Sydney workshop key step on sport participation strategy journey

08 September 2023

A November launch date has been set for Australia’s first codesigned National Sport Participation Strategy following a sector wide workshop in Sydney.

More than 45 people including Project Steering Group (PSG) members, Pillar Working Group representatives, industry experts and Australian Sports Commission (ASC) staff attended the codesign workshop two months out from the strategy’s launch.

The workshop was an opportunity for participants to explore key insights gathered and examine the work the six Pillar Working Groups have done to help shape the strategy's content, activities, and measures.

Work first started on the strategy in January with extensive engagement taking place across Australia's sport sector over the past eight months.

Close to 400 individuals have participated in workshops held across the country and an online survey received almost 7,000 responses.

Alex Anasson from Triathlon Australia attended the Sydney workshop and said the strategy will have flow on effects for the entire sector.

“This work is so important for Australian sport. It’s the first time that we’ve done a strategy specifically for participation and considering that’s the heart of our sport sector it really will help us to align our cultures, our behaviour and help change the landscape of Australian sport for the better.”

Key statistics from the Participation Strategy survey

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More than half of those who completed the survey have children who participate in sport. More than 3,300 Australians also participate in sport themselves.

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More females than males completed the survey. 16 respondents identified as non-binary, while 133 respondents identified as something else or preferred not to answer.

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Out of the 6,600 survey responses, more than half were from urban areas.

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Respondents highlighted a number of barriers to participating sport with cost seen as the biggest barrier followed by lack of confidence and knowledge of local opportunities.

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When it comes to volunteering in sport you told us that the biggest barrier was not knowing how you could contribute, and that volunteering takes up too much time.

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PSG member and CEO SportWest Matt Fulton is passionate about community sport and the power of sport to bring communities together. He says the strategy is vitally important to every Australian.

“I've been really impressed at the way over the last number of months the Sports Commission has led a change in bringing together of a group of people to oversee the development of the strategy,” he said.

“I feel really confident that the strategy that's being developed at the moment will have the views of all of Australians embedded into it.”

Head of Community at Melbourne City Football Club Sunil Menon has also been involved in the strategy from the beginning as a PSG member.

“I think what we're trying to hopefully achieve is a position where everyone feels comfortable and reflected in sport and is able to consume it at their own pace and time,” he says.

“We know that there's so many changing factors in sport and how people consume sport and participate in sport and we're hoping that into the future we're able to future proof this, so you know, in four or five years’ time we're looking back and saying this is a great opportunity that we took to advance the participation of sport in Australia.”

• Find out more about the strategy at www.ausport.gov.au/participation2032

National Sport Participation Strategy Project Steering Group and National Lead Sport Development Squash Australia Shaun McEachin and Triathlon Australia’s Alex Anasson at the Sydney workshop.