Play Well – Australia’s Sport Participation Strategy (Play Well Strategy) has been developed to create great sporting environments and experiences, where individuals of all ages, backgrounds, genders and abilities can come together to access the benefits of sport.
Harnessing knowledge and experience from across the sector, we commit to making positive changes, to break down barriers and empower individuals to explore, create and connect through sport. We are redefining participation to be more than just competing. It is about creating safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces where everyone can belong and thrive.
This strategy belongs to us all and we invite you to join us to help make Australian sport safer, more welcoming, inclusive and fun.
The Play Well Strategy has been co-designed with the sector for organisations which enable people to participate in sport. It is built on cooperation and transparency, with a clear goal of providing the road map for the delivery of great sporting experiences for everyone involved in sport. The Play Well Strategy identifies key projects and activities that the Australian sporting community has told us are needed to deliver these experiences and ensure that everyone has a place in sport.
The Play Well Strategy provides a common language, shared priority areas and maps out the sporting ecosystem in Australia to create alignment in the approach to increase the number of Australians involved in sport. The Play Well Strategy will be reviewed regularly. Key actions and priorities will be added each year to ensure we remain flexible and can adapt to the changing needs of the industry. The Play Well Strategy will link to other strategies, including Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy.
The Play Well Strategy has been co-designed by the sport sector for the sport sector. We acknowledge and thank the Project Steering Group (PSG) for their ideas, critical thinking and advice to support the development of the strategy.
Alignment, collaboration, refinement and improvement are crucial in ensuring the successful execution of the strategy. A Play Well Strategy Leadership Group (PLG) has been established to provide leadership and oversight of the strategy’s delivery. In consultation with stakeholders from across the sport ecosystem, the leadership group will:
The PLG will play a critical role in ensuring our Strategy is implemented successfully for Horizon 1 (Nov 2023 - June 2026).
Alexandra Ash
Director & Chair Royal Surf Life Saving Society
Cameron Dare
Chairman, Team Sports for All
Dr Phil Hamdorf
Chair Disability Sports Australia, Chair Skate Australia (former PSG member)
Glenn Williams
CEO Baseball Australia
Maia Tua-Davidson
Manager, Welcoming Clubs (former PSG member)
Mitch Gourley PLY
National Manager, Sport4All Program (Get Skilled Access)
Molina Asthana
Chair, Gymnastics Victoria and Founder, Multicultural Women in Sport
Richard McInnes
Executive General Manager, Sport and Community Capability, ASC
Rob Hyatt
Manager Education Programs Koorie Heritage Trust, Owner Cultural Pathways, Wotjobuluk/Gunai Kurnai
Rochelle Eime
Professor of Sport Science, Federation University
Tim O'Berg
Founder, Healthy Kids Project
Trisha Squires
CEO, AFL Queensland
Matt Hayes
Director Strategy and Investment - Sport and Recreation, Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (WA) (2024/25)
Tim Klar
CEO, QSport (2024/25)