An evaluation of an Australian Aboriginal controlled-community organization’s remote sports-based programme: a qualitative investigation

Current research suggests that Aboriginal-controlled organizations should play a larger role in developing and implementing sports-based programmes for Aboriginal young people. In this paper, we explore the influence of an Aboriginal-controlled organization and its government-funded remote sports-based programme on Aboriginal participants and non-Aboriginal stakeholders. We consider whether this sports-based programme is meeting the needs of a remote community in Northern Territory, Australia, and argue that the influence of the Aboriginal controlled organization is somewhat minimized, due to the constraints of government policy and associated funding, which focus on the socioeconomic agenda of reducing gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians in health, education and employment. The Aboriginal community members and youth would appreciate the Aboriginal-controlled organization working more closely with them to improve the influence of the programme by paying respect to the local Aboriginal culture, social systems and knowledge.     

Cultural diversity in community sport: An ethnographic inquiry of Somali Australians’ experiences

Sport organisations aim to grow the participation of culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including newly arrived people from refugee backgrounds. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic research conducted by the author at community sport organisations in the multicultural city of Melbourne, this paper examines the key factors that affect the sport participation experiences of Somali Australians. It is shown that interpersonal and structural barriers to sport participation predominate, and that the significance of these barriers varies according to age, gender and time in Australia. The paper concludes that in order to foster inclusive sporting environments in which people from refugee backgrounds can participate in a safe, comfortable and culturally appropriate way, refugee settlement needs to be understood as a two-way process of mutual accommodation requiring adaptation on the part of both the migrant and the host society.     

Building an inclusive cycling “movement”: Exploring the charity-led mobilisation of recreational cycling in communities across Merseyside,England

In this article, the authors examined the charity-led implementation of an inclusive cycling programme across Merseyside in the North West of England. The project itself is delivered via a network of cycling 'hubs' that the charity has set up and run typically in deprived communities. Using resource mobilisation theory, the authors specifically examined how the Cycling Projects charity mobilises a raft of diverse resources from the financial to the human, and from the cultural to the physical, to drive and sustain its Pedal Away product. To do this, the authors utilise qualitative data captured from 15 in-depth semi-structured interviews undertaken with stakeholders both internal and external to the charity, as well as focus group data yielded from programme participants (n = 32). The findings illustrate how the charity is able to garner and exchange resources from its partners and funders, and the ways in which it mobilises both participants and personnel from within the communities it serves. As an original contribution to the sport management field, the authors demonstrate both the value and applicability of resource mobilisation theory as a theoretical framework by which to understand how a non-profit organisation derives the resources it requires in order to deliver a network of community embedded recreational cycling programmes.     

LGBTQ parents’ experiences of community youth sport: Change your forms,change your (hetero) norms

This interpretive study sought to critically examine lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) parents’ experiences of community organized youth sport. Using a constant comparative method of data analysis, the authors examined perspectives of participants from Australia, Canada, and the United States. Three emergent themes best reflected the parents’ experiences: (a) anticipating sexual stigma and finding accepting communities; (b) confronting assumptions of heterosexuality; and (c) educating but not flag waving. Emphasis is placed on the parents intersecting social identities and notions of privilege (e.g., socio-economic resources and the ability to live in socially progressive areas), and how it altered their experiences within the community youth sport context. The findings call attention to the responsibility of youth sport organisations to create a climate of social change through inclusive language, behaviours, and program design.     

Crossing Lines: Sport History,Transformative Narratives,and Aboriginal Australia

In this collaborative article, we seek to unsettle the dominance of Western, reconstructionist accounts of Indigenous Australian sport history through reflections on our past research in the Queensland Aboriginal community of Cherbourg. That research focussed on a statue of legendary 1930s cricketer, Eddie Gilbert, and on sport exhibitions in Cherbourg's Ration Shed Museum. Here, we are less concerned with unveiling the ‘true’ account of Australian Aboriginal sporting history, or even a ‘true’ Indigenous representation of events. Rather, we are interested in analysing various perspectives in order to generate a more inclusive and complete account of Aboriginal sport history and the narrative implications of these for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia. Central to this endeavour is the positioning of Indigenous knowledge and understanding at the centre of history-making. The article is in two sections: reflections on our past work from the perspectives of the researchers themselves and an Aboriginal academic colleague, followed by a discussion of how those experiences and reflections will inform our pending project on the 1950s and 1960s Cherbourg marching girls teams.     

数字赋能与治理革新:智慧体育社区建设的生成逻辑、实践策略与优化路径

新时期社区体育的改革与创新应建立在对社区体育需求与基层治理环境的变动性理解之上,信息技术的发展为社区体育发展带来了新的契机。该研究从社区体育治理变迁入手,分析复杂性社会的到来为社区体育治理带来的新挑战,提出数字赋能背景下社区体育治理逻辑的生成方式:(1)通过扩大智慧体育服务内涵,实现社区体育治理由“普惠式”向“回应式”转变。(2)实现人员精细化管理,促进社区体育治理由“整体整治”向“整体智治”的转变。(3)通过服务技术下沉,提升国家对社区体育治理的覆盖力及影响力。在此基础上,研究进一步从重构智慧体育社区治理主体关系,完善智慧体育社区治理架构,优化智慧体育社区治理机制的视角出发,提出了数字赋能视角下智慧体育社区建设的实践策略及优化路径:重塑智慧体育社区治理理念,实现由“治理体育”向“体育治理”的转向;优化智慧体育社区结构,由“碎片化”治理转向“网络化”治理;创新智慧体育发展路径,实现社区智慧体育常态化发展。     

An Exploration of the Relationship between Large-Scale Sporting Events and Education for Sustainable Development: The Case of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games

This study explores the relationship between large-scale sporting events (LSSEs) and education for sustainable development (ESD). A case study-based explorative research approach was employed utilising the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games (MCG) – one of only two LSSEs that have taken place in Australia (the other being the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games) which have purposely sought to engage with a sustainable development agenda. The enquiry concludes that the MCG acted as a vehicle for ESD and in so doing impacted, to varying degrees, organisations, groups and individuals across its host community (the State of Victoria). Various factors were identified that impacted the ESD process in this context. Facilitating factors included the presence of an environmental strategy inclusive of ESD elements; a pre-existing commitment by government to sustainable development; and the use of partnerships by the event's organisers to progress its environmental agenda. Constraints on the ESD process were also identified. Central amongst these were the failure to embrace environmental considerations in the MCG's enabling legislation and the limited resources given over to, and lack of emphasis placed upon, the event's overall environmental programme.     

Australian Indigenous youth's participation in sport and associated health outcomes: Empirical analysis and implications

Analysis of the 2012 Mission Australia Youth Survey (MAYS) finds that among Indigenous youth aged 15–19 years there is a positive relationship between self-reported participation in sport and two health outcomes: rating of overall health and risk of mental health disorder. We find that Indigenous youth who participate in sport are 3.5 times more likely to report good general health and 1.6 times more likely to have no probable serious mental illness. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to potential future research and policy. In terms of research, the analysis illustrates the utility of brief and cost-effective measures of health outcomes that could be used in future evaluations of specific programs targeting Indigenous youth participation in sport. We also discuss the potential ramifications, for practitioners and management professionals, of the particular policy paths needed to address the current gaps in service delivery to Indigenous communities, and for the development of grassroots, evidence-based, well resourced, culturally sensitive, inclusive and community-led programs. This can, in part, be achieved by ensuring youth sport development programs are shaped by Indigenous youth themselves.     

The Governance of Sport in Australia: Centralization,Politics and Public Diplomacy, 1860–2000

For Australia and most of its people, international sporting contests have long been a marker of the nation’s identity, psyche and international standing. Now in the era of global mediasport, the geopolitical role and the economic impact of elite sport has assumed far wider implications. As a consequence, the need for strong, effective and appropriate governance of all sport, particularly at the elite level has become of critical importance. This paper presents an overview and an analysis of the policy shifts that impacted the development of the Australian Sport Commission, its structure and administration from its colonial roots up to the period leading to the Sydney Olympics in 2000. This discussion will look at the development of the centralized governance of elite and community sport in Australia and will be reflected upon through a consideration of the sportization–globalization processes, with sport in the first instance being established as an element of the cultural diffusion of British imperialism to its significant geopolitical role in late twentieth-century Australia.     

Emergent models of sport development and delivery: The case of triathlon in Australia and the US

Sport development is a core concern for all nations as they seek to enhance elite performance and cultivate opportunities for mass participation. In the sport of triathlon, new models for sport development have been shown to exist where third party organisations have a critical role in the delivery of it. Using institutional theory as a framework, the purpose of this study was to explore the emerging models of sport development in triathlon. A case study of triathlon in Australia and in the United States was used. The results illustrated emerging models of sport development in both the US and Australia. Third party organisations as well as local councils have become increasingly involved in the creation and implementation of programmes and activities that would normally be the responsibility of a governing body. As such, the organisational fields and institutional logics in triathlon are rendering governing bodies irrelevant. Governing bodies are grappling with finding relevance and legitimacy in triathlon. Implications for sport management research, practice, and education are discussed.     

Board roles in organisations with a dual board system: Empirical evidence from Taiwanese nonprofit sport organisations

Research on the roles of the board of unitary board systems is well established, while explorations of dual board systems are very limited. We know little about nonprofit sport organisations board roles in countries such as Taiwan that operate with a dual board structure. In consequence, this study explored the roles taken by the board of directors and the board of supervisors in Taiwanese nonprofit sport organisations. Four overarching board of director roles were identified: manage vision and purpose; board duty; human resource and fundraising; and stakeholder focus. For the board of supervisors two primary functions emerged: monitoring results; and board duty and process. The findings of the study extend our understanding of the governance of nonprofit sport organisations and the differences that exist between dual board and single board systems of governance.     

A case study of the lasting impacts of employment in a development through sport,recreation and the arts programme for Aboriginal youth

In this article, we explore if/how working for Alberta’s Future Leaders Program (AFL) in Alberta, Canada, had a lasting impact on former employees. Based on interviews with 15 youth workers and one arts mentor, we found the following: (1) by being involved in AFL, the staff members increased their awareness of racism’s and colonialism’s impacts; (2) they learned to challenge stereotypes; and (3) they gained a strong employment trajectory. As a result, they (4) believed that they reaped more benefits from AFL involvement than the programme’s intended beneficiaries. While these findings are troubling in that relatively privileged people may be the programme’s main beneficiaries, which serves to reaffirm and reinforce their privilege, they also show that domestic sport for development programmes can sensitize both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal employees to issues pertaining to racism and colonialism, they have the potential to develop ‘allies’ and also to yield outcomes similar to involvement in international sport for development programmes.     

Anti-doping education for coaches: Qualitative insights from national and international sporting and anti-doping organisations

Within anti-doping efforts, an emphasis has been placed on the importance of providing education programmes to key stakeholder groups, including coaches. Yet, very little is known about current coach education provision in the anti-doping domain across countries and sports. Therefore, this study aimed to: (1) establish the current status of anti-doping education for coaches; (2) gain an understanding of the system through which anti-doping education is provided to coaches; and, (3) explore the opportunities for future education provision. This was done through semi-structured interviews with thirteen individuals responsible for managing anti-doping education within national and international sporting and anti-doping organisations. Most stakeholders acknowledged the importance of providing education programmes for coaches. Some already had provision in place and others were in the process of developing programmes. However, the current focus is on sportspeople and the degree to which sporting and anti-doping organisations are able to devise, implement and evaluate anti-doping education programmes for coaches is hindered by the contextual constraints they face. These include a lack of resources and limited interagency coordination, as well as challenges to overcome negative perceptions of ‘anti-doping’ efforts. Taken together, the findings indicate that policy expectations regarding anti-doping education for coaches are not being fully operationalised, and this situation is unlikely to change without: (1) greater direction and regulation of the system through which education is provided; (2) frequent and effective communication and cooperation between Code signatories; and, (3) increased fiscal and human capital investment at every level of the sporting hierarchy. Ultimately, until anti-doping education is shown to be a key priority for decision makers within sporting organisations (i.e., chief executives and board members), it is unlikely to become a central priority for coaches.     

School-based sports development and the role of NSOs as ‘boundary spanners’: benefits,disbenefits and unintended consequences of the Sporting Schools policy initiative

The focus of this paper is on Sporting Schools, a $100 million policy initiative intended to increase children’s sport participation in Australia. Our account seeks to proffer a critical analysis of this federal policy, and the way it functions as part of the new heterarchical or networked form of sports governance in Australia. Using a network ethnography methodology, we analyse Sporting Schools from the perspective of National Sporting Organisations (NSOs), who have the key responsibility for enacting this policy. Using their perceptions, we reflect on their role as policy ‘boundary spanners’ and outline the complexities they face in creating ‘win-win’ scenarios so that schools, students, government and NSOs themselves all benefit from the Sporting Schools initiative. We argue that NSOs have to balance benefits and disbenefits and face tension between their desire for tight quality control of their school-based sports programmes and the need to have a cost-effective funding model for maximum exposure to schools and students. In conclusion, we reflect on the unintended consequences of enacting the policy in its current form, including issues of teaching and coaching expertise, the potential displacement of the educative value of PE in favour of school sport, and the opening of this public policy space to commercial providers on a for-profit basis.     

Sustainable community development through sport and events: A conceptual framework for Sport-for-Development projects

The number of aid organisations, NGOs and government agencies pursuing the Millennium Development Goals and seeking to improve the everyday needs and social life of disadvantaged communities has been growing over the past decade. Particularly in divided societies, Sport-for-Development projects have increasingly been staged to contribute to intergroup togetherness, social cohesion and community empowerment. While the analyses of individual sport and event initiatives highlights their capacity to impact positively on people and groups, they do not provide strategic guidelines, models or frameworks for community empowerment. However, such models are needed to foster practical research in the area of community development that can inform sport and event planning, management and leverage. In an attempt to fill this gap, this paper presents and discusses the Sport-for-Development (S4D) Framework, which can be used to guide the strategic investigation of sport and event projects and their contribution to understanding and measuring direct social impacts and sustainable social outcomes for (disparate) communities. The S4D Framework presents a holistic yet flexible management tool that can take account of cultural heterogeneity and program diversity, while shaping implementation, directing evaluation, and encouraging future planning of development initiatives. To conclude, this paper suggests different ways in which the S4D Framework can be empirically tested and validated through both qualitative and quantitative research.     

文化治理与政策实践:竞技运动项目组织文化建设的挑战与应对

促进体育文化繁荣发展，重点在于竞技运动项目文化建设。文化治理强调运用制度手段来影响竞技运动项目的组织结构，政策实践是组织结构良性运转的重要保障。文章阐释了竞技运动项目文化建设的意义与动因，以我国竞技运动项目组织治理和政策实践的问题与挑战，国外竞技运动项目组织文化建设的经验和特点为分析框架，结合我国本土实际提出竞技运动项目组织文化建设的策略选择。我国竞技运动项目组织文化建设面临着运动项目多元价值未能充分发挥、多元主体共治的组织体系不健全等挑战，应从转变政府职能，提升治理能力、发挥项目协会在竞技运动项目治理中的突出作用、完善竞赛体系等方面提升应对挑战和问题的能力。     

文化治理与政策实践:竞技运动项目组织文化建设的挑战与应对

促进体育文化繁荣发展,重点在于竞技运动项目文化建设。文化治理强调运用制度手段来影响竞技运动项目的组织结构,政策实践是组织结构良性运转的重要保障。文章阐释了竞技运动项目文化建设的意义与动因,以我国竞技运动项目组织治理和政策实践的问题与挑战,国外竞技运动项目组织文化建设的经验和特点为分析框架,结合我国本土实际提出竞技运动项目组织文化建设的策略选择。我国竞技运动项目组织文化建设面临着运动项目多元价值未能充分发挥、多元主体共治的组织体系不健全等挑战,应从转变政府职能,提升治理能力、发挥项目协会在竞技运动项目治理中的突出作用、完善竞赛体系等方面提升应对挑战和问题的能力。     

Opportunities and challenges facing NGOs using sport as a vehicle for development in post-apartheid South Africa

Post-apartheid South Africa manifests poor social indicators with over half the population living below the poverty line and the worst levels of inequality in the world, with much work needed to overcome the skewed legacy of apartheid. Sport suffered in this system resulting in unequal access to sporting facilities and opportunities, meaning many South Africans cannot exercise their right to play. Despite this legacy, sport can fulfil a vital developmental role in alleviating some of these issues. The state has a major role to play but it must be supported by civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who have the ability to deliver in situations where government has struggled. This article researches the opportunities and challenges NGOs encounter when using sport for development within the education system, in post-apartheid South Africa. This study used a qualitative approach to collect data on the opportunities and challenges encountered by two NGOs based in Cape Town that use sport as a means of development, but in markedly different ways. The study suggests that NGOs face a variety of conceptual, technical, logistical and organisational challenges using sport in schools and should enact certain measures to reduce resistance from educators and ensure successful programmes. The interaction between NGOs, schools and the state Department of Education is a complicated process that presents obstacles and opportunities. Nevertheless, despite these challenges it is clear NGOs can support schools in South Africa to optimise their physical activity programmes in the backdrop of a stagnating education system and a lack of sporting support from the government. NGOs in an educational setting such as schools operate in what Houlihan has identified as a crowded policy space. Yet, the observations in this study suggest that, particularly in the context of education, a partnership policy model of NGO work is preferred.     

The development of female Muslim life-savers

This teaching case illustrates the use of community development strategies to increase and enhance community sport participation of a targeted minority group. Royal Life Saving Society of Australia is presented here as an example of an organisation that embraced cultural change and developed a strategic approach to inclusive provision for individuals from marginalised population groups. The case is based on a community development framework that includes multiple facets: a shared concern about a social problem requiring action; encouraging the active participation of a marginalised group; forming public sector partnerships to pool resources and build political support; adopting collaborative principles of organising; collectively developing and implementing action plans; and re-conceptualising traditional ideas around accountability. The case facilitates the examination of the theoretical and practical considerations of adopting a community development approach in sport management.     

Aboriginal Football in Australia: Race Relations and the Socio-Historical Meanings of the 2014 Borroloola Tour to the Brazil World Cup

Abstract

This paper tells the history of the Borroloola Tour to the 2014 Brazil World Cup, when eight Aboriginal adolescent footballers from the remote town of Borroloola in Australia’s Northern Territory were selected to be part of a tour to Brazil. In Brazil they followed the Australian team from the stands, socialized with football idols such as Tim Cahill, and visited a Brazilian Indigenous tribe. John Moriarty, the first Aboriginal Australian to be selected to Australia’s national football team executed this excursion. Considering that race relations within the Australian sporting arena have historically, been tense and contested, this paper brings to light an under-explored aspect of football in Australia. It is timely too, given the insertion of Australian football within the Asian Football Confederation. The paper examines the historical meanings of the Borroloola Tour through the lens of its key participants; as well as by unveiling John Moriarty’s history as the first Aboriginal person to be selected to play for the Socceroos. In conclusion, it reveals that both the past and contemporary history of Aboriginal people’s involvement in Australian football has an emerging face that will shape football in Australia and in Asia in the coming years.