View submission details
Submission by Brian Grant on 10 March 2009.
2. Better place sport and physical activity as a key component of the Government's preventative health approach
- Examine Government frameworks to ensure an on-going focus on grassroots and community sport and physical activity.
You should stop Soccer/Football Clubs from using money from Juniors to pay their senior players. It is very expensive to play this sport in this state at a high level as fees at most clubs are in the region of $500 per year. Add to this boots travel etc it becomes a very expensive exercise. This is because most of the fees go towards senior player payments & most of the clubs are run by the seniors.
- Examine Government programs to increase participation rates in sport and physical activity, including analysis of existing programs.
There should be a review of how junior cricketers get to play at the highest level. Only the players at district clubs are allowed to play this sport at the highest level. Surely it would be more inclusive & beneficial to all if community Cricket Clubs were able to have a combined team in the ""District Elite Competition"" thus enabling more kids to play at the highest level whilst being able to stay at their community base. This would ensure greater participation & Community Clubs could keep their better players & parents who are usually among the better coaches & helpers at the club. This would also ensure kids who are playing other sports & cant committ to the training regime at District Clubs could continue playing the game longer.
- Identify and recommend opportunities to break down barriers to participation at junior, adult and senior ages with a view to making it simpler and easier for Australians to participate in the sport or physical activity of their choice, including for women, the disabled and Indigenous people.
No response
- Recommend strategies to increase the effectiveness of the promotion of sport by the Federal Government to better communicate positive health and activity messages to the broader community.
No response
3. Strengthen pathways from junior sport to grassroots community sport right through to elite and professional sport.
- Examine the capacity of the system to ensure optimal and efficient delivery of the athlete and coach pathway for any given sport.
Include Community Clubs in competitions at the highest level of junior sport. Many talented athlets get left behind due to not being able to make a committment to the training regime of the ""Elite Clubs"" or not being able to afford the fees & other costs involved in playing at the highest level. Perhaps a combined side could be made up from all the Community Clubs to play at the highest level so kids still get an opportunity to play against the best & show their full potential.
- Recommend the most effective support and recognition for the coaches, officials, umpires, administrators and volunteers who keep our community clubs alive.
Perhaps have the government put some money towards the fees of the above to help lower their costs & encourage more people to participate in these duties.
- Examine how relationships between the Commonwealth Government and National Sporting Organisations, State Sporting Organisations and Australia’s peak representative bodies at key multi-sports competitions may be strengthened to deliver better performance outcomes.
No response
5. Identify opportunities to increase and diversify the funding base for sport through corporate sponsorship, media and any recommended reforms, such as enhancing the effectiveness of the Australian Sports Foundation
No response
Page last updated: 10 March, 2009