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Submission by George P on 27 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.
Before any athletes can reach their best potential, they need to try out different sports to see what they have a talent for. School and Community sports provide this important step.
- Examine Government programs to increase participation rates in sport and physical activity, including analysis of existing programs.
More schools should have quality Sport programs where more future athletes can be picked from.
- 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.
Education is a good way to break down barriers.
- 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.
The benefits of sport and fitness are not promoted enough.
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.
The pathway from junior leading to elite and professional sport can be strenghthened by establishing strong links between schools and community clubs at the start. If more Sports are provided by schools, more sports will be tried by more children which will grow the talent pool for clubs to choose from later.
- Recommend the most effective support and recognition for the coaches, officials, umpires, administrators and volunteers who keep our community clubs alive.
Coaches, officials etc. should have as much support as possible through adequate funding and resources. They should receive equal recognition to the athletes.
- 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.
Politics should be removed and the different organisations should all focus on the best interests of the sport and the participants. Sucessful Sporting Organisations could meet up with less sucessful organisations and learn from eachother. You could have the top half buddy up the the lower half sports in the off seasons.
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
Funding for Sports can be increased as less and less people rely on funding for health. Money is not the solution to funding problems though.
Page last updated: 27 March, 2009