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Focus on female volunteers By Alesha Capone Academics from Victoria University and Federation University will explore how community sports clubs can better recruit, train and keep female volunteers. The study has been funded by the state government’s Office for Women in Sport and Recreation’s Change Our Game research grants program, which aims to identify barriers to women and girls engaging in sport and exercise. Led by professor Rochelle Eime, an expert in community sport participation, the researchers will interview key stakeholders from sports clubs such as presidents, team managers
Professor Rochelle Eime. (Supplied)
and co-ordinators, umpires and committee members. “We want to understand the volunteer landscape of both the capacity of clubs to have volunteers supporting women and girls, but also support for women and girls to be volunteers in sport,” professor Eime said. She said the study would build upon previous research and conversations with the sports industry. Professor Eime said that while participation for women and girls in sport was increasing, her academic team’s previous research has shown that they are much less likely to have many volunteer roles in sport. She said one reason for this was because of
COVID-19 constantly causing changes to rules and guidelines, leaving club administrators “over-burdened”. Professor Eime also said that sometimes boys and men received preferential treatment in traditionally male-dominated sports when it came to volunteer roles, such as coaching. Professor Eime – who also plays tennis and golf and volunteers at her twin sons’ football team and tennis club – said sport was beneficial for physical, mental and social health. “I look forward to working with the sports industry and developing strategies that the sector can take on board to improve the experience of playing and volunteering in sport for women and girls,” she said.
Spotlight on leadership The Committee for Wyndham (C4W) will host a series of free online sessions next month devoted to developing and enhancing participant’s leadership skills. The Reconnect & Recover Through Strong Leadership (R&R) program is aimed at local businesses, community and sporting clubs and not-for-profit organisations. C4W chief executive Barbara McLure said the five-part series has been developed from the successful Future Leaders of the West initiative, which the committee has run since 2012. Ms McLure said the R&R sessions have been funded through Wyndham council’s Reconnect & Recover Grant program. “We understand that Wyndham needs strong social infrastructure and with our networks and connections with business and
the community we can assist Wyndham to be a strong and better community for our residents,” Ms McLure said. Wyndham resident and 2019 Learning Professional of the Year, Martin Probst from PROfound Leadership, will facilitate the weekly R&R sessions, which will start 9am on Thursday, August 12. Mr Probst said the sessions would be flexible and discussion-based, and cover topics including personal effectiveness and time management, community collaboration and building a strong network. Mr Probst said 30 people have already registered for the first session. Registrations: https://bit.ly/3rrRImS
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Alesha Capone
Committee for Wyndham chief executive Barbara McLure and Martin Probst from PROfound Leadership. (Supplied)
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