10 ways to build an inclusive community sports club
Local sports clubs should be the beating heart of their communities, but do they truly represent their surrounding suburbs?
Many codes and clubs that I talk to wish to represent the community they live in, but often don’t know who they should connect with or how to engage those outside of their existing club membership base.
With a social responsibility that extends far beyond just sporting achievement, it is essential that sports clubs understand the steps they can take to create opportunities for participation for all. While a focus on player diversity often takes priority, there should also be an emphasis on engaging diverse coaches, administrators, supporters and all roles that make the game tick.
This has long been an aspiration of organisations globally. A notable example of this was seen in 2016 with the establishment of the Sport NZ Commitment Statement, where six National Sports Organisations and three other sporting bodies pledged their commitment to increase diversity and inclusion.
It is recognised that there is indeed a demographic disparity within football in New Zealand, however, positive action is being taken.
There have also been various campaigns, even at a government level to better support clubs, such as the 2020 diversity and inclusion survey undertaken by Sport New Zealand to provide demographic data to clubs to help inform their engagement strategies.
We all live in our own echo chambers and sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start when looking to engage outside of your existing audience. I recently outlined ‘10 ways your football club could become a social champion,’ which included a tip on how to start the process of community engagement.
To build on this, knowing its importance to Club Development and Football Management, I have also outlined ‘10 ways to build an inclusive community club’ to support your club's community engagement strategy.
(Note: These are in no particular order of impact or importance and should all be addressed in relation to each other.)
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- When striving to engage a diverse cross-section of society, it is important for clubs to understand the demographic landscape of their community. Use your own information as the baseline to determine your club’s current membership profile and then seek out tools such as the National Census and other statistical reports that are publicly available through council or government agencies.
You can use tools from recognised organisations such as https://www.stats.govt.nz/topics/population to start this exploration.
It is also worth noting that according to new projections, the ethnic makeup of New Zealand’s population will be significantly different from what it is now by 2043 (Berl, 2022). So, when developing your engagement approach, consider how you might allow for this shift in future.
2. Ask. Don’t assume. Given the diversity of cultures within NZ, it would be very difficult to know what the community needs without asking. Your club should embark on a process of engaging dialogue with your community, seeking to understand its needs, and motivations on what the public would like from their local football club. It is understood that everyone will be different, but you can aggregate this research to develop initiatives to implement. It would be a significant step forward if clubs linked evidence and research, such as this exploration, to their practice and initiatives.
3. Amplify community voices within the club setting. Invite different people to committee meetings, board meetings or other feedback mechanisms that your club has in place. Enable opportunities for people from all communities to have input into the club’s direction through systems like surveys or similar.
4. Establish community leaders. Connect with various programs such as women’s groups, cultural societies, disability advocates, refugees, etc. It is commonly understood that you must be from a community to speak for it. Therefore, connecting with key leaders will be essential to help bridge the gap and provide important information on the sentiment and needs of as many people as possible.
5. Create familiarity in the club environment. This is important because it can help new members feel more comfortable and welcome in your sports club. Familiar decorations such as national flags, images of footballers from different backgrounds and other sporting imagery can create a sense of belonging and help to build trust and relationships between the club and the new community member. Also, consider your wayfinding signage and venue accessibility so that it is easy to navigate and comfortable for all.
6. Encourage new communities to join by providing food and beverage options that cater to different dietary requirements and cultural preferences. By offering and promoting a diverse range of options, the club can create an inclusive and welcoming environment that values and respects the diversity of its members. When hosting events, provide a range of food options such as halal, kosher and vegetarian and be sure to promote this offering so that everyone is aware it is available. You can also serve 0% alcohol (not just fizzy drinks) as an alternative option on match days.
7. Translate and introduce new languages into your sports promotions, programming, social media and website. There are a number of examples where this has been done successfully such as in 2019 when Northern Region Football delivered the New Zealand Football Junior Level 1 Coaching Award in Mandarin. This was part of an extensive collaboration between the federation and its local football community which had previously not engaged with the courses that were delivered in English.
This initiative went on to be shortlisted for the Leadership in Diversity & Inclusion award at the Sport New Zealand Sport & Recreation Awards.
Another great example can be seen on the social media channels of Eastern Suburbs AFC and Northland Football Club, where they continue to provide key game updates in Te Reo Māori, engaging local iwi and demonstrating their commitment to nurturing these relationships.
There are a growing number of resources available online to help your club become culturally and linguistically inclusive, such as the Multicultural Toolkit created by the Australian Football League (AFL).
Translating sections of your website into different common languages could prove to be beneficial in helping the local community understand the programs you have on offer. I would also encourage clubs to consider delivering programming, such as holiday programs in different languages if this allows you to connect with a new community sector. Obviously, this would require personnel and expertise, which is why engaging diversity at all levels of the game and identifying key leaders is essential.
8. Establish and maintain ongoing active promotion in a variety of community contexts. Attend festivals, cultural celebrations, community events, local schools and so on to meet people where they congregate and connect your brand with their values. I have seen first-hand the impact community initiatives can have, such as FootballFest at the Auckland Council World of Cultures event, which brings together local footballers of all nationalities to play together in Tāmaki Makaurau.
One of the best examples of this is the ‘Football for All’ initiative by the Wellington Phoenix Football Club. ‘The Football For All programme, delivered in partnership between Capital Football and the Wellington Phoenix, on behalf of the Football for Community Development Trust, has the primary aim of fostering inclusion, participation and hauora by using football as a vehicle.’
9. Ensure you visibly recognise celebratory days of significance such as Eid, Christmas, Hanukkah, Chinese New Year, Matariki etc. This could be realised through strategies such as online features, Facebook campaigns or special in-person events at the club that are connected to competitive games and fixtures.
10. Understand what financial is support available across different community sports funds and Regional Sports Trusts or similar. https://sportnz.org.nz/funding/sport-nz-funds/ This will help you to resource and mobilise a number of your initiatives with funding, equipment, support and education as some may require an increase in budget or personnel to be successful.
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It is well known that football is a global game. In a society as multicultural as New Zealand, in order to truly engage your club's potential audience, all clubs must create an inclusive environment that is accessible to all. Many organisations and regional associations provide resources such as Diversity & Inclusion Plans and services with access to expert help which I encourage clubs across all codes to take advantage of.
The commercial value of being connected to your community is obvious, but the social impact is where the real gold lies.
Speaking on the value of community sport, Tony Philp, Current Hurricanes General Manager of Rugby and Former New Zealand Rugby’s High-Performance Sevens Manager explains why well in an article for Balance is Better;
“Connecting to our community is critical to the health and mental well-being of our society, especially in times of uncertainty. Connecting through sport provides all people — players, coaches, administrators, and volunteers — with a sense of identity, gratitude, belonging, and even joy. People need that self-fulfilment, pride, and connection. Sport helps our communities come together to connect, communicate, and care.”
As always, all of the above will need careful consideration by club boards, committees, and operational teams and should be reviewed in conjunction with your club’s Football Strategy and overall Club Development Plan.
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