Club Respect

One of the biggest challenges clubs face in dealing with either of these matters is that everyone usually knows everyone. Then there is the gossip and social media that goes with the territory of people being nosey, taking sides or just weighing in generally because they can.

In the minds of many, doping and match-fixing continue today to be the most concerning areas of sports integrity that threaten Australian sport from grassroots to the elite. Each was considered in-depth in a comprehensive review of Australia’s sports integrity threat environment led by former NSW Supreme Court judge, Justice James Wood AO QC.

Patrick from a junior soccer club in Sydney asks “Our season has finished up for the year. We're thinking about our players and families who didn’t return during the season and the impact on our coaches and the committee. Pre-season should start in the next few months, what can we do to reconnect and get everyone excited for the next season?“

Ian from a cricket club in Melbourne asks “The club has got a big focus on retaining players from the previous season. With the COVID impact in mind, what do you see as the most important things for committees/coaches to consider for the upcoming season?”

We have tried to keep our members engaged on digital platforms, but given the strong community aspect of our club and its members, this has been a very difficult thing to maintain.

People have stayed hopeful and connected and have continued to contribute to the committee and do non-tennis playing tasks that keep the club operating, even though there has been little to no actual tennis played.

This year, sport and activism have been brought together on a scale that is unlike anything many of us have ever seen before. But what can we learn from this moment when it comes to our community clubs? Actually, quite a lot.

First the bushfires, then the ongoing global pandemic and resulting stringent lockdowns – 2020 has not been ‘the year’ for Victorian sport and sport coaches. Sports club communities have been affected emotionally and economically.

Kristy from an Athletics club in Melbourne asks "Our training sessions are mainly online now. One thing we have noticed is that the video calls make it hard for those athletes where English isn't their best language. What can we do to get their attention and provide additional support?"

18 September 2020: Brian Phelan (BP) and Peter Robinson (Robbo) started working together at Melbourne Storm just over thirteen years ago. Melbourne Storm was in the process of setting up a player wellbeing program and figured the pair were just the right fit.