‘Yes we are inclusive’: Examining provision for young people with disabilities in community sport clubs

Sport coaches as policy actors: an investigation of the interpretation and enactment of disability and inclusion policy in swimming in Victoria Australia

“…Many of the club volunteers (who included coaches) in Jeanes et al's study conceded that, while competition is important, it also restricts the capacity of clubs 'to engage a breadth of young people' (p. 45). Jeanes et al (2018) echoed others in sport studies (e.g., Green, 2007;Kerr & Barker-Ruchti, 2015;Kitchin & Howe, 2014;Skille, 2011) in questioning whether broader notions of inclusive practices are 'even feasible within the competitive confines of organised sport', (Jeanes et al, 2018, p. 49). Furthermore Jeanes et al (2018) called for key policy actors ) (specifically, state sporting associations and voluntary sporting clubs) to move away from the notion of 'normalisation' and instead 'recognise and support diverse opportunities' that are not necessarily aligned with competitive pathways (Jeanes et al, 2018, p. 49).…”

“…Coaches in the study were largely unable to deduce or make a link between their strict standards for inclusion in their programming and how this might have been exclusionary towards people with disabilities or other people from marginalised backgrounds. Like Jeanes et al (2018Jeanes et al ( , 2019, we, therefore, highlight the powerful influence that dominant discourses of elite and performance sport that emphasis competition that find expression in the structures of sport, and how these influence the possibilities for inclusive practice.…”

“…Policy implementation studies in sport include large-scale evaluations of broad policy initiatives developed by national sporting bodies or government (Fahlén, Eliasson, & Wickman, 2014;Kay, 1996;Wicker & Breuer, 2014); case studies of the development of policies in local sporting clubs at the local level (Skille, 2008(Skille, , 2011; and; studies that have attempted to look more holistically at policy development and the relationship between governing bodies and coaches or sports volunteers across a number of sites (Jeanes et al, 2018(Jeanes et al, , 2019Kerr & Barker-Ruchti, 2015;Taylor & Garratt, 2010). Studies that have looked at how clubs develop policies and strategies to respond to external policy problems have mostly used qualitative methods such as document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and observation to investigate the implementation of policy (Fahlén et al, 2014;Kay, 1996;O'Gorman, 2011;Wicker & Breuer, 2014).…”

“…In one of the few accounts that have examined the enactment of disability and inclusion policies at the grassroots sport club level, Jeanes et al (2018) highlighted how an accepted 'logic' of competition dominates state sporting association policy development in Australia. Many of the club volunteers (who included coaches) in Jeanes et al's study conceded that, while competition is important, it also restricts the capacity of clubs 'to engage a breadth of young people' (p. 45).…”

‘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).…”