Expanding Social Inclusion in Community Sports Organizations: Evidence from Rural Australian Football Clubs

Abstract

Australian Football clubs have traditionally been seen as contributing social benefits to the rural communities in which they are embedded. Declining numbers of participants, both players and volunteers, suggest that this role may not be as strong today. Critical explorations of the extent to which football has driven social inclusion and exclusion in such environments emphasizes a historic masculine culture of drinking and violence that segregates and marginalizes women and children. Less is known about the contemporary strategic efforts of clubs to use social capital to support their activities, and whether the resources they generate have positive impacts on social inclusion in the wider community. We use evidence from the Parliament of Victoria’s Inquiry into Country Football (2004) to explore the current focus of rural Australian Football clubs regarding social inclusion, in light of changes occurring in society and rural towns in the 21st century.

Social responsibility by Australian football clubs in the 1890s

“…Initiatives that use sport to assist social and economic development have been supported by leading organisations such as the Fe´de´ration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Professional Golf Association (Walker and Parent, 2010). At a club level, almost every professional sport team worldwide has either a community outreach department or a foundation associated with, and responsible for, overseeing the delivery of socially responsible initiatives, or promotes proactive strategies and nurture resources that promote healthier, more resilient communities through expanded social inclusion (Slack and Shrives, 2008;Babiak and Wolfe, 2009;Frost et al, 2013). Like corporations, there are a number of benefits to sporting clubs when engaging in social initiatives.…”

‘We Are Not As Bad as you Think we Are’: Dealing with Diversity and Self-Exclusion in a Youth Football Club

“…Sports clubs have been known to be the focus of community life by assisting in the formation of social networks that influence information flows and are inclusive of newly arrived immigrant groups and minority groups (Frost et al 2013;Nichols et al 2013;Jeanes et al 2018). The Council of Europe for instance, recognizes promoting sports as a means of improving the quality of life, facilitating social integration and contributing to social cohesion (Council of the European Union 2010).…”

Physical Activity of Adults: A Survey of Correlates, Determinants, and Effects

“…Moreover, physical activity may also build other skills (cognitive and non-cognitive skills) and facilitate social inclusion (e.g. Seippel, 2006, Frost, 2013. Non-cognitive skills such as team skills, self-discipline, and tenacity are associated with sports participation and higher level of productivity and thus, higher earnings.…”

“…Nevertheless, rightly or wrongly sports is celebrated for its inclusive values, but, to the best of our knowledge, most of the literature on this topic is qualitative in nature. 21 In Krouwel et al (2006) and in Frost et al (2013) the authors use the opinions of survey respondents about sports and social inclusion in the Netherlands and in Australia, respectively. Krouwel et al (2006) focus on the question of minorities and different ethnical groups.…”

“…Indeed, according to the survey, while young individuals enjoy being in mixed ethnicity sport clubs, adults prefer not to be mixed. Frost et al (2013) analyse the role of rural football clubs in social inclusion of population who are living in remote Australian rural areas (in Victoria). Their data come from reports presented to the Parliament of Victoria Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee in 2004 at the occasion of the Inquiry into Country Football.…”