Sport Australia’s Participation Design Toolkit includes information, resources and tools to help sports develop effective participation plans and design products that focus on creating an enjoyable experience for all participants and volunteers.

“We know from our research that COVID-19 has led people away from sport to physical activity or less activity all together,” Sport Australia Acting CEO Rob Dalton said.

“While 93% of Australian children aged 5-13 participated in physical activity, only one in four said sport was a main interest or hobby, and more than half (52%) of children surveyed said sport needed to fit in with other things they do, highlighting the competition sport is facing from other interests and activities.”

“By working with sports to design participation experiences that are fun, inclusive and participant-centred, we can improve Australians’ attitudes towards club sport and encourage more people to be active.”

Mr Dalton said the toolkit can help sports evolve their existing products or design new programs that meet the needs of today’s sporting participants through COVID-19 and beyond.

Examples include products that aren’t competitive and require a low commitment to appeal to the growing market of adults looking for social sport, and junior programs that help build fundamental motor skills, confidence and the motivation to be active.

Minister for Sport, Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck said the toolkit is another example of how the Australian Government is supporting sport in a challenging environment.

“We know sport is crucial for Australia’s recovery and this toolkit, along with Sport Australia’s Game Plan gives clubs and sporting organisations the knowledge, resources and tools they need to develop new products and programs to not only entice participants back to sport but keep them playing for longer and enjoying the physical and mental benefits playing sport brings.”

Developed in consultation with national sporting organisations and VicHealth, the toolkit includes market and life stage insights and evidence-based enabling approaches to participation design.

General Manager Growth and Development at Athletics Australia Adam Bishop said: “The Participation Design Toolkit is an excellent resource for sports looking to develop or refine their participation product offerings. The toolkit is particularly valuable in that it pulls together existing Sport Australia resources and demonstrates how they can be used to inform the design of new participation products, refining existing products or as thought starters when approaching participation planning.”

General Manager Growth, Legal and Strategy at Hockey Australia Michael Johnston said: “Having the breadth of Sport Australia’s quality participation design resources in one place is invaluable to sporting organisations undertaking participation design and planning. With the launch of Hockey’s new National Participation and Engagement Plan, we see huge opportunities to access the toolkit and promote it among our stakeholders in bringing our plan to life.”

Sport Australia’s Participation Design Toolkit can be found at sportaus.gov.au/participation.