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Program design

Programs that are provided or imposed without significant consultation are unlikely to benefit First Nations individuals or communities.

Programs and interventions that are provided or imposed without significant consultation, are unlikely to benefit First Nations individuals or the broader community. 39, 54, 55

Some factors that have been highlighted in research as being more likely to lead to successful programs include:

  • Community-informed and led initiatives that respect local culture, social systems, and knowledge. 4, 14, 24, 40, 54, 55
  • Healthy, active role models. 10, 19
  • Allowing family members and friends to participate together. 3, 11, 14, 17, 54, 55

When planning and delivering programs and activities it is also important to consider the various identities and other factors that might also impact on participation such as ability, gender, sexuality, age, socio-economic status, geographic location, and more. Each of these factors or identities may mean that an individual or group has different needs, preferences, barriers, and motivators to be addressed to meet the desired outcome (e.g., increasing sport participation). 11, 13, 16, 17, 23, 41

"They think they know what the problem is, and they waste a lot of money on programs that aren’t helping our people in Inala and the surrounding areas, and they don’t get out and talk to the community." Ian Tyson, Men’s Health Worker, Inala Indigenous Health Service (QLD) 54

Resources and reading

  • When physical activity programs include cultural elements, they are even better for First Nations people, opens in a new tab, Brett Biles, Grace McKeon, Jonathan Bullen, et al., The Conversation, (13 December 2023). Culturally safe physical activity programs that are community-led and adopt First Nations values are effective in improving social and emotional wellbeing.
  • Boorloo Demons make history in the WAFL, opens in a new tab, Giovanni Torre, National Indigenous Times, (4 July 2023). Boorloo Football Club, also known as Perth or the Demons, have become the first club in WAFL history to adopt their Traditional name. Boorloo will take the field for two rounds under their Whadjuk Noongar name, marking NAIDOC Week.
  • Deadly Little Dolphins program looks to find Australia's next First Nations Olympic or Paralympic swimming champion, opens in a new tab, Tracey Holmes, The Ticket/ABC Sport, (6 April 2023). The Swimming Australia initiative is First Nations led and co-designed. The hope is corporate Australia will see the benefits and contribute to a national rollout. "Deadly Little Dolphins" is a program that is about much more than talent identification in the Torres Strait Islands – it is about harnessing children's love of the water to improve educational outcomes; it is about water safety, with First Nations children over-represented in national drowning statistics; and it is about building bridges between cultures.
  • Indigenous ways of knowing and doing connected to physical literacy, diversity and collaboration in sport, opens in a new tab [Canada], Greg Henhawk, Wes Chen, Caela Fenton and Veronica Allan, SIRCuit, (25 July 2022). Indigenous thought-leader Greg Henhawk discusses the synergy between traditional Indigenous knowledge and holistic approaches to physical literacy. Henhawk advocates for prioritizing collaboration, rather than solely “inclusion,” when it comes to addressing differences. Henhawk advises sport (and other) organizations wishing to engage Indigenous communities to prioritize developing a relationship before making any asks.
  • Lifting Participation Rates Requires Cultural Understanding, opens in a new tab, David Sygall, Paralympics Australia, (19 July 2022). When they met recently for the first time, Paralympics Australia Chief Executive Catherine Clark asked Kevin Coombs a question that had been on her mind since she started in the role early in 2022. Coombs, the five-time Paralympian and Australia’s first Indigenous Paralympic representative, was looking through PA’s recently released Reconciliation Action Plan, which outlines the organisation’s goals regarding First Nations people. “Uncle Kevin, I’m interested to know, what are your thoughts on how we can have more First Nations Australians become Paralympians?” Clark asked.

  • Physical activity and the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations people, opens in a new tab, Macniven R, Tishler X, McKeon G, et al., Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, catalogue number IMH 021, (December 2023). Summarises existing evidence on the relationship between physical activity and First Nations SEWB. It describes the policy context and actions, as well as program approaches implemented with First Nations adults and children in Australia. It takes the form of a scoping review of academic research and grey literature, including governmental reports and policy documents. The article focuses on the strengths of First Nations people’s experiences and knowledge and concludes with a summary of the key messages from this report that are essential for understanding First Nations physical activity participation and SEWB. Includes summaries of several programs and initiatives that include sport as a vehicle for engagement in physical activity.
    • What works * Culturally safe physical activity programs that are community-led and adopt First Nations values act as key facilitators of engagement in programs. * Enhancing cultural identity through engagement in physical activity that has a cultural focus, and that fosters connections with family and kinship, enriches SEWB outcomes. * Other facilitators of physical activity participation include support from family and friends, and opportunities to connect with community or culture. * First Nations community involvement increases program effectiveness, relevance and sustainability.
    • What doesn’t work * Programs that do not centre First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing are unlikely to be well received or effective. Generally, these programs have barriers that impede program participation and subsequently hinder potential improvements in SEWB. * These barriers include insufficient transportation, time inefficiency, high program costs, and conflicting family and community commitments. * Racism can act as a deterrent for First Nations people to participate in available programs, services and initiatives that enhance SEWB.
  • Gari Yala (Speak the Truth): Centreing the experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians at work, opens in a new tab, UTS Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research/UTS Business School, (2020). Gari Yala – Speak the Truth is a report by the Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research that centres the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers. Based on a survey of over 1,000 Indigenous employees, it exposes widespread experiences of racism, lack of cultural safety, and identity strain in Australian workplaces – issues that are harming wellbeing and job satisfaction.
  • Supporting healthy communities through sports and recreation programs, opens in a new tab, Resource sheet no. 26, Vicki-Ann Ware and Veronica Meredith, produced for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, (December 2013). Healthy communities are communities in which people have the physical and mental health and wellbeing needed to conduct their daily lives. This paper reviewed the available evidence of a range of sports and recreation programs in relation to their effects on supporting and building healthy communities, what we know, what works, what doesn't work, and what we don't know. There is some evidence, in the form of critical descriptions of programs and systematic reviews, on the benefits to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from participation in sport and recreational programs. These include some improvements in school retention, attitudes towards learning, social and cognitive skills, physical and mental health and wellbeing; increased social inclusion and cohesion; increased validation of and connection to culture; and crime reduction.

  • A scoping review of Indigenous community-specific physical activity measures developed with and for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, opens in a new tab, Shara Johnson, Phil Chilibeck, Sarah Oosman, Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, Volume 49(5), (May 2024). Historical factors including colonization and ongoing socioeconomic inequities impact Indigenous Peoples’ ability to mitigate chronic disease risks such as achieving recommended physical activity (PA) levels. Reliably assessing, reflecting, and promoting PA participation among Indigenous Peoples may be impacted by a lack of culturally appropriate assessment methods and meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities throughout the research process. The objectives of this scoping review were to examine: (1) How PA research with Indigenous Peoples used community-specific PA measures developed with and/or for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; and (2) How the studies utilized community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to engage communities. A systematic search was conducted in four electronic databases (Web of Science, Medline, University of Saskatchewan Indigenous Portal, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global). Thirty-one (n = 31) articles were identified and data extracted for narrative synthesis. Studies using community-specific PA measures have been increasing over time. Adapting questionnaires to traditional Indigenous activities such as cultural dances, ceremonies, and food-gathering activities were the most frequent adjustments undertaken to use community-specific measures. There are, however, gaps in research partnering with communities with only 6% of studies including all eight CBPR principles. Practical ways researchers can engage Indigenous communities and build capacity such as training and employing community members were highlighted. More needs to be done to facilitate community self-determination and develop long-term sustainable initiatives. Using culturally appropriate and relevant methodologies including partnering with Indigenous communities may help identification and implementation of culturally relevant and sustainable health-promoting initiatives.
  • Waka, Whanaungatanga and Water Safety: Using Indigenous Knowledge to Educate Future Aquatic Educators about Māori Water Safety in Aotearoa, New Zealand, opens in a new tab, Chanel Phillips, Anne-Marie Jackson, Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 11(1), (October 2023). Waka (ancestral canoes) and water are central to Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa, New Zealand, yet Māori have disproportionately high rates of drowning. New research has begun to examine Māori and Indigenous understandings of water safety; however, Indigenous approaches to water safety continue to be an underdeveloped area, particularly in a sport for development (SFD) context. In this study, we demonstrate how waka as an “Indigenous-plus” approach to SFD can provide important insights for a field in which Indigenous views are often absent or marginalized. Underpinned by a kaupapa Māori approach (generally, but not exclusively, research by Māori, for Māori, with Māori), we surveyed 74 future aquatic educators of primarily Pākehā descent (New Zealand European) who participated in a Māori water safety wānanga (cultural space of learning) led by Hauteruruku ki Puketeraki Waka Club, an Indigenous canoe club based in New Zealand’s South Island. Through our thematic analysis, we found that the participants identified the role of waka as fundamental to learning Indigenous Māori water safety in an Aotearoa, New Zealand context. In this paper, we argue that waka provides a vehicle for educating our future aquatic educators about Māori water safety, which will support more meaningful drowning prevention for all New Zealanders.
  • Community co-selection of measures to evaluate the health and wellbeing impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community running groups, opens in a new tab, Rona Macniven, Kim Delbaere, Ebony Lewis, et al., Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 34(1), pp.17-23, (January 2023). This Brief Report provides a model of participatory research to determine evaluation measures with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants that could be applied more broadly. Such an approach has been used to develop mixed methods and experimental design methodologies that have been described as optimal for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programme evaluation. While research with, and for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples increasingly uses collaborative methods to develop strategies and programmes, there are fewer examples of using participatory processes to determine research or evaluation measures. Our approach contributes to the limited evidence base of determining community evaluation measures in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
  • Exploring the voices of health promotion stakeholders concerning the implementation of physical activity programs for the social and emotional wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, opens in a new tab, Madeleine English, Lee Wallace, Cristina Caperchione, et al., Sport in Society, Volume 26(7), pp.1139-1160, (2023). Physical activity and sport programs have been promoted as a strength-based way to enhance social and emotional wellbeing in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. However, there is limited evidence that describes how these programs may be tailored for girls. Semi‐structured interviews with health promotion stakeholders (N = 11) explored organizational perceptions of the needs and preferences of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls in relation to physical activity and social and emotional wellbeing. Interviews also investigated best practice approaches for implementing holistic health programs for the population. Thematic analysis revealed two overarching themes: (1) Perceived physical activity and health service needs, preferences and behaviours and (2) Best practice engagement strategies and associated challenges. A need for culturally safe, youth-friendly services was emphasized, where physical activity and sport may play an influential role. Program development recommendations included focussing upon health literacy, utilizing co-design and creating culturally secure, fun environments.
  • Decolonising qualitative research with respectful, reciprocal, and responsible research practice: a narrative review of the application of Yarning method in qualitative Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research, opens in a new tab, Michelle Kennedy, Raglan Maddox, Kade Booth, et al., International Journal for Equity in Health, Volume 21, (September 2022). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be at the forefront of Indigenous research. While Yarning method has been identified as a legitimate research method to decolonising research practice, it must be followed and reported accurately. Researcher reflexivity and positioning, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ownership, stewardship and custodianship of data collected were significantly under detailed in the publications included in our review.
  • The Barriers and Facilitators of Sport and Physical Activity Participation for Aboriginal Children in Rural New South Wales, Australia: A Photovoice Project, opens in a new tab, Sarah Liew, Josephine Gwynn, Janice Smith, et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 19(4), (February 2022). Low physical activity participation is a behavioral risk factor for chronic disease, which is present at much higher rates in Australian Aboriginal communities compared to non-Aboriginal communities. Through photos and ‘yarning’, the Australian Aboriginal cultural form of conversation, this photovoice study explored the barriers and facilitators of sport and physical activity participation perceived by Aboriginal children (n = 17) in New South Wales rural communities in Australia for the first time. Findings highlight the need for ongoing maintenance of community facilities to enable physical activity opportunities and ensure safety. Children held strong aspirations for improved and accessible facilities. The strength of friendships and the family unit should be utilized in co-designed and Aboriginal community-led campaigns.
  • Barriers and Enablers to Older Indigenous People Engaging in Physical Activity—A Qualitative Systematic Review, opens in a new tab, Margaret J.R. Gidgup, Marion Kickett, Tammy Weselman, et al., Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, Volume 30(2), pp.340-352, (2022). The objective of this qualitative systematic review was to synthesize all evidence to understand the barriers and enablers to older Indigenous peoples (aged 40 years and older) engaging in physical activity. Four databases were searched. Study quality was assessed from an Indigenous perspective, using an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander quality appraisal tool. Data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. There were 4,246 articles screened with 23 articles and one report included from over 30 Indigenous communities across four countries. Cultural Safety and Security was a key enabler, including developing physical activity programs which are led by Indigenous communities and preference Indigenous values. Colonization was a key barrier that created mistrust and uncertainty. Social Determinants of Health, including cost, were supported by successful programs, but if not addressed, were demotivators of engagement. Older Indigenous peoples identified barriers and enablers that can direct the development of sustainable, culturally appropriate physical activity programs.
  • Addressing the Needs of Indigenous Children?: Coach Education Programs in Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia, opens in a new tab, Andrew Bennie, Jeremy Hapeta, Dan Henhawk, et al., Chapter 33 in 'Routledge Handbook of Coaching Children in Sport', Martin Toms, Ruth Jeanes, (eds.), Routledge, (2022). Canada, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand all share histories of devastating acts of colonialism against Indigenous peoples. As a result of this colonial history, and despite profound and enduring cultural strength and resilience, Indigenous children in these countries being produced as being “at risk.” Sport has long been used as a tool to connect with at-risk youth; unsurprisingly, Indigenous children are often the targets of sport-focused interventions that are meant to “improve” areas in which they are deemed as being deficient. Sport coaches, thus, can play key roles in the lives of Indigenous children. Without sufficient training, however, coaches who are meant to play positive roles in Indigenous children's lives can (re)produce a sport environment that enables racism and reinforces neo-colonialism. This chapter examines coach education programs in Canada, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand, and the extent to which they provide opportunities for coaches to become familiar with Indigenous approaches to sport and sport pedagogy. This chapter argues that it is crucial for national coaching bodies to use culturally safe approaches to sport coaching to ensure that prospective coaches learn about the strengths and resilience of Indigenous peoples, the impacts and legacies of colonisation, and their role of influence in sport contexts over time and Indigenous children's sport participation.
  • Facilitators and Barriers to Physical Activity and Sport Participation Experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Adults: A Mixed Method Review, opens in a new tab, Bridget Allen, Karla Canuto, John Robert Evans, et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 18(18), (September 2021). A systematic search was undertaken of 11 databases and 14 grey literature websites during 2020. The included studies reported physical activity facilitators and barriers experienced by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander participants aged 18+ years, living in the community. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-two facilitators were identified: 23 individual, 18 interpersonal, 8 community/environmental and 13 policy/program facilitators. Additionally, 63 barriers were identified: 21 individual, 17 interpersonal, 15 community/environmental and 10 policy/program barriers. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults experience multiple facilitators and barriers to physical activity participation. Strategies to increase participation should seek to enhance facilitators and address barriers, collaboratively with communities, with consideration to the local context.
  • Sport for development and Indigenous Australians: a critical research agenda for policy and practice, opens in a new tab, Ryan Lucas, Ruth Jeanes, Zane Diamond, Leisure Studies, Volume 40(2), pp.276-285, (2021). Through a narrative literature review, this article seeks to broaden the discussion surrounding the use of sport as a development tool throughout Australia’s Indigenous communities, by considering perspectives within SFD literature that have received limited attention in existing policy and research approaches. The findings of this literature review expose a dominant trend towards positivistic research that reinforces existing approaches, and a lack of criticality surrounding the use of sport as a development tool. This article, therefore, seeks to pose a new research agenda by drawing on international perspectives with the potential to broaden this discussion surrounding the use of sport as a development tool for Indigenous Australians. Issues of conceptual clarity, the use of sport as a mechanism for social control, neoliberalism and neo-colonialism are largely absent from existing literature exploring SFD for Indigenous Australians. Calls to de-colonise SFD are also largely absent from the literature reviewed, and therefore calls for the decolonisation of SFD globally are also considered. Finally, this research note calls for researchers working in this space to engage critically with the use of sport in Indigenous communities, to shift the focus away from the production of ‘evidence’ to a broader discussion around the use of sport, including how research must contribute to decolonising both policy and practice through privileging Indigenous perspectives and voices.
  • Barriers and facilitators of sport and physical activity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents: a mixed studies systematic review, opens in a new tab, Tamara May, Amanda Dudley, James Charles, et al., BMC Public Health, Volume 20, Article no.601, (2020). This study was focused on a comprehensive identification of barriers and facilitators at each level of the social-ecological model. From this process, gender and geographic location emerged as areas in which individual engagement with PA and sport was highly influenced by environmental, community, and policy factors. Taken together, programs which offer sporting participation options for all family members (children, adolescents and adults), which appeal to males and females, are accessible through existing transport and related infrastructure, and are committed to communities through formal partnerships are needed. There are unique barriers in remote areas including, lack of programs in the local language, the transient nature of teachers, climate factors and a lack of (ongoing) sporting programs which will need targeted approaches to overcome. Overall, the health benefits of sport as well as its ability to provide future opportunities for young people are also a key facilitator. Public health campaigns broadening these messages to cover both physical and mental health could increase participation in sport and thus derive improved health outcomes.
  • Yarning with the Stars Project: An Indigenous evaluation protocol for a sport for development and peace program, opens in a new tab, Rose Whitau, Helen Ockerby, Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 7(13), pp.46-54, (September 2019). Shooting Stars is an engagement program based in seven remote and regional schools in Western Australia, where it uses netball and other incentives to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls in their education, while promoting their health and wellbeing. Shooting Stars evaluates the efficacy of its services through collation of attendance data, participant case studies, and yarning circles. The methods used in the yarning circles research were developed over 18 months in collaboration with Shooting Stars participants, localized Shooting Stars steering committees, and Shooting Stars staff. This paper presents the evaluation protocols for the Shooting Stars program, focusing on the yarning circles’ methods in order to provide a framework or model of Indigenous evaluation methods for others working within this space.
  • Indigenous Australian women promoting health through sport, opens in a new tab, Megan Stronach, Hazel Maxwell, Sonya Pearce, Sport Management Review, Volume 22(1), pp.5-20, (2019). Drawing from an agency/empowerment theoretical framework, the authors posit that, given support and opportunities, Indigenous women can become empowered to improve their mental and physical health through participation in sport. Sport managers can facilitate Indigenous women's agency in the effects of colonisation, which continues to be the basis of health issues for this cohort. Listening to Indigenous women and facilitating opportunities for them to take control of their own participation can help facilitate this process. Indigenous-women's only opportunities, partnerships with health agencies and sports organisations, culturally safe spaces and Indigenous women acting as role models are some factors that may augment Indigenous women's agency, and thus empowerment. Government, sports, community organisations and health agencies which provide these conditions in their program design can help to overcome entrenched social, historical and health inequalities that Indigenous women may experience.
  • ‘It’s more than just performing well in your sport. It’s also about being healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually’: Indigenous women athletes’ meanings and experiences of flourishing in sport, opens in a new tab, Leah Ferguson, Gillian Epp, Kellie Wuttunee, et al., Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, Volume 11(1), pp.1-19, (2019). The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of flourishing in sport for Indigenous women athletes. Two Indigenous community sport advisors were instrumentally involved throughout the study. Sixteen Indigenous women athletes (M age = 21.5 years; 10 First Nations, 6 Métis) from urban, rural and remote communities in a mid-Western Canadian province participated in sharing circles and symbol-based reflection to share their meanings and experiences of flourishing in sport. A four-step phenomenological structural analysis was used to analyse transcribed data. Four essential components and one facilitating component emerged as the general structure of flourishing in sport: (1) Multidimensional Community Support (having support from and for one’s family, home and sporting community); (2) Personal Accomplishments (setting and attaining individually tailored goals); (3) Persistent Growth (constant self-betterment); (4) Wholistic Athletic Excellence (excelling as a whole; physically, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally); and, (5) Humble Recognition (being acknowledged; a facilitating component). Nurturing Indigenous women athletes’ flourishing in sport requires athlete-specific attention and collaborative community engagement.
  • Indigenous Australians Perceptions’ of Physical Activity: A Qualitative Systematic Review, opens in a new tab, Emma Dahlberg, Sandra Hamilton, Fatuma Hamid, et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 15(7), (2018). Four major themes emerged: family and community, culture and environment, sport, and gender differences. Men highlighted sport and going on walkabout as preferred types of physical activity while women preferred family-focused activities and activities and support for women's sport. Several studies found exercise was supported when in the context of family and community but was considered shameful when done only for oneself. Sport was regarded as playing an influential role in bringing communities together. Group, community, or family activities were desired forms of physical activity with the environment they are conducted in of high importance.
  • The “ripple effect”: Health and community perceptions of the Indigenous Marathon Program on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, Australia, opens in a new tab, Rona Macniven, Suzanne Plater, Karla Canuto, et al., Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 29(3), pp.304-313, (2018). We examined perceptions of the Indigenous Marathon Program (IMP) in a remote Torres Strait Island community. Barriers to running in the community were personal (cultural attitudes; shyness) and environmental (infrastructure; weather; dogs). Enablers reflected potential strategies to overcome described barriers. Indigenous questionnaire respondents were more likely to report being inspired to run by IMP runners than non‐Indigenous respondents. Positive “ripple” effects of the IMP on running and broader health were described to have occurred through local role modelling of healthy lifestyles by IMP runners that reduced levels of “shame” and embarrassment, a common barrier to physical activity among Indigenous Australians. A high initial level of community readiness for behaviour change was also reported.
  • Indigenous Australian women and sport: findings and recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry, opens in a new tab, Hazel Maxwell, Megan Stronach, Daryl Adair, et al., Sport in Society, Volume 20(11), pp.1500-1529, (2017). Researchers have consistently pointed to positive links between sport, physical activity, health and wellbeing amongst marginalized population groups. This paper concentrates on a group about which little is presently known in terms of these links – Indigenous women in Australia. The catalyst for this focus is twofold: demographic data that, while sparse, suggests that this group has very low levels of participation in sport and associated physical activity; and second, a recent parliamentary inquiry into Indigenous sport in which the participation of women featured in several submissions. Both data sets confirm that Indigenous women are significantly underrepresented in the Australian sporting landscape. There is no systematic knowledge about why this is so. The present study contributes to that small body of literature by considering (a) evidence about participation rates of Indigenous women in sport; and (b) the aspirations of sport organizations to attract Indigenous women into their programs.
  • Perceived barriers and enablers to participation in a community-tailored physical activity program with Indigenous Australians in a regional and rural setting: a qualitative study, opens in a new tab, Ashleigh Sushames, Terry Engelberg, Klaus Gebel, International Journal for Equity in Health, Volume 16, (2017). The aim of this qualitative study was to explore perceived barriers and enablers to attending an eight-week physical activity program in a rural and regional setting which aimed to improve health outcomes, but had a low attendance rate. Overall, there were positive attitudes to, and high levels of motivation towards, the physical activity program. Enablers to participation were the inclusion of family members, no financial cost and a good relationship with the principal investigator, which was strengthened by the community-based participatory approach to the program design. Barriers to program attendance were mostly beyond the control of the individuals, such as ‘sorry business’, needing to travel away from the community and lack of community infrastructure.
  • An evaluation of an Australian Aboriginal controlled-community organization’s remote sports-based programme: a qualitative investigation, opens in a new tab, Louisa Peralta, Renata Cinelli, Sport in Society, Volume 19(7), pp.973-989, (2016). Current research suggests that Aboriginal-controlled organizations should play a larger role in developing and implementing sports-based programs for Aboriginal young people. In this paper, we explore the influence of an Aboriginal-controlled organization and its government-funded remote sports-based program on Aboriginal participants and non-Aboriginal stakeholders. The Aboriginal community members and youth would appreciate the Aboriginal-controlled organization working more closely with them to improve the influence of the programme by paying respect to the local Aboriginal culture, social systems and knowledge.
  • Sistas’ and Aunties: sport, physical activity, and Indigenous Australian women, opens in a new tab. Stronach, Megan, Maxwell, Hazel, Taylor, Tracy, Annals of Leisure Research, Volume 19(1), pp.7-26, (2016). Indigenous women have alarmingly low rates of participation in organized sport and physical activity (PA) in contemporary Australian society. To gain a better contextual and cultural understanding of the issues involved, we discussed the life experiences and the place of sport and PA with 22 Indigenous women. A complex amalgamation of cultural beliefs and traditions, history, gendered factors, and geography are presented in the women's stories. Sport and PA were highly regarded, providing the women with opportunities to maintain strong communities, preserve culture, and develop distinct identities as ‘enablers’. The women called for culturally safe spaces in which to engage in PA and noted the need for Indigenous females to act as role models.
  • The Impact of Sport and Active Recreation Programs in an Indigenous Men’s Shed, opens in a new tab, Cavanagh, Jillian, Shaw, Amie, Bartram, Timothy, et al., Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, Volume 18(2), pp.17-33, (2015). This exploratory study examines Indigenous mens’ participation in a sport and active recreation program in an Indigenous Men’s Shed in partnership with local providers in a remote Australian township. The study employs a qualitative case study approach and considers the perspectives of the Shed coordinator, nine Shed members, two healthcare workers, two program delivery coordinators and one community sport and recreation coordinator. The research design includes semi-structured interviews and yarning circles (focus groups). This study has confirmed the importance of sport and active recreation programs in enhancing the social connectedness, health and wellbeing of an Indigenous community.
  • To play Papunya: the problematic interface between a remote Aboriginal community and the organization of Australian Football in Central Australia, opens in a new tab, Barry Judd, Tim Butcher, Sport in Society, volume 18(5), pp. 543-551, (2015). This paper outlines issues arising from engagement with the remote Aboriginal community of Papunya. Researching the relationship between the community's football club and the organization of competitive fixtures in the Central Australian Football League (CAFL), we found that contrary to popular discourse the well-being of men in Papunya may be damaged by their participation in ‘town football’. We outline the nature of the current relationship between Papunya and the CAFL and the efforts of Elders to reshape the organizational interface via the establishment of an ‘on-country’ football league. We highlight that organizational rhetoric about reconciliation and cross-cultural awareness is not enough to warrant effective working relationships with Papunya people. We argue that there is a need to move beyond recognition of difference that is embodied in such agendas to develop strategies of interface inclusive of Aboriginal understandings of football.
  • The Effects of a Community and School Sport-Based Program on Urban Indigenous Adolescents’ Life Skills and Physical Activity Levels: The SCP Case Study, opens in a new tab, Louisa Peralta, Donna O’Connor, Wayne Cotton, et al., Health, Volume 6(18), pp.2469-2480, (October 2014). The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a community and school sport program (SCP) on Indigenous adolescents’ life skills and physical activity levels within program sessions. A secondary aim was to determine the acceptability of the SCP. Participants in the SCP (n = 34; 89%) participated in a 10-week case study (age = 13.7 ± 1.16; 58% girls). Systematic observations of SCP sessions were conducted to determine physical activity levels and a life skills questionnaire was implemented. Acceptability measures included retention, implementation, attendance rates, and interviews with participants [n = 18] and key stakeholders [n = 6]. Systematic observations indicated that Indigenous students were engaged in MVPA for 58% of lesson time. Participants’ life skills remained unchanged. Interview data showed that Indigenous students and key stakeholders believed the SCP was acceptable. This study highlights the need for partnerships between Indigenous community organisations and schools to design sport-based programs to promote Indigenous adolescents’ MVPA.
  • The community network: an Aboriginal community football club bringing people together, opens in a new tab, Alister Thorpe, Wendy Anders, Kevin Rowley, Australian Journal of Primary Health, Volume 20(4), pp.356-364, (2014). The aim of the present study was to understand the impact of an Aboriginal community sporting team and its environment on the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of young Aboriginal men, and to identify barriers and motivators for participation. Results of the interviews were consistent with the literature, with common concepts emerging around community connection, cultural values and identity, health, values, racism and discrimination. However, the interviews provided further detail around the significance of cultural values and community connection for Aboriginal people. The complex nature of social connections and the strength of Aboriginal community networks in sports settings were also evident. Social reasons were just as important as individual health reasons for participation. Social and community connection is an important mechanism for maintaining and strengthening cultural values and identity. Barriers and motivators for participation in Aboriginal sports teams can be complex and interrelated. Aboriginal sports teams have the potential to have a profound impact on the health of Aboriginal people, especially its players, by fostering a safe and culturally strengthening environment and encompassing a significant positive social hub for the Aboriginal community.
  • Opportunities, Barriers, and Constraints To Physical Activity in Rural Queensland, Australia, opens in a new tab. Eley R, Bush R, Brown W, Journal of Physical Activity and Health Volume 11(1), pp.68-75, (2014). Research in six diverse rural Queensland shires found that half the respondents failed to meet Australian physical activity guidelines and 1 in 5 reported no activity. Some barriers to physical activity (i.e. family commitments) were similar to those from urban areas. Rural barriers included climate, culture of exercise, and community leadership. It was concluded that the promotion of healthy lifestyle in rural environments need to be tailored to the local community and not necessarily replicate urban programs. While this research does not specifically address Indigenous communities or individuals, a substantial proportion of the Indigenous population live in rural, regional and remote communities, and these issues are therefore likely to apply.

  • Winyarr Ganbina - Women Arise, opens in a new tab, Victoria University, Outback Academy Australia, Paralympics Australia, (2022). For the first time in Australia, Victoria University in partnership with Outback Academy Australia and Paralympics Australia have recorded the experiences of Indigenous women with a disability who play sport. Provides insight and resources for sport organisations to improve access to sport for people with disability, in particular people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island backgrounds.
  • RAP good practice guide: Demonstrating inclusive and respectful language, opens in a new tab, Reconciliation Australia, (October 2021). Using respectful and inclusive language and terminology is an essential component of reconciliation. The ways we speak about reconciliation are just as important as the ways we act: language is itself active, and can impact on attitudes, understandings and relationships in a very real and active sense. While they are guidelines only, below are some recommendations for using respectful and inclusive language and terminology throughout your RAP and other communications.
  • Gippsland Indigenous Round: Information and resource kit, opens in a new tab, 2nd edition, GippSport, (2018). Indigenous rounds [sometimes called Dreamtime rounds] are a great opportunity to highlight the contribution that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to sporting clubs and the wider community. They also provide an opportunity to work towards better understanding and reconciliation. This document is a starting point for sporting clubs considering holding an Indigenous Round event. It has been developed by GippSport's Deadly Sport Gippsland team from observations, discussions and involvement in events held during previous years.
  • Many Stories, One Goal – Supporting Indigenous Footballers, opens in a new tab, AFL Players Association, (updated 2016). Resource was developed by the nine-member Indigenous Advisory Board and built from the stories and experiences of every Indigenous player in the game and key stakeholders within the industry. The policy is built around four key pillars; Induction, Professional Development, Personal Support and Our Culture – areas identified as vital to developing an environment that best supports Indigenous footballers throughout every stage of their playing career and beyond.
  • Yulunga Traditional Indigenous Games, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 11 August 2025). Yulunga means playing in the language of the Kamilaroi (Gamori) people of northern-western New South Wales. Suitable for children and adults of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, Yulunga can be used in schools around Australia as an educational resource and as a guide to inclusive, structured sport within communities.

  • JMF develops a Theory of Change framework, opens in a new tab, John Moriarty Foundation/Social Impact Hub/YouTube, (2022). Working with Social Impact Hub, the John Moriarty Football (JMF) team created a theory of change and impact measurement framework. This framework enables JMF to collect the data required to demonstrate the impact we are striving to achieve in the communities we deliver to and focus our efforts on activities that will make the biggest difference.

Access to resources Where possible, direct links to full-text and online resources are provided. However, where links are not available, you may be able to access documents directly by searching our licenced full-text databases (note: user access restrictions apply). Alternatively, you can ask your institutional, university, or local library for assistance—or purchase documents directly from the publisher. You may also find the information you’re seeking by searching Google Scholar, opens in a new tab.

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