Alarming participation figures for regional sport

PARTICIPATION in community sport was heavily impacted by COVID–19 and new research shows that small–town Victoria suffered more than most other areas. New Federation and Victoria University research shows that more than 230,000 players left their clubs across Victoria in 2020, a decline of about 27 per cent from 2019. But among the state's 40 least populated and most remote regional communities, memberships plummeted by about 44 per cent. In the Strathbogie Shire, there was an astounding decline in participation rates between 2019 and 2020. After participation rates of 15.32 per cent in 2019, the number dropped to 8.89 per cent in 2020. This 41 per cent decrease highlights a shocking drop that impacted several sports clubs and organisations in the region. Longwood Football Netball Club president, Rick Shiner, said his club had a very difficult couple of years. "It's been hard to attract players at the moment," he said. "We've done it pretty hard on and off the field. The drop has not been felt across all sports in the region, with some sides continuing to thrive following COVID. Euroa Football Netball Club president Scott Watson said the Magpies had mostly seen healthy registration across its senior sides, although there were occasional issues with junior participation, even before COVID. "With senior footy we field four football and five netball teams every weekend for 18 weeks and then hopefully finals," he said. "Our numbers have remained healthy across the teams but it's not all been easy. "Under 18 footy struggles the most and we currently only have 14 players in the standard age bracket for that side. "We've been able to make up for it with some permitted over–age players and some from the younger years that have to play twice a week. "It seems to be a cohort specific challenge from year to year, some years the under 18s will win grand finals and other years we can't field a side. "It does seem that there might not be enough under 18s in the shire to field teams across all the towns. "Regardless, the club continues to support that particular age group with the coaching staff and parent support and involve them in all our activities." Mr Watson also said that despite data showing lower participation numbers in the shire, the community support had been top notch. "We've been delighted with the community support for the club and the number of sponsors, volunteers and people at the games has been great," he said. Melinda Watson from Basketball Euroa said there were still strong participation numbers across the sport, although there were still some concerns. "We were able to maintain, if not, improve numbers in most age groups," she said. "We had around 130 juniors and lots of new players. "There was certainly a lot of enthusiasm from the players, but some parents may have been more reluctant. "I am particularly concerned about participation drop off for girls, our ladies numbers have declined." Despite the drop–off in participation for the girls, Ms Watson was thrilled with the community spirit being shown in town. "I feel really proud of our Euroa kids," she said. "As a small town we punch above our weight in the area of sports. "When our basketball returned this season there was genuine joy and a fantastic vibe, to be back after a long time stuck at home. "I think sports is a big part of our social fabric as country people and there is a deeply engrained appreciation of the development, enjoyment and social benefits of participation." The study was led by professors Rochelle Eime and Hans Westerbeek and examined membership records for the state's top ten community sports including Australian Rules football, basketball, cricket, netball, swimming, and tennis at all 79 Local Government Areas (LGAs). Data revealed the lowest participation rates and highest drop–out rates were among Victoria's 40 small–town LGAs that are located outside of main regional cities such as Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong. Professor Eime said the results are surprising due to the significance that community sport has in regional towns. "Given there are fewer other leisure–time activities in regional and rural areas compared to major cities, the absence of sport will have negatively affected regional communities more than those in metropolitan areas," she said. She said this means that now, more than ever, clubs need to make joining affordable to bring players back.

Alarming participation figures for regional sport

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