Escalate the exercise
New pathways to sport
Organised sports across Australia bring communities together and provide a platform where volunteers, players, sponsors, local businesses and organisers can form relationships on and beyond the sporting fields.
This is particularly apparent in regional and rural communities where sporting competitions build deep social connections and create a meeting place for people who live across larger distances.
Participation in organised sports across Australia has remained relatively steady over the past decade, but there has been a rise in participation in non-organised physical activities such as walking, running, cycling and gym-based fitness. This trend was further boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, periods of home isolation, and the subsequent increase in adoption of home-based gym equipment, fitness apps, and wearable technologies. Much of the increase in fitness-based activity has been through non-formal or semi-formalised participation in fitness centres, home gyms, exercise groups, online communities, and individuals accessing outdoor recreational infrastructure and green space within their communities.
The Increase in convenient and ad-hoc exercise by a proportion of the population hasn’t generally translated to involvement in more formalised sports competitions and leagues. The rise of fitness-based activities presents new opportunities for sports organisers who can bring the game to the people, increase inclusion, promote the social benefits of playing together and utilise new technologies to increase convenience.
Barriers to participation in formalised sports remain significant for some groups, including older populations, people from regional and remote areas, First Nations peoples, low socio-economic individuals, LGBTIQ+ people, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and people with disability. These groups may benefit from specialised or modified sporting services and competitions.
Overall, the pathways into organised sport are changing and diversifying.
New pathways to sport
- Growth in commitment free physical activity Exercise you can do alone, when, where and how you want to do it.
- Apps and exergaming Technology-enabled global online exercise communities changing local competitions.
- Time-poor, sedentary and aging adult population More people motivated by the physical and mental health benefits, and convenience.
- Focusing on the fun The move away (for some) from intense competition to social, inclusive and joy-based activity.
