Welcome

Welcome to my first blog!

I am really excited about the opportunity to share my thoughts and views on sporting clubs, volunteers and kids learning life skills through sport.

Sport has always been a passion of mine. It wasn’t a hobby for me, it was my life, I played sport, umpired, coached, held committee positions, studied sports management, undertook research in sport and worked in the sport industry for many many years  – and still do!!

I have had the privilege to sit down with many sporting clubs over the years and discuss areas such as governance, strategic planning, club development, child protection, volunteers, recognition strategies, facilities, and relationships with key stakeholders to name a few. We also discuss issues they are facing and yes, some of them may be geographical or sport specific; the majority of issues, however, seem to be the same for most clubs.

Through my blogs, I want to address some of these issues, help clubs be innovative and think differently about what they do and why they do it and to help sporting clubs develop and not only survive, but thrive, now and in the future.

We all know juniors are the future of our clubs both on and off the field and parents are key to make that happen. Not only do they allow their children to play, pay their registration fees, transport them to and from training and games, support them on the sidelines but they could also be potential volunteers for your club. A recent study by the Australian Sports Commission stated that  “a direct relationship is imperative for volunteering in sporting club*”.  So I want to provide information for parents on sporting clubs and volunteering.

I look forward to sharing my thoughts and hearing from you. If you have any questions or thoughts on future blogs, please let me know.

Yours in Sport

Kat

*Latitude Insights (2013) Market Segmentation for Sport Participation – Volunteers 2012-13 Research, July 2013, pp 14