The G21 region comprises the municipalities of the City of Greater Geelong Borough of Queenscliffe Golden Plains Shire Surf Coast Shire and Colac Otway Shire.

The research and consultation undertaken as part of this project has identified a number of different sports development initiatives being employed in the region however there are significant differences in the level of support offered by the various State Sporting Associations (SSA’s). In addition there are a number of support structures available to support local clubs however it appears that not all sports enjoy the same access to support activities initiatives programs or services. In many instances this is simply because some clubs either do not know about the resources available and/or do not have the club personal or structure to maximise utilisation of the opportunities available others may be content with the Status Quo and have no desire to change.

Many programs and resources have been tried or developed in the past including Club Resource Kits and other publications however they appear to have had limited ongoing success. Recent research conducted by Deakin University students (1) as part of an Industrial/Organisational Psychology Masters program has identified that the most effective long-lasting behavioural changes are likely to come from direct personal contact with clubs and through effective relationship building. To date many of the previous sports development initiatives employed by local government and/or SSA’s have failed to focus on the importance of establishing relationships and direct communication.

The Project Steering Committee identified fourteen sports for review as part of this project. Sports were selected as a cross section experiencing growth stability and decline in order to examine generic sports development needs and issues. The sports were:

• Angling
• Athletics
• Baseball
• Basketball  
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Equestrian (Pony Club)
• Football (Aussie Rules)
• Hockey
• Lawn Bowls
• Netball
• Soccer  
• Target Sports (Shooting)
• Tennis

A consultation record for each of these sports is included in Volume 2 Appendix 5 as well as an overview of their respective formal sports development programs (Volume 2 Appendix 3). Section 5.2 of the report provides a summary of the issues raised by each respective sport and identifies potential gaps or opportunities in sports development initiatives. These sport specific issues or gaps have not been addressed in this plan however a framework and process for progressing to the development of ‘Sport Specific Regional Sports Development Plans’ has been outlined. An expression of interest process (EOI) has been proposed that will help engage key individual sport stakeholders and assess their capacity preparedness and commitment to participate in future planning processes to address the long-term sustainability of specific sports in the region.

The Sports Development Plan positions the region well to take advantage of a redirection of State Government funding to State Sporting Associations which are being encouraged to work in regional areas with the Regional Sport Assemblies program. Furthermore the Plan provides a clear process for facilitating State Sporting Association investment in the G21 Region.

The research and consultation undertaken as part of this project has identified that there are nine generic sports development issues common to the majority of sports in the region. Each of the nine issues has a range of sub-issues or themes that are also common across sports. The project has identified that there has been varying degrees of success in responding to these issues and sports development generally within the region despite considerable resources activities and initiatives being implemented by LGA’s State Sporting Associations Leisure Networks Sport and Recreation Victoria local clubs and the Australian Sports Commission.

In summary the common issues identified were:

• Volunteer management
• Club management
• Participant recruitment and retention
• Junior development
• Funding
• Resourcing to support clubs
• Sports Promotion
• Sponsorship
• Non-traditional competition

The plan provides recommendations and a framework for responding to these generic issues including identification of roles responsibilities and lead agencies. In total 41 actions/ strategies are outlined (Section 8) ranging from establishing a Sports House website that can be promoted as the primary source of information for all sport in the region through to establishing an annual calendar of sports development events training and activities. The recommendations are underpinned by a set of core values principles and objectives that include a desire to make life easier for local sporting clubs groups and volunteers and to improve the overall effectiveness of service delivery in the region.

The role functions and principles of Sports House have also been articulated. It is recognised that Sports House is not an employer or corporate entity in its own right rather it is a physical and virtual entity established to provide a mechanism and physical space to support sport and recreation groups in the region. The region is therefore uniquely positioned to be able to capitalise on the development of Sports House and establish its role as a one-stop-shop for club support information and resources in the region. Agencies such as Leisure G21 Regional Alliance Regional Sports Development Plan Networks have a critical role to play in leading facilitating and implementing initiatives outlined in this plan and key functions of Sports House. Furthermore the Sports Development Plan will also be used to inform the development of a Business Plan for Sports House.

For the recommendations to succeed it is of paramount importance that each of the G21 partner agencies continue to work collaboratively to oversee implementation of this plan. A high level of commitment from these groups will be required and may take the form of staff time in-kind support and direct financial contributions. A key recommendation of the plan is for the pooling of existing LGA sports development/club support resources to one central agency (Leisure Networks) in order to facilitate delivery of programs initiatives and services on an agreed contract basis across the entire G21 region. This concept is discussed more fully in Section 8 of the report. It is anticipated that this will greatly improve overall resource efficiency effectiveness clarity of roles and outcomes for sports clubs. It is also recommended that the Project Steering Committee meet on an ongoing basis to oversee implementation of this plan.

Please contact us if you would like a copy of this sports development plan.

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
   1. Background
   2. Study Management
   3. Sports Selection
3. Literature Review
   1. Literature Review Implications
4. Sports Development Initiatives - Existing Programs
   1. Australian Sports Commission (ASC)
   2. Victorian Health Promotion Foundation - VicHealth
      1. Out of School Hours Sports Program
      2. Partnerships for Health
   3. Vic Sport Resources
      1. Overcoming Barriers to Participation Fact Sheet
      2. Resource Kit
      3. Planning & Conducting a Sports Clinic Fact Sheet
      4. A Guide to Grants and Funding Programs
   4. Sports Club Information Sessions – City of Greater Geelong (CoGG)
   5. City of Greater Geelong Reclink Newsletter
   6. Leisure Networks
      1. Healthy Sport and Recreation Breakfast Seminars
      2. Club Networks
      3. Good Sports
      4. Enews
      5. Club Resource Kit
      6. Participation in Community Sport and Active Recreation (PICSAR)
      7. Community Sport Industry (CSI)
   7. Sport & Recreation Victoria
   8. Regional Sports Academy
   9. Review of Current Sports Development Initiatives - Implications
5. Initial Consultation
   1. Partner Agencies
      1. Sports Development
      2. Partner Agency Role
      3. Current Sports Development Initiatives
      4. Evaluation and Effectiveness
      5. Successful Initiatives/Activities
      6. Past Initiatives or Activities
      7. Sports Specific Critical Issues
      8. Current Support and Roles
      9. Written Documents and Strategies
      10. Additional Comments
   2. State Sporting Associations and Local Sporting Representatives
   3. Consultation Feedback
6. Stage 1 Conclusions
   1. Common Sports Development Issues
   2. Assessment of Current Sports Development Initiatives
   3. Assessment of Current Roles and Responsibilities
   4. Addressing Issues and Gaps
7. Second Round Consultation
   1. Second Round Workshop Results
8. Principles for Sports Development Delivery
   1. Principles
   2. Key Objectives
9. Recommendations
   1. Roles of Key Agencies
   2. Sports House
      1. Introduction and Vision
      2. Management and Functions of Sports House
      3. Sports House Principles
10. Sports Specific Development Plans Expressions of Interest
    1. Process
    2. Selection Criteria
    3. Priority Sports
    4. EOI Document Headings/Sections
11. Conclusions

    The following appendices are provided in a separate stand-alone volume.

    Volume 2: Appendices Appendix 1 – G21 Sports Development Framework Appendix 2 – Literature Review Appendix 3 – State and National Association Sports Development Programs Appendix 4 – Project Partner Consultation Record Appendix 5 – Association and Club Consultation Record Appendix 6 – Second Round Consultation Workshop Attendances Appendix 7 – Role of Key Agencies

• View other Projects Plans and Studies