Dan Ferguson’s Post

An interesting article in today's @TheConversation exploring whether the cost-of-living crisis is impacting sport participation. Despite our love of sport (myself included), it can be a costly passion, hitting the hip pocket with costs such as equipment, registration, coaching and accident insurance. The average cost of sports participation per child is $1,369, nearly doubling from five years ago. These figures don’t include indirect costs such as new training outfits and footwear, transportation and parking fees. More than half of Australian families are making sacrifices in their household budget to pay for children’s sport, or having to take their children out of sports due to rising costs. As the article highlights, Governments need to find sustainable solutions to ensure all Australians can continue to participate in the sports they love, regardless of financial barriers, for the many long-term benefits to our health and society more broadly. https://lnkd.in/gb-ZE44e Sheree Hughes Kristen Clark

Many Australians have in recent times been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, but what about sport participation? While many Australians, and their children, enjoy participating in sports, it could possibly be a costly passion, hitting the hip pocket with costs corresponding to equipment, registration, coaching and accident insurance. Read more: Prepare to listen to about an ‘official recession’. Unofficially, we have been in a single for a while Which sports are hottest in Australia? The activities with the highest participation by Australians of various age groups are shown within the table below. These findings show some obvious differences between age groups – school-aged students take part in more team-based activities that require speed and agility, whereas Australians aged 55 and over prefer to take part in less intense aerobic activities. Many of those sports are popular across genders and have been for many years. Examples of activities more popular with women and girls include netball and yoga, whereas cycling and Australian football are more popular with men and boys. The popularity of online/virtual-based physical activities corresponding to Zwift or Nintendo Wii have increased dramatically up to now decade, with nearly 1.5 million Australians estimated to have participated in 2023. Read more: Richer schools’ students run faster: how the inequality in sport flows through to health What are the advantages of playing sports? Participating in sport can have quite a few advantagesincluding higher physical health and reduced risk of disease and improved mental health, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Studies from countries corresponding to Australia, Japan and the United States have also reported sports participation can improve academic performance and academic outcomes. What does it cost to play sport in Australia? The Australian Sports Commission estimates Australians spent A$18.7 billion on sport and physical pursuits within the 2022-2023 financial yr, up from $10.7 billion five years earlier. While the population of Australia has increased by nearly two million during this time, this spending raises questions on the rising cost of participation. So, what does it cost to take part in sport in Australia? Many sports could be played without spending a dime but the vast majority of children engage in organised sport, which incurs costs. Various sports that require expensive equipment (corresponding to golf, browsing or sailing) or are undertaken indoors (corresponding to swimming, gymnastics, dancing) are already too costly for some lower income families to have interaction with. Injuries may involve substantial rehabilitation and treatment funds. The Australian Sports Commission estimates Australian adults spend a mean of $1,304 annually for his or her sporting endeavours, up from the $796 five years ago. They are also accountable for the prices

“The evidence is clear – multiple returns on investment can be achieved if we realise the benefits of sport and physical activity. As we enter another packed summer of sport and ahead of the General Election, the #TakeTheLead campaign is a timely opportunity to remind our politicians that, by committing to making the UK the most active nation in Europe, they will be committing to tackling health and societal inequalities in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities. This is reflected in the Sport for Development Coalition’s #OpenGoal framework and being delivered everyday through over 400 organisations in our network.” - Hitesh Patel (CEO Sport for Development Coalition) Sport has the power to change lives and connect with communities that other sectors don't. Today, over 200 bodies from the sport, health, recreation and leisure sectors including our colleagues at Sport and Recreation Alliance, Youth Sport Trust, CIMSPA, and ukactive are calling on party leaders to commit to making the UK Europe's most active nation. The UK lags behind many of our European neighbours for activity among adults. Through #TakeTheLead we are calling on our political leaders to realise the opportunity the sector has to address mental and physical wellbeing challenges, and build more connected and inclusive communities.

‘Team GB was an Olympic triumph of public spending. Now can we please invest in everyone else’ - The Guardian “If we want to take a positive message away from Paris 2024, it is that targeted public investment works. Yes, it matters how and where it is spent, but whatever the patterns of causation, there is absolutely no chance of transforming the activity rate, and the mental and physical health of the nation, without spending a lot more money, especially in poorer areas. Sport England who are responsible for developing grassroots sport, are working with a budget of about £250m for the whole country; a figure so small, in terms of public expenditure, that it would otherwise only buy a handful of fighter jets or a single large hospital. Local authorities responsible for leisure centres and community sport have been devastated by 14 years of austerity and are closing swimming pools, selling off green spaces and spending less than half of what they did on recreation a decade and a half ago. In any reasonable model of public accounting, a sustained investment in the nation’s playing fields, sporting facilities, school sports, community programmes and, above all, staffing – in the billions rather than millions – and a similar level of investment in making walking and cycling the norm for urban transport, would be an immediate priority with huge and obvious health and economic benefits. At a fraction of the cost, it would deliver better and more egalitarian outcomes than the £11bn we spend on the roads every year, and given the scale of sickness at work, deliver a greater boost to the nation’s productivity. The UK’s Olympic athletic model may not get us off the sofa, but if we were to adopt its ambition, focus and scale up the funding, it might: and that would be an Olympic legacy without parallel.” #Play #PhysicalLiteracy #PhysicalActivity #Leisure #Sport #ActiveWellbeing #ActiveTravel

Via John Chidley-Hill: "A new study finds there's a disconnect between how hazing on sports teams in Canada is perceived and the realities of toxic culture... One of its most alarming findings was 86% of #coaches agree hazing in #sports is a serious issue, but only 40% of respondents had a clear set of standards on acceptable behaviour or will intervene when hazing occurs. "People will often say to me about hazing specifically 'what? that's still happening?' and I will say back, 'Well, who stopped it?"' said Allison Forsyth, OLY, founder of Generation Safe (Sport) and a former Canadian Olympic Alpine skier. "We get stuck thinking that when we put in place a hazing policy, that suddenly the behaviour is going to miraculously disappear, but we don't educate and have respect for where that behaviour was coming from in the first place... Forsyth... said that dynamic was common where coaches, parents, or volunteers will tell themselves or the athletes that a particular ritual isn't so bad because what they experienced when they were athletes was worse... "Hazing is a spectrum from pranks all the way to criminal activity and what we need to do is not decide, as human beings with our own bias and experience, 'well, that's not bad,' because we're always going to do what's reflective of our own experiences," she said. "What we have to do is remove the conditions where really egregious things can occur."... Forsyth said the report also shows tangible proof of ongoing issues around hazing. "I think coaches answered honestly," said Forsyth. "A lot of times, if you think about it, people answering a survey are going to want to try to impress people. "I think we got a lot of honest responses from coaches and I think that the positivity out of the report is that we have proof there's an issue. Now let's solve it." 📰 Full story: https://lnkd.in/eVtttBm9 -------- 💭 I experienced hazing in locker rooms in #hockey growing up and it had a massive impact on my sense of safety in closed spaces afterwards. I dreaded changing before gym class, and at the rink/pool after a particularly traumatic experience where two boys flanked me in the locker room and proceeded to bully and assault me while the other players mocked me and laughed. The coaches at that particular hockey camp listened to what transpired and took action. I knew that for the rest of the week, I would be safe. Not all coaches are as open to taking action when these kinds of incidents take place under their watch and it has a long-lasting impact on young people's ability to trust authority figures. No young athlete should fear advocating for their safety or feel that they'll be dismissed for disclosing mistreatment at the hands of their peers. I hope this report will be a catalyst that pushes more sports organizations to put in place clear guidelines on how coaches should respond. #linkedinsports #hockeycoach #nhl #womeninsports

I am excited to share my experience at the IOC younger Leaders program held on 22nd October. " Can sports bring change in Society?". Yes , Here we were introduced to Olympism 365. And what about it 😊 Olympism 365 is a strategy initiated by the International Olympic Committee to promote and use sports for a positive impact through the implementation of United Sustainable Development Goals 2030. In other words ,this is a collective approach and movement that focuses on using sports to bring change on the community level, to build a better world using different intervention and diverse initiatives for social change. " Sports every day, sports everywhere". Below are some of the programs that are linked with SDG : sports for peace,safe communities. Olympism 365 works hand in hand with young people and different stakeholders. Olympism 365 believes in collaborative efforts to make the cause come to life. " Higher, faster and stronger together" echoed by one of the facilitators. Everyone is welcome to take part in this noble cause. You might be wondering if IOC young Leader is primarily for sports people. Oh no. It is inclusive as long as you are passionate about sports and have the idea and potential to use sports as a tool for change in your community. The athletes can also use sports beyond career and make an impact in their local communities. So that is to say, One can be an athlete and or else you don't have to be. We were guided on approaches to have an effective project. We were told to have a specific target or goal. For example , What does one want to address, keeping a few principles, prioritizing solidarity , safe environment that is void of bullying and any kind of harassment, safe space that is free from discrimination for one to create a sustainable project and economic project upholding human rights. Last but not least, we had one of the current IOC young leaders, Paul from France whose project was launched in France earlier this year. His aim is to introduce triathlons to kids and youth to raise awareness and interest in the sport. He also wants to establish connections with local clubs so that interested participants can continue their journey and join the triathlon community in his city. He encountered a serious shortage of bikes . Thanks to the team for such a wonderful session. Thanks to Ana - Marija Garcevic the IOC official in charge of the young Leaders program, Johny, Estel, Marene , Ghina Chenwan and Javier Raya who created this significant awareness to us. Conclusively, Olympism 365 uses sports to bring change in community by implementing UNSDG goals through collaborative efforts of a broad network such as young leaders , innovative minds, institutions, respective government, stakeholders up to grassroot level to build a better world . promote education, health, sports for peace, sports for physical activities, sports for employability. You and Me can address social change using sports.

Seeing academic papers that back your inherent feeling/thoughts/experience to reinforce your work is great BUT more importantly it shares with you thoughts and avenues for your mind to roll down that you may not have considered before. Rochelle Eime et al. in their latest publication titled "The motivations to play organised club-based sport in Australia" has done that for me today. I particularly liked the results showing that those who participate more in sport, want to keep doing more! For me it reinforces the need for everyone to get a good, consistent dose of sport early on in their lives so the act of participating and being active is not a barrier in itself (harder to start the older you get). Findings like these combined with the Play Well Strategy from the Australian Sports Commission gives me optimism that we can turn around these declining physical activity numbers if we're focused on people having positive sport experiences that suit their needs. Well done Rochelle, Jack, Melanie, Aurelie, Hans and Christopher on the publication! https://lnkd.in/e-v6ZbXJ

Canadian athletes are facing unprecedented financial challenges, with the Athlete Assistance Program (AAP) representing a significant portion of their annual income. The recent request for a 18.8% increase in AAP funding highlights the critical need for diversified revenue sources. A few takeaways: 🟢 The financial stress experienced by athletes, as highlighted by surveys showing that 83% of athletes cite financial health as a significant stressor and contributor to premature exits from sports, emphasizes the urgency for sports federations to explore alternative sources of funding, such as philanthropy. By alleviating financial burdens, philanthropic support can enhance athlete well-being and retention in sports. 🟢 The reliance on government funding, such as the Athlete Assistance Program (AAP), as the primary source of income for high-performance athletes in Canada, underscores the urgent need for sports federations to diversify revenue streams through philanthropy. With AAP funding representing 75% or more of athletes’ annual income, athletes face financial vulnerability, hindering their ability to solely focus on training and competition. 🟢 Rising expenses associated with training, living costs, and specialized equipment, especially for para-athletes, highlight the necessity for increased philanthropic support within sports federations. Philanthropy can alleviate financial strain, enable athletes to pursue excellence without obstacles, and foster a healthier sports culture by reducing financial stress and promoting inclusivity. Read more about the athletes’ plea for increased support and join the movement to foster a healthier sports culture and ensure our athletes can focus on representing Canada proudly on the world stage. https://lnkd.in/g4g6Wzvp

https://lnkd.in/eNQwimNu Recent findings from The British Elite Athletes Association have highlighted concerns in athlete funding that we at Switch the Play Foundation have long been worried about. An alarming 64% of surveyed athletes have indicated that they may now need to end their sporting careers early without access to increased funding. These results follow on from the earlier news this week of a significantly reduced Commonwealth Games schedule for Glasgow 2026. This 'perfect storm' particularly impacts athletes in those non-included sports, who now face reduced competition opportunities alongside ongoing financial pressures. At Switch the Play, we understand the impact that a premature end to a career can have on mental health, wellbeing, and future prospects. Our work is now more important than ever, and we are working hard to increase our support for athletes through these challenging times. This includes our new Evolve to Thrive programme, specifically designed to support athletes in the transition stage of their careers. The programme will cover a wide range of topics, including Identity, Mental Health, Networking, Transferable Skills, Personal Brand, Financial Wellbeing, Resilience, Personal Development, and much more. This programme is powered by the Jacobs Futura Foundation and is in collaboration with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust. For more information, click here: https://lnkd.in/ewz2AkZz Athletes - go direct to the sign-up form here: https://lnkd.in/e--ZMvDy

🏀 🏓 🏏 🎳 🎯 That's fantastic news! Increasing participation in sports often brings numerous benefits, including improved physical and mental health, social cohesion, and community engagement. Do you happen to know which sports are gaining the most popularity in Ireland?🏀 🏓 🏏 🎳 🎯 🏅 Sports participation holds immense significance across various aspects of life:🏅 #PhysicalHealth #MentalHealth #SocialSkills #Discipline and #TimeManagement: #SelfEsteemandConfidence #CommunityEngagement #LifelongHabits #PersonalDevelopment 🚀 Overall, sports participation contributes significantly to the holistic development of individuals and communities, making it an essential aspect of society.🚀 Access to resource : https://lnkd.in/e6dcFcC8