Kat Ingram

Kat Stairs

Kat possesses an impressive 30 years of industry experience in recreation and sport. Her professional journey encompasses roles at all levels, from local to international. Notably, she has contributed her expertise to organisations including local councils, the South Australian Office for Recreation and Sport, the Australian Sports Commission, The University of Adelaide, YMCA, and the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). Furthermore, Kat is highly skilled in facilitating workshops, conducting training courses, and delivering informative talks at conferences. Her areas of specialisation encompass volunteer management, governance, harassment-free sport, strategic planning, child protection, and Play By the Rules. Undeniably, Kat’s deep-rooted passion for sport and its societal significance is a driving force in her work.

Growing up my life revolved around sport. I learnt so many life skills on and off the field and it has shaped me into the person I am today. I value the role sport plays in a persons life. For children, I believe that sport provides an exceptional platform for learning these crucial life skills. Consequently, I am deeply committed to assisting clubs and associations, ensuring that their members, especially children, are afforded the opportunity to acquire these important skills.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Applied Science (Recreation, Planning and Management)
  • Graduate Diploma in Operational Management
  • Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training
  • Better Impact Certified Consultant

Presentations / Workshops

Kat has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences and has facilitated workshops for local councils, sports clubs, and state sporting organisations on a wide range of topics including:

  • Board Workshop
  • Complaints Handling
  • Child Safeguarding and Member Protection
  • Getting the Most of Out Your Volunteers
  • Running an Effective Committee Meeting & AGM
  • Thinking Outside the Volunteer Square
  • Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
  • Volunteer Management -V-Star
  • Club Leadership Influencing Club Culture – how do we deliver compliant, welcoming and sustainable clubs
  • STARClub and V-Star
  • Australian Sports Commission’s Volunteer Market Segmentation Report

Strategic Planning Workshops

Having a well-developed plan is crucial for the success of sporting organisations. Over the years, Kat’s passion for strategic planning has enabled her to effectively facilitate numerous Strategic Plans for clubs and state sporting organisations. Through active engagement with key stakeholders, the facilitation of member feedback, Kat tailors the workshops to suit the specific needs of each organisation. The end result is a Strategic Plan that is ready for implementation.

Coaching

With 35 years of coaching experience under her belt, Kat has been involved in coaching various sport teams ranging from young children to Masters level. Her coaching journey has encompassed clubs, regional association teams participating in state championships, and even a team in the prestigious Australian Masters Games. Kat’s expertise extends beyond coaching as she conducted regular coaching courses for the Australian Sports Commission through the Active After-Communities Program (AASC). Furthermore, she also ran Essentials to Coaching Children Courses and assessed Level 2 General Principles Coaching Workbooks for the Office for Recreation and Sport in South Australia, demonstrating her vast knowledge and commitment to developing coaching skills.

Member Protection / Harassment Free Sport Workshop / Mandatory Reporting / Child Safe Environments

For many years, Kat has been organising sport workshops that promote a safe environment, free from harassment. In addition, she has conducted training courses relating to child protection, member protection, and mandatory notification within the sporting industry. Kat’s expertise extends to regularly facilitating training programs such as Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) and Child Safe Officer Training Courses specifically for Sport SA.

Research and Reviews

Having dedicated a decade to working in tertiary education, Kat possesses an appreciation of the significance of empirical research. She recognises its pivotal role in aiding sporting clubs and associations in their decision-making processes and providing a comprehensive understanding of their operational environment. Kat has acquired valuable experience through her involvement with the Centre for Environmental and Recreation Management (CERM) and her close collaboration with sporting clubs and local councils on the Eyre Peninsula. Notably, she spearheaded a report titled “Sports & Leisure Clubs: Perceptions of the Club-Council Relationship (CERM Performance Indicators®)” that shed light on this topic. Moreover, Kat has conducted member feedback surveys for clubs aiming to enhance their customer experience by gaining insights into current perceptions. Her expertise has even been acknowledged, with an article published in the World Leisure Journal. This article aimed to investigate the board structure at the National Sport Organisations (NSO) level.

Ingram, K. & O’Boyle, I. 2017 “Sport governance in Australia: questions of board structure and performance”, World Leisure Journal,  pp. 1-17
Ingram, K (2024) “From the Kitchen Table to the Board Room: Changes and Challenges With Volunteering in Sporting Clubs, Engage Journal (April 2024)

Other Workshops Facilitated / Events Run / Interviews

  • Better Impact Webinar “Using Better Impact to Manage Event Volunteers at the Australian Masters Games” (2024)
  • FLOW FM (weekly Friday Sports Show – Softball (2021 & 2022)
  • Announcer – Vaulting South Australia – Halloween Competition, October (2021)
  • Announcer – Vaulting South Australia – State Championships (2021)
  • Announcer – Vaulting South Australia – August Competition (2021)
  • Carlos and Laids Sports Show – Episode 111 – Kat Ingram (2020)
  • Master of Ceremonies – Giants Softball Club Trivia Night (2019)
  • Presenter – Play By the Rules workshop (CrocFest – Port Augusta)
  • Workshop Facilitator – Future of Sport Workshop (Ceduna sporting clubs)