THE STATE OF PLAY | NEWSLETTER # 26

Hello friends,

Community sports hit the mainstream news last week, with Victoria University releasing new research into the abuse experienced by kids in junior sports. They found that of the kids who had experienced a form of abuse in clubs, more than half never spoke about the experience with an adult.

Sideline abuse and other forms of disrespect are embedded into the culture of community sports, blurring the lines between coaching, motivation and inappropriate behaviour and leading kids to believe it’s all normal. Kids don't report the abuse because they don't realise they’re experiencing it.

The non-reporting of abuse can have severe and long-lasting impacts on a child’s mental health. The emotional toll of suffering in silence can lead to trauma and lasting psychological distress, which may impact a child's overall well-being and future in sports.

Club education is crucial. Safeguarding and child-safe policies are essential and are slowly becoming embedded into community clubs. The bottom line is that kids must feel safe enough to recognise and understand what abuse looks like, be confident reporting it, and trust the organisation and its process. 

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🎙️ Two of the research co-authors, Aurélie Pankowiak and Mary Woessner, joined us on Smart Plays last year to discuss their ground-breaking research into the prevalence of violence in sports clubs. Listen here: Violence in sports clubs - the shocking research. 

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We've also released a couple of new podcast episodes in the last month: 

🎙️ Ep. 9: The scourge of match official abuse with Patrick Skene

🎙️ Ep. 10: Walking in two worlds: First Nations inclusion in sport (Part A) with Tahlia Taylor-Kickett

Tarik Bayrakli
Manager, Club Respect

CLUB KNOWLEDGE & DEVELOPMENT

Telling adults about it: children’s experience of disclosing interpersonal violence in community sport | Victoria University

"Sport is supposed to be a safe place for kids to learn and play. Too often, however, sporting clubs can be places where children are abused psychologically, physically or sexually. Imagine, then, a child in your life had been abused, but never told an adult about it. Victoria University's new research shows that’s the case for many children who’ve experienced abuse in a community sport club."

Online safety for sporting clubs | eSafety Commissioner

Are you a community sport administrator, leader or volunteer? Sign up for a free webinar with the eSafety Commissioner.

This presentation will cover:
⭐ types of online harm in sport
⭐ how to mitigate to deal with online harm in sport
⭐ tips for creating safe online environments at your club
⭐ eSafety’s reporting schemes
⭐ advice on common online issues in sport.

Sessions:
⏱ Tuesday 14 Nov 12:30pm
⌚ Wednesday 22 Nov 7:00pm

CLUB RESPECT NEWS!

Club Respect partners with SportWest to tackle Poor Sideline Behaviour

Club Respect is thrilled to announce a partnership with SportWest, supporting their Sideline Behaviour initiative with our “A.W.E.S.O.M.E.” framework and resources.

The partnership provides sport-tailored resources to assist the sporting industry in Western Australia to build and maintain a deep culture of respect and provide tools to encourage behavioural change on the sidelines.

SportWest, the peak industry body for sport in Western Australia, launched a new True Sport initiative addressing poor sideline behaviour in sport. SportWest has partnered with Club Respect to establish the True Sport Sideline Behaviour Initiative to help local sporting clubs build and maintain a culture of respect.

The campaign "There's no place for poor sideline behaviour. Let Us Play" seeks to increase public awareness of the impact of poor sideline behaviour in sporting environments and encourage respectful sporting environments.

We respectfully acknowledge the wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their custodianship of the lands and waterways.