Building a positive club culture in sporting organisations is important not only to children’s mental wellbeing, but to their experiences and ongoing involvement in sport over a lifetime. Many young people lose confidence in their sporting skills and in themselves when they encounter poor sports club cultures that can stem from issues such as bullying and exclusion, performance pressure, unchecked uniform and participation costs, and competing priorities and responsibilities that can relate to who is supported and who isn’t depending on sporting ability and level.
This can discourage many young people from participating in sport at any level and leaves them feeling that they will never acquire the skills that will enable them to play even for enjoyment rather than competitively.
We know young people thrive in the right environments and where there is a great sporting culture is one of these. If support is provided children and young people, like adults, can develop longlasting relationships with peers as well as enjoy the habit of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle and the many benefits this brings over a lifetime. This guide is designed to help sports clubs learn what 1,570 young people told their Commissioner they would like to see done to improve their experiences and engagement in sports, including what discourages them from participating at the non-competitive level.
Download the guide to Becoming a Child-Friendly Sports Club here
There is also a guide to Building Period Positive Sports Clubs which you may wish to download also.
