Increasing Access to Sports

The Increasing Access to Sport project saw GippSport work with community, clubs and young people aged 12–18, to identify barriers to accessing and participating in traditional sports in Latrobe Valley, as well as possible solutions for overcoming these barriers. Phase one of the project involved an extensive stakeholder engagement process to identify barriers to youth sport participation, as well as possible solutions. Based on the identified challenges and learnings outlined in phase one, the project team narrowed its focus throughout 2020–2021 to three key objectives:

• Improving the culture of youth sport in Latrobe Valley;
• Changing the perception of sport among youth and parents of youth in Latrobe Valley; and
• Providing co-design and leadership opportunities for youth in Latrobe Valley.

A range of activities were undertaken to support these aims. Selected highlights included:

• Production of a WIN Gippsland advertisement focussed on youth sport participation, that reached 345,000+ across commercial television and social media;
• Participation in Latrobe Valley Authority’s successful Positive Coaching Webinar Series, in collaboration with rotating special guests from Collingwood Football Club, Collingwood Netball Club, Melbourne Victory Soccer Club and Melbourne Boomers Basketball Club;
• Development of resources to support clubs with marketing to young people ; and
• Showcasing the power of young people’s stories through the #YOUthSportLatrobe Feature series.

Check out the full report for a detailed overview of this project, including a wealth of learnings.