically examining club culture and norms; Diversifying club leadership structures; Addressing tension between participation and performance; Sharing local knowledge and experience.
- Building cultural inclusion in active recreation and sport: Insights from Muslim women in active recreation and sport, opens in a new tab, Prepared by Dr Nida Ahmad, University of Waikato for Sport New Zealand, (July 2020). This report highlights key themes that emerged from conversations with Muslim girls and women, and active recreation and sport administrators in 2019. It aims to recognise the importance of creating spaces for the voices and experiences of Muslim women, as well as those involved in organising active recreation and sport with Muslim women participants. Focus group key takeaways:
- Muslim women are a diverse group and we need to begin by questioning our assumptions and stereotypes about their motivations and opportunities to participate in sport and recreation.
- Muslim women face many barriers in participating in sport, but the biggest barrier is the attitudes and understandings of the sector.
- Cultural education is needed throughout the sector from the top of sports organizations to the grassroots.
- Creating ‘safe’ spaces for Muslim women in sport and recreation shouldn’t be put in the ‘too hard’ basket. Small gestures can go a long way in making Muslim women feel welcome and accepted. Spaces/activities that consider or accommodate Muslim women and girls also create a safe and engaging space for a much more diverse range of people.
- Muslim women have important skills and knowledge to share, but we need to provide opportunities to listen and learn from them.
- Cross-cultural collaborations are essential for moving towards best practice.
- Participation versus performance: Managing (dis)ability, gender and cultural diversity in junior sport, opens in a new tab, Spaaij, R., Farquharson, K., Gorman, S., et.al., Centre for Multicultural Youth, (2018). This research suggests that clubs understand diversity in many different ways. There is not a distinct and clear definition of diversity from lead organisations. Clubs tend to consider and act on individual axes of diversity, such as cultural or gender diversity, in isolation. More intersectional understandings of and approaches to diversity were virtually non-existent in the junior clubs in this study. Most clubs recognised the benefits of diversity, with regard to increased membership and volunteers, club capacity and sustainability, as well as delivering social and health benefits to the community. However, junior clubs frequently felt overwhelmed by and under-resourced to deliver on calls to actively promote and support diversity. Capacity was a key issue, with clubs concerned about engaging with diversity and threatening their core operation due to a lack of volunteers. Whilst individual champions are key to diversity work, they face considerable pressures and constraints. The findings reveal a tension between the promotion of diversity and inclusion on the one hand, and the focus on performance on the other hand. Clubs have limited resources and may see diversity as peripheral to, or diverting resources from, its core business. Recommendations are suggested to continue making junior sport a diverse and inclusive environment. These recommendations target clubs, National Sporting Organisations (NSO) and State Sporting Organisations (SSO), as well as other stakeholders, such as local government. The recommendations include:
- Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation, Australia, 2013-14, opens in a new tab, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (18 February 2015). [Final] Contains details on the number and characteristics of people aged 15 years and over who participate in a range of sport and physical activities (including country of birth).
- Children’s Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, opens in a new tab, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (31 October 2012). [Final]. Participation of children aged 5-14 years in cultural, sporting and other leisure activities plus children’s internet and mobile phones use. Sport participation was higher for children born in Australia (61%) compared with those born overseas (52%).
- Sport and Physical Recreation Statistical Overview of Australia 2011, opens in a new tab, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (20 December 2011). Australians from ethnic backgrounds are much more likely to participate regularly in sport when about half of their friends were of the same ethnic background. The sport participation rate tended to drop when either all or none of their friends were from the same ethnic background.
- Negotiating participation: African refugee and migrant women’s experiences of football, opens in a new tab, Hayley Truskewycz, Murray Drummond, Ruth Jeanes, Sport in Society, Volume 25(3), pp.582-601, (2022). This study sought to better understand the ways in which African women negotiate and navigate multilevel contexts and social forces throughout their migration and resettlement, in the pursuit of their football passion. The research utilized a narrative design to interview eleven women, aged between 18 and 24 years old, living in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia (SA). Bronfenbrenner’s Person-Process-Context-Time Social Ecological model was employed to identify the interrelated personal and environmental layers that influence the women’s experiences of football over time. The experiences of the women in the study highlight the cultural, religious and gendered intersections that influenced their football participation throughout pre-migration and post-migration. The women in the study demonstrated that although they were subject to varying degrees of socio-cultural pressure and experienced bi-cultural tension, they were able to draw on resources and skills to successfully negotiate their football participation.
- Community sport and physical activity programs as sites of integration: A meta-synthesis of qualitative research conducted with forced migrants, opens in a new tab, Thierry R.F. Middleton, Brennan Petersen, Robert J. Schinke, et al., Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Volume 51, (November 2020). Meta-synthesis of qualitative research exploring forced migrant sport and physical activity participation. Synthesizes findings related to benefits of, and barriers to, sport and physical activity participation. Describes and interprets previous findings of how sport may or may not foster integration. Discusses the importance of examining forced migrants’ life stories through a critical lens. Provides insight into importance of fostering feelings of safety for forced migrants.
- Building cultural diversity in sport: a critical dialogue with Muslim women and sports facilitators, opens in a new tab, Nida Ahmad, Holly Thorpe, Justin Richards, et al., International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 12(4), pp.637-653, (October 2020). This paper draws upon focus groups with 38 Muslim women and 14 sports facilitators to explore the opportunities and constraints for Muslim women’s participation in sport and active recreation in Aotearoa New Zealand. The paper highlights the (mis)understandings between Muslim women and sports organisations as to the needs, barriers and strategies for building sport as more culturally inclusive. Bringing the voices of Muslim women and facilitators together into critical dialogue, we reveal important inconsistencies between perceived barriers. We also highlight the important work some individuals are doing to develop inclusive spaces for ethnic minorities. Ultimately, this research demonstrates the importance of cultural awareness, and the need for multicultural training initiatives across sports organisations to improve practice and policy.
- ‘Active integration’: sport clubs taking an active role in the integration of refugees, opens in a new tab, Mark Doidge, Marc Keech, Elisa Sandri, International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 12(2), pp.305-319, (January 2020). In the context of the global migrant and refugee crisis there is considerable enthusiasm for the notion that participation by migrants of refugee background in community sport can play a role in fostering a sense of community belonging. Sport potentially is an opportunity for refugees to integrate (with each other and host communities). Community sports organisations in the UK - and specifically sports clubs - continually face challenges to devote resources to social policy outcomes beyond increasing sport participation. This article argues that the active approach of coaches, volunteers and managers to consciously manage inclusive sport activities is central for the integration of refugees. Utilising a mixed methods approach, this study analysed the impact of one sports club that used table tennis to promote the active integration of refugees. The study found three significant areas of impact: first, an active approach from coaches can facilitate integration; second, such an approach should be conducted in a safe, enjoyable and welcoming environment; and that sport is a positive social activity for youths with a refugee background if the focus of the activity centres on fun and social interaction, rather than just sporting skills.
- Participation-performance tension and gender affect recreational sports clubs’ engagement with children and young people with diverse backgrounds and abilities, opens in a new tab, Spaaij R, Lusher D, Jeanes R, et al., PLoS ONE, Volume 14(4): e0214537, (April 2019). This mixed methods study investigated how diversity is understood, experienced and managed in junior sport. The study combined in-depth interviews (n = 101), surveys (n = 450) and observations over a three-year period. The results revealed that a focus on performance and competitiveness negatively affected junior sports clubs’ commitment to diversity and inclusive participation. Gender and a range of attitudes about diversity were also strongly related. On average, we found that those who identified as men were more likely to support a pro-performance stance, be homophobic, endorse stricter gender roles, and endorse violence as a natural masculine trait. In addition, those who identified as men were less likely to hold pro-disability attitudes. These findings suggest that the participation-performance tension and gender affect to what extent, and how, sports clubs engage children and young people with diverse backgrounds and abilities.
- Moments of social inclusion: asylum seekers, football and solidarity, opens in a new tab, Brent McDonald, Ramón Spaaij, Darko Dukic, Sport in Society, Volume 22, pp.935-949, (2019). Established in 2012, ‘the Seekers’ are a football club in Melbourne, Australia. Initially set up to provide social recreation for various refugees and asylum seekers, the Seekers have more recently entered a team in the mainstream league competition. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this paper considers how football facilitates forms of social inclusion for team members, both in relation to the action of the sport and the political and social context of Australian society more broadly. In many ways the field of sport is highly contested as players engage with the mainstream; however the solidarity forged through playing creates the possibility for moments of social inclusion in other ways. The capacity of sporting interactions to facilitate social inclusion for male team members is vexed, though there is evidence to suggest that, in the correct conditions, sport can contribute to an individual’s capacity to access employment and educational opportunities.
- Social inclusion of newly arrived female asylum seekers and refugees through a community sport initiative: the case of Bike Bridge, opens in a new tab, Shahrzad Mohammadi, Sport in Society, Volume 22, pp.1082-1099, (2019). This study examines the potential and limitations of a community sport initiative in fostering social inclusion of newly arrived adult female asylum seekers and refugees in Germany. It contains three parts: the first and second part aim to assess the perceived opportunities and barriers of riding a bicycle in the participants’ homeland and Germany and to provide empirical evidence about the outcomes of the project at a micro level by prioritising the participants’ accounts and experiences. In the third section, through an examination of the programme’s structure and provision, its perceived impact is investigated. The findings revealed the importance of need-based, informal and intercultural provisions and practices to foster participation of physical recreation of the target group in their new setting. However, to facilitate social inclusion, the participants’ prolonged and sustained engagement in the programme as volunteers was crucial.
- Are immigrants more physically active than native-born Australians and does it changes over time? Evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal survey, opens in a new tab, Joshi S, Jatrana S, Paradies Y, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Volume 14(2), pp.145-154, (2017). This study looked at the differences and changes over time in the amount of physical activity performed by foreign-born immigrants from English speaking countries (ESC) and non-English speaking countries (NESC), relative to native-born Australians. Also, is there an association between the duration of Australian residence among ESC and NESC immigrants and their physical activity? This study found that ESC immigrants were more likely to achieve the recommended physical activity guidelines, while NESC immigrants had lower physical activity then native born Australians, after adjusting for covariates. There was no evidence that the amount of time (up to 20 years) spent in residence in Australia by NESC immigrants had any effect on physical activity. ESC immigrants were more likely to be physically active when their time in Australian residence was more than 20 years. The authors suggest that English language has a mediating role on the physical activity of immigrants.
- Promoting Social Inclusion through Sport for Refugee-Background Youth in Australia: Analysing Different Participation Models, opens in a new tab, Karen Block, Lisa Gibbs, Social Inclusion, Volume 5(2), (2017). Sports participation can confer a range of physical and psychosocial benefits and, for refugee and migrant youth, may even act as a critical mediator for achieving positive settlement and engaging meaningfully in Australian society. This group has low participation rates however, with identified barriers including costs; discrimination and a lack of cultural sensitivity in sporting environments; lack of knowledge of mainstream sports services on the part of refugee-background settlers; inadequate access to transport; culturally determined gender norms; and family attitudes. Organisations in various sectors have devised programs and strategies for addressing these participation barriers. In many cases however, these responses appear to be ad hoc and under-theorised. This article reports findings from a qualitative exploratory study conducted in a range of settings to examine the benefits, challenges and shortcomings associated with different participation models. Interview participants were drawn from non-government organisations, local governments, schools, and sports clubs. Three distinct models of participation were identified, including short term programs for refugee-background children; ongoing programs for refugee-background children and youth; and integration into mainstream clubs. These models are discussed in terms of their relative challenges and benefits and their capacity to promote sustainable engagement and social inclusion for this population group.
- Being Able to Play: Experiences of Social Inclusion and Exclusion Within a Football Team of People Seeking Asylum, opens in a new tab, Darko Dukic, Brent McDonald, Ramón Spaaij, Social Inclusion, Volume 5(2), pp.101-110, (2017). This article considers the ways in which playing in an asylum seeker football team, located in Melbourne, Australia, facilitates both inclusive and exclusive experiences for its participants. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, life histories, and policy analysis, this article identifies the often-ignored importance of a sporting habitus and physical capital in individuals’ experiences of playing. The success or failure of the asylum seeker team to foster social inclusion is somewhat tenuous as the logic of competition can create conditions counter to those that would be recognised as inclusive. Further, such programmes are faced with sustainability problems, as they are heavily reliant on individuals within the organisation and community to “make things happen”. However, we suggest that for many men, the asylum seeker team provides an important site for the development and appreciation of ‘poly-cultural’ capital that contributes to forms of resilience and the achievement of other indicators of social inclusion.
- Overcoming disparities in organized physical activity: findings from Australian community strategies, opens in a new tab, Smith B, Thomas M, Batras D, Health Promotion International, Volume 31(3), pp.572-581, (September 2016). This article examines the barriers to participation in sport and strategies used to overcome these barriers among disadvantaged groups. Sporting organisations received community funding from VicHealth’s Participation in Community Sport and Recreation Program (PICSAR) to adopt strategies allowing them to include more people from Indigenous, low socioeconomic and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, as well as persons with disabilities into their programs. Disadvantaged groups typically have lower levels of physical activity and poorer health outcomes compared to the overall population. Several barriers to participation were identified – high costs, lack of transport to activities, cultural differences, unwelcoming sporting environments at clubs, and lack of suitable facilities for people with disabilities. A number of successful strategies were put in place to overcome these barriers, including: employing staff from the priority groups; building communication and partnerships over time with community organisations; specific training for staff and volunteers; and modifying traditional activities to better suit participants. Various strategies were also put in place to reduce cost and provide transport. Although cost and transport strategies demonstrated some success, they were not sustainable. Overall, organisations found it took longer than initially expected to successfully engage target populations, but that this was a necessary and valuable process.
- Social inequalities in young children’s sport participation and outdoor play, opens in a new tab, Wijtzes A, Jansen W, Bouthoorn S, et al., International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Volume 11, article 155, (December 2014). This study looked at the associations of family socioeconomic position (SEP) and ethnic background with children’s sports participation and outdoor play. Data was taken from 4726 ethnically diverse 6-year-old children participating in the Generation R Study conducted in the Netherlands. Children’s sports participation was associated with maternal and/or paternal educational level, maternal employment status, and household income. Families with low SEP indicators predicted less sports participation. Children’s outdoor play was associated with household income only; children from low income households were more likely to play less than one hour per day. All ethnic minority children were significantly more likely to not participate in sports and outdoor play when compared with native Dutch children.
- Socio-ecological predictors of participation and dropout in organised sports during childhood, opens in a new tab, Vella S, Cliff D, Okely A, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Volume 11, article 62, (May 2014). This study looked at the socio-ecological determinants of participation and dropout in organised sports in a nationally-representative sample of Australian children. Seven variables at age 8 were shown to positively predict participation in organised sports at age 10, these included: (1) sex (boy); (2) fewer people in household; (3) higher household income; (4) main language spoken at home (English); (5) higher parental education; (6) child taken to a sporting event; and (7) access to a specialist physical education teacher during primary school. Four variables predicted dropout from organised sports by age 10, these included: (1) lower household income; (2) main language spoken at home (non-English); (3) lower parental education; and (4) child not taken to a sporting event. The interplay between sex (at least for boys), socioeconomic indicators, and parental support is important in predicting children’s participation in organised sports. Therefore, multilevel and multicomponent interventions designed to promote participation and prevent dropout should address these factors.
- The Power of Sport: Building social bridges and breaking down cultural barriers, opens in a new tab, Oliver P, PhD Thesis, Curtin University, (2014). Is sport an effective means of breaking down cultural barriers for Indigenous people and those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds? This research finds that sport is not the magic bullet to ‘cure all’ social ills that some people assume. In fact, in many cases sport reaffirms existing power structures which cause discrimination and inequality. However, participation in and through sport can help processes of belonging, trust, and inclusion; and if managed correctly, sport can be an excellent medium for encouraging awareness and valuable public debate on wider social issues. This research also highlights the contribution that sportspeople, events and campaigns have made to enhancing social networks and furthering awareness and debate on wider social, physical, and health issues. One enduring point made clear in this research is that sport alone cannot achieve social goals or solve complex issues. It is the participants (e.g. players, coaches and administrators) who are the heart and soul of sporting organisations, at both grassroots and elite levels, who hold the key to what sport is capable of delivering.
- Experiences in sport, physical activity, and physical education among Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu Asian adolescent girls, opens in a new tab, Araki K; Kodani I; Gupta N; et al., Journal of preventive medicine and public health, Volume 46(Suppl 1), pp.S43-49, (January 2013). The purpose of the project was to gain knowledge and understanding about sociocultural factors that may explain adolescent girls' perceptions and behaviors toward sport, physical activity, and physical education (PE) in Japan and Singapore. A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with focus groups was used to understand meanings of physical activity among Buddhist Japanese, and Hindu Indians and Christian Chinese from Singapore. Each focus group consisted of four or five girls and female researchers. Based on the analysis, we created four themes which were "cultural identities," "Asian girls and sport/physical activities," "PE experiences," "motivation for future involvement." The Buddhist Japanese, Hindu Indian, and Christian Chinese participants each reported unique physical activity experiences, and all the participants were aware of how Asian culture may affect being physically active. Experiences of PE classes were similar but perceptions of their PE attire were different for Christian Chinese and Hindu Indian adolescent girls. Based on the results, the importance of nurturing cultural competencies and ways to encourage girls to be physically active throughout life were discussed.
- Family support and ease of access link socio-economic status and sports club membership in adolescent girls: a mediation study, opens in a new tab, Rochelle Eime, Jack Harvey, Melinda Craike, et al., International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, Volume 10, article 50, (2013). The aim of this research was to investigate the relationships between participation in a sports club and socio-economic status (SES), access to facilities, and family and peer support for female adolescents. This research concluded that the highest levels of participation were among adolescent girls from monolingual Australian-born families, with two parents (at least one of whom was well-educated), with both parents employed, and high levels of parental assistance, engagement and support. Participation in club sport among both younger and older adolescent girls was significantly positively associated with the SES of both their neighbourhoods and their households, particularly in metropolitan areas. Participation in club sport was strongly influenced by the amount of family support provided and by access to facilities. Improved participation by lower SES adolescent girls might be facilitated by improving access to sports facilities and promoting, encouraging and assisting parents to better support their daughters’ participation.
- “We wouldn’t of made friends if we didn’t come to Football United”: the impacts of a football program on young people’s peer, prosocial and cross-cultural relationships, opens in a new tab, Sally Nathan, Lynn Kemp, Anne Bunde-Birouste, et al., BMC Public Health, (27 April 2013). This study reports on an impact evaluation of a sport-for-development program in Australia, Football United®. The study provides evidence of the effects of Football United on key domains of peer and prosocial relationships for boys and other-group orientation for young people in the program sites studied. The effects on girls, and the impacts of the program on the broader school environment and at the community level, require further investigation.
- Cultural diversity in community sport: An ethnographic inquiry of Somali Australians’ experiences, opens in a new tab, Ramón Spaaij, Sport Management Review, Volume 16(1), pp.29-40, (February 2013). This paper examines the key factors that affect the sport participation experiences of Somali Australians. It is shown that interpersonal and structural barriers to sport participation predominate, and that the significance of these barriers varies according to age, gender and time in Australia. The paper concludes that in order to foster inclusive sporting environments in which people from refugee backgrounds can participate in a safe, comfortable and culturally appropriate way, refugee settlement needs to be understood as a two-way process of mutual accommodation requiring adaptation on the part of both the migrant and the host society.
- Center for Multicultural Youth (CMY), opens in a new tab works closely with sporting bodies such as State Sporting Associations, sports clubs, local government, and Registered Training Organisations, to increase the sector’s capability and capacity to engage diverse young people and their families in sport. Sport programs include, opens in a new tab: Youth Transitions support.
- Participation versus Performance: Managing (dis)ability, gender and cultural diversity in junior sport, opens in a new tab, (2018). A three-year research project (2014-2017), conducted collaboratively by Victoria University, Swinburne University of Technology, Curtin University and Monash University, in partnership with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), Australian Football League (AFL) and the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY).
- Tip Sheet #1: Attracting and retaining diverse junior members, opens in a new tab (December 2019)
- Tip Sheet #2: Coaching Inclusively, opens in a new tab (December 2019)
- Tip Sheet #3: Developing inclusive social media and websites, opens in a new tab (December 2019)
- Tip Sheet #4: Embracing diversity within your club structures and developing an inclusive club culture, opens in a new tab (December 2019)
- Game Plan, opens in a new tab, (October 2015). A resource kit developed to support sports clubs to increase their cultural diversity and to attract and retain young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds in sport and sports clubs – as members, players, coaches, trainers and leaders.
- Participation versus Performance: Managing (dis)ability, gender and cultural diversity in junior sport, opens in a new tab, (2018). A three-year research project (2014-2017), conducted collaboratively by Victoria University, Swinburne University of Technology, Curtin University and Monash University, in partnership with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), Australian Football League (AFL) and the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY).
- Terminology Language Resources, opens in a new tab, Sporting Equals, (December 2021). This UK resource provides guidance and clarity over appropriate terminology and aims to build confidence in engaging with ethnically diverse communities, in respectful and relatable ways. It also highlights 'outdated and inaccurate terms' and provides 'suggested alternate terms' with explanations on 'why these terms are better for inclusion'. Terminology will continue to be fluid and progress as society expands and grows. The important value to take away from this resource is how vital community engagement is not only in regard to terminology but wider inclusion and diversity aims. With strong community engagement we can continue to hold these conversations to ensure the correct terminology is being adopted and we stay in tune to specific community needs with due respect and empathy.
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