- Title
- What is the best way to develop healthy and welcoming sports clubs?
- Creator
- Payne, Warren; Eime, Rochelle; Casey, Meghan; Donaldson, Alex
- Date
- 2009
- Type
- Text; Conference paper
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/35596
- Identifier
- vital:3315
- Abstract
- Introduction: Optimizing sporting organisations’ capacity to promote health requires development and implementation of appropriate policies and practices. One part of public health policy development involves establishing and enforcing rules and regulations via either externally enforced regulation (Regulatory Approach: RA) or by providing a broad regulatory framework to empower individuals and organisations to pro-actively identify and address contextually relevant issues through member participation (Self-assessment Approach: SA). SA is generally preferred in health promotion to facilitate organizational change, sustainability and ownership. Recently health promotion agencies have funded Sports Governing Organisations (SGOs) to develop policies and practices to promote the adoption of healthy and welcoming environments (HWEs) in affiliated clubs, thereby enhancing active participation and membership. The purpose of this study was to determine which of the two approaches should be used when implementing policy to promote HWEs in clubs. Methodology: Part A: Two focus groups were held, each with representatives of four SGOs. Part B: In-depth exploration involving interviews with SGO HWE program coordinators and representatives of individual community clubs (RA: n = 7, SA: n = 12) in two sports, one using RA and one SA. Results/conclusions: Part A revealed four SGOs adopted SA, two adopted RA, and two had no formal program. With the SA, there was a conscious effort by SGOs not to overload the community clubs given the limited capacity of club volunteers. The approach focused on providing best practice examples and tools to enable clubs to identify their own needs and priorities. The RA was considered very formal and directed, and usually implemented in a staged way as part of a comprehensive club development program. One SGO believed that the RA made it easier for clubs to better understand the HWE program. Part B revealed that both approaches had preferred elements. The club representatives liked the RA as it provided clear guidelines and expectations. It also assisted in standardising policies and practices and therefore assisted clubs to sustain effective management systems. The SA required that clubs had the capacity to identify their needs and priorities through the use of SGO-provided resources. Clubs reportedly enjoyed identifying their own priorities and continually developing within their own capacities and time frames. This approach favoured the development of HWE practices rather than policies. In contrast to accepted health promotion approaches, RA and SA were equally endorsed by their recipients. These findings will be discussed in relation to models of organisational transformation and capacity building.
- Publisher
- Brisbane, Queensland :
- Relation
- Paper presented at 2009 Australia Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, Seventh National Physical Activity Conference, Sixth National Sports Injury Prevention Conference, Be Active '09, Brisbane, Queensland : 14th-17th October 2009
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- Health promotion; Sports Governing Organisations; Sporting clubs
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