Strategies

• Get to know your local communities. Consult local community leaders or supporting existing participants to act as ‘diversity champions’ and develop targeted and appropriate practices.
• Engage with local CALD community groups for support and direction and co-design policies and processes that focus on creating safe and welcoming spaces and experiences.
• Ask parents and family members to contribute as coaches and volunteers which will help influence participation, build trust, meet expectations and create culturally appropriate environments.
• Ensure you have tried and tested policies and processes to prevent and respond to racism and discrimination. Promote these through coaches, committee and volunteer to the whole club at the start of the season, mid-season and then again when new people join the club.
• Ensure policies outline consequences for discrimination, ensuring that casual racist slurs or insults (for example in-jokes) are included as forms of discrimination and will have the same consequences.
• Have a formal complaints process in place.
• Ensure you have a committee member or a club nominated officer with professional or lived experience in place for confidential discussions.
• Regardless of whether racism or discrimination has occurred in your club ensure you regularly facilitate conversations that allow for reflection and learning about dealing with incidents if and when they occur.
• Make a calendar of significant cultural and religious events or periods and consider these dates when planning key club activities and events.
• Ensure club events either don’t clash with significant cultural or religious dates or where possible are incorporated and celebrated at the club event in a meaningful way.
• Play an influencing role with your association to consider significant cultural and religious dates when planning league wide events such as presentation nights and season launches. Consider holding themed events that celebrate the cultural diversity of your club and community.
• Ensure all club events consider the cultural needs of those attending eg catering options and dress code.
• Consider hosting alcohol free events throughout the year.
• Participate in cultural awareness workshops to learn about the needs of CALD communities.
• Be flexible with uniform requirements to accommodate the cultural and religious needs of certain communities
• Have visible and inclusive signage such as anti-racism posters and club information in multiple languages.
• In consultation with community members, provide a safe designated space where people can pray.
• Consider creative ways to assist any family at your club that has transport or financial challenges that are preventing participation.
• Provide flexible opportunities to involve CALD communities such as ‘come and try’ or ‘family’ days. This helps them to better understand club structures and become more familiar with sports clubs and roles (e.g. volunteering).
• Remember the sporting system in Australia is very different to a lot of other parts of the world. Take the time to explain your structures and services, particularly to anyone new to Australia.
• Ensure your social events, newsletters, and social media posts are culturally sensitive and appropriate. Use language that is easy to understand and visuals that represent the cultural diversity of the community.

Tip: Diversity within your leadership structures, including coaching, management and committee roles, will be a big step in your commitment to diversity and inclusion. Support existing participants to transition into leadership or role model positions and support them to mentor others.