Community sport must address downward trend says leading sport researcher

As South Australian leagues and clubs continue to disband, one of the state’s top sport researchers has warned the community may face an uphill battle to prevent further damage.

One of SA’s leading sport researchers has warned the state could see more disbanded leagues and clubs due to a continuous downward spiral of players and volunteers.

Dr Sam Elliott – an award-winning researcher and lecturer in sport at Flinders University and the host of the ‘Beyond the Club’ podcast – has committed multiple years and countless hours to analysing issues within community sport in SA and Australia.

This has included thousands of surveys, interviews, focus groups and experience within sporting clubs in the northern suburbs and through the southern regions.

Dr Elliott said the decrease in participation rates - especially at junior level - across the board had been on the cards for a significant amount of time.

“Even before Covid there was a noticeable stagnation in participation in sports from namely kids and volunteers, and what we then saw was the Covid period has really pushed the envelope and that peoples’ investment and effort in sport has diminished further,” Dr Elliott said.

Karoonda and Peake do battle in the Mallee Football League. Picture: Bron Pahl

“There has been a lot of pressure on families recently and there has been a physical, general and psychological impact on players, mainly kids, in sport – around one in six kids have been impacted psychologically.

“This has been more apparent in marginalised areas, low socio economic areas and in regional areas but it will become more apparent in the suburbs too.”

In recent weeks South Australia has seen the Mallee Football and Netball League disband and clubs in the region amalgamate, while the Smithfield Football Club continues to work towards its first season of senior action since 2020.

Dr Elliott said player and volunteer participation needed to be addressed soon to prevent more damage to local clubs and competitions.

“I’d like to be a bit optimistic and say things can be turned around but it is contingent on our sporting communities and organisations being more agile as to how to address the issue,” he said.

Young Lameroo Hawks fan Harrison Edwards before the Mallee FL disbanded.

“With kids, the main thing to focus on is they want to have fun and they want people whose story they can connect with – there are 81 determents of ‘fun’ such as being physical, or even cheering at the game, and we are barely scratching the surface of sources of fun.

“We’ve found that we need to recognise the families a bit more within clubs as well and acknowledge what they bring and what they do, and even understand their skills so that roles or priorities within a club can be matched for them.

“If we tailor the sporting experience and figure out what kids and families want we will see the situation turn around.”

Earlier this year the Salisbury Football Club barely managed to bring an A Grade side together for the Adelaide Footy League.

Ryan Hocking – president and Dwayne Nisbet – football development manager are hopeful of Smithfield Football Club’s return to competition in 2023. Picture: Kelly Barnes

During the period, football director Grant De Bais also aired his concern about the future.

“Look at the demographic in the north compared to other areas. It’s quite working class and work and even weekend work is way more important for families,” he said.

“There’s definitely concern a lot of smaller clubs will die out.”

The Mallee Football League had also seen a stark reduction in junior numbers as well as issues relative to players leaving to more populated areas for work before its disbandment.

“The challenge of young people leaving for more work opportunities will always be there but we believe more competition engineering is needed in those circumstances,” Dr Elliott said.

“You’re expected to play an 18 a side footy game in remote areas but we might see competitions having to rework for a 12, 13, 14-a-side game for example – we might need to start looking at adapting in that way.”