2022 Youth Engagement Findings

South West Sport conducted comprehensive youth engagement from April to June this year, hearing from over 351 young people from across our region. We wanted to understand the needs of young people when it came to sport and recreation, what barriers they faced and how we could encourage them to continue to, or start participating in community sport.

We collected data through a mix of surveys and face-to-face conversations, focusing on young people aged 12-25 who live and play in the South West, including Corangamite, Glenelg, Moyne, Southern Grampians, and Warrnambool.

An impressive 77% of young people surveyed expressed that they would be interested in volunteering in a sports club, with a wide range of volunteer roles that were of interest, from time keeping, working in the canteen, coaching, umpiring, right through to administrative tasks. Is there untapped volunteer potential at your club?

Young people told us they participate in sport to spend time with their friends, meet new people, and benefit their physical and mental health. They noted that they face several barriers that may hinder them from getting active as often as they would like, including peer pressure, transport, a feeling of division within their clubs, and often being time-poor due to work and school.

We found from our engagement that overwhelmingly, young people are looking for sports clubs that are welcoming and inclusive, with over 80% of respondents telling us this was important for them. The importance of good club culture was not lost on young people, with 72% of respondents telling us that a good club culture was what makes a sports club a place they want to be. 

The future is bright for community sport, with young people interested in not only volunteering, but 50% of respondents identified they would like the opportunityto take on leadership roles within sport. With their willingness to contributeto the off-field responsibilities, the game, and their focus on inclusion incommunity sport, we are excited for the what the future of community sportwithin the region holds.