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How Aussies plan to watch the Olympics Watching swimming tops the list at 35%, followed closely by Athletics at 33% The Olympics are more than just a sports event; they are a cultural phenomenon bringing countries and people together. Australians have a strong belief in the event’s power to bring people together globally with seven in ten Australians (71%) strongly or somewhat agreeing that the Olympics brings people together and creates a sense of global unity. The Olympics foster a deep sense of national pride and unity among Australians, with over half of the population (54%) planning to tune in to watch our athletes compete. McCrindle Three in five Australians (61%) strongly or somewhat agree they feel a strong sense of national pride when watching Australian athletes compete in the Olympics. After the postponement and restrictions of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19, this year’s games offer a renewed opportunity to watch and enjoy the events in person and together. Gen Z intend to make a concerted effort to watch the Olympics with their friends and family with 41% strongly or somewhat agreeing they’re most likely to host a watch party for Olympic events Australians are competing in (compared to 32% Gen Y, 15% Gen X and 8% Baby Boomers). Their eagerness to gather to watch the events highlights how this young generation will lean into the opportunity for social connection and community that the Olympics provides. Harnessing the opportunity to expose their children to the Olympic games, it is also couple families with dependent children who plan to do the same, with 35% of couple families with dependent children likely to host a watch party for Olympic events Australians are competing in, (compared to 19% couple family without dependent children, 16% one-parent family with dependent children, 22% group household and 15% lone person). Swimming is the sport most Aussies will watch Swimming (35%), Athletics (33%) and Artistic Gymnastics (25%) are the sports Australians are most looking forward to watching in this year’s games. Among Gen Z, Basketball (28%) is the sport they are most likely watch, while for Gen Y it is Artistic Gymnastics (31%). Swimming tops the list for both Gen X (39%) and Baby Boomers (51%). Olympics as a positive experience Hosting the Olympics is viewed as a positive experience in the eyes of Australians with almost two thirds (64%) strongly or somewhat agreeing that hosting the Olympics has a positive impact on the host city and its residents. Ahead of the 2032 Olympics set to be held in Brisbane, it is positive to see Australians showing their support and agreeing the host city and its residents experience a positive impact when holding the summer games. Almost three in four Australians (73%) strongly or somewhat agree it is important for the host city to consider the environmental and sustainability. #Australia #Sport #Unity #People #Generations #Community #2032Brisbane

My two cents - The Commonwealth Games' reduction from 19 sports in Birmingham 2022 to only 10 sports in Glasgow for the next edition will have wide-reaching impacts on funding, athlete aspirations, and the broader sporting community. The exclusion of key sports like diving, 7’s, badminton, beach volleyball, squash, and table tennis (to name a few ) from the commonwealth programme could seriously jeopardise the future of these sports HP programmes in terms of visibility, sponsorship, and development opportunities. For athletes, especially those in non-included sports, this exclusion could diminish their chances of achieving international recognition and the athletes may struggle to find platforms that offer the same level of exposure and competitive experience, limiting their ability to attract sponsorships or funding to support their careers. National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) for these omitted sports may face a reduction in funding. Typically, Commonwealth Games performances play a crucial role in securing government and private sector funding for NSOs. With no opportunity for athletes to compete, these organisations could find it harder to justify continued investment, especially in a post-COVID and economically challenged landscape. This could also affect local communities, where sports that are traditionally strong in certain regions (such as 7’s, beach volleyball, squash, gymnastics, badminton ) might lose vital grassroots support if young athletes and community programmes see less opportunity for advancement. Sponsors, in turn, may divert their support to the included sports that promise more exposure and media attention. For sporting awards, the reduced number of sports means fewer opportunities to recognise and celebrate their athletic achievements at the commonwealth games and it might result in a narrower focus on a few dominant attending sports, potentially discouraging athletes from participating in or excelling at sports that are now sidelined or early retirement. Overall, the consequences of reducing the sports included in the Commonwealth Games are likely to create a ripple effect that will impact funding, athlete pathways, community involvement, and the overall vibrancy of the Commonwealth games event, Events of this scale are expensive to host, and the current hosts were given a late attempt to put this together after Victoria, Australia withdrew. So I do commend them for running with it but this condensed offering is going to have such a huge ripple effect throughout New Zealand and will mean some NSO’s will need to rethink their HP programmes. Gutted for our 7’s and beach volleyball players ..

I would love the next generation of NGB leaders to truly lean into the Paralympic side of things (see attached article). This means including and integrating Paralympic sport into all aspects of their operations (fundraising, marketing, resource allocation, community engagement, etc). This means showing up, learning, and engaging with adaptive sport organizations like Angel City Sports. This means helping us with athlete acquisition (our biggest problem). This means getting the language right - saying only Olympics does not include the Paralympics. Side note: I would love to not have to correct people on this!!! :) The PLY side (Paralympic), as we call it, is incredibly complex and fragmented. It is VERY different than the OLY side (Olympic). Traditional U.S. sports providers (City Rec, Schools, Clubs, High School, College) mostly do not provide adaptive sports. Thus, access to sport for 15% of the US Population (50M people) living with a physical disability or visual impairment has been largely left to the non-profit sector. And the vast majority are small mom-and-pop organizations that focus on a single sport or single disability. The result of this is that there are massive discrepancies in the quantity and quality of local / regional programming. Angel City Sports is working diligently to fix this in Southern California and to build the optimal community outreach, media, and programming ecosystem. As noted in the article, the NGBs have a huge opportunity ahead of the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games. There are big changes happening as the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee shifts their internal Paralympic NGBs (Paralympic T&F, Swimming, Cycling, and Ski and Snowboard) to their Olympic counterparts. This follows a pattern at the International Paralympic Committee level. As we look to 2028, let's all work together to get the PLY side moving faster, towards ensuring we have mass awareness and access and participation in adaptive sports. We have a long way to go. But we can do this, together. Clayton Founder and CEO, Angel City Sports https://lnkd.in/gpDg5uuC

How can #sportstraining organizations and #sportsclubs and #tennisclubs address the #STEEP challenges of providing services and the need for sports in times of #publichealth emergencies such as the #covid19 #pandemic? How can #horizonscanning, #scenarioanalysis, and #2X2matrix seek solutions to maintaining services and the #futureofsports in challenging times? Find out in this new piece by Harlyn Dario López Torres, Jackeline Andrea Macías Urrego, Vanessa García Pineda, and Laura Cristina Henao Colorado. #futures #futuresstudies #tennis #Columbia #futuresliteracy #scenarios #foresight

Updated Post: How to Make Golf More Inclusive: Breaking Down Barriers in the Game

A question of sport: As the sun sets in the city of love, is now a good time to remind politicians and sport-loving public of Aotearoa New Zealand that there is currently no Commonwealth Games host confirmed for 2026 or 2030? Whoever steps up to host the next one, assuming that there is another one, should be able to negotiate the T&C's to ensure that they generate a positive Return on Investment (for a change). It doesn't have to be as big as those hosted in Australia, India or the United Kingdom (the hosts of the previous six editions). For a start, future hosts shouldn't have to pay a bidding fee, or the costs attached to putting a bid together. The host should get to decide when the event takes place, how many sports are played, which venues are used, and how many people will need feeding, watering and accommodating. It doesn't have to be in 2026. What about 2027, making it an LA2028 qualifying event? University halls of residence nearest to the different venues should be used for all the non-paying guests. The paying guests can find their own accommodation. Universities willing to support the event, which would need to be hosted in early February, would be rewarded with a lot of global media exposure, and opportunities to engage in research, volunteering, professional development and student placement supervision. Think win-win. Any of our existing stadia could be used to host the opening and closing ceremonies. For Track and Field, 30,000 temporary seats and a lot of TV cameras could be placed around an existing stadium, or potentially one of our biggest provincial Cricket grounds. This isn't innovative. It does ensure that no one is left with a white elephant (a stadium that sits empty and unloved once the event is over). Athletics NZ will know which is the best place for this part of the programme, just as Swimming NZ will know the best aquatic facilities to use and Bowls NZ will know the best Bowls lawn. Let them decide! If you minimise the hosting costs, the host will not need to sell hundreds of thousands of tickets to see ROI. If you can keep ticket prices down, the venues will sell out and you will get great atmosphere (where appropriate, you can also charge a premium price to the overseas sport tourists with deep pockets). Rule #1; the host does not let the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) or any elected Public Servant dictate how many athletes enter or how big our venues need to be to host spectators. The decision needs to be based on the resources already available, including financial and human. Rule #2; the event budget is based on the money the CGF is willing to spend on their biggest fundraising event, and not on the "potential" economic impact that "may" happen within the host city/country as a result of event legacy or leveraging. thoughts?

🌊 Grassroots Sports: Open to All, Inspiring for Everyone 🏅 This weekend, I had the joy of watching the Great River Race—an event that turns the Thames into a bustling showcase of teamwork, determination, and inclusivity. What I love most about this event is that it’s open to everyone: young and old, professional and amateur, schools, universities, and clubs. It’s truly inspiring to see how inclusive it is—bringing together people from all walks of life to share the love of sport. But while events like this shine a light on the power of grassroots sports, it also highlights a challenge: the gulf in funding and support across different levels of sport. Right now, we’re seeing a push to target younger and younger participants, but often the most important asset, the athletes themselves, aren’t being supported in the right ways as they progress. I’m currently working on a player pathways project to explore how we can better integrate grassroots sports into systems that truly support athletes at every stage—from entry-level participation to elite performance. I’d love to hear from you: • Are there standout best-in-class programs (or cautionary tales!) from any sport that do this well—or struggle to? • Have you seen pathways that are truly integrated, ensuring young athletes are nurtured, supported, and given opportunities to thrive? I want to celebrate the power of grassroots sports while challenging ourselves to ensure they remain sustainable and impactful. Share your experiences, insights, or examples below—or drop me a note! #GrassrootsSports #GreatRiverRace #InclusiveSports #AthleteDevelopment #PlayerPathways #CommunitySports Team GB Aquatics GB World Rugby British Rowing British Cycling World Rowing

❗️Important update for coaches, players, parents, volunteers and anyone involved in grassroots sport❗️ The Sport and Recreation Alliance has published an updated version of the UK Concussion Guidelines for Non-Elite (Grassroots) Sport. It aims to help players, coaches, parents, schools, National Governing Bodies and sports administrators to identify, manage and prevent concussion. This was first published in 2023 & the latest version contains two specific updates: -Clarification that the guidelines apply to all grassroots sports participants, including disabled people (an accessible version of the guidance is available via the website) -Inclusion of some frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help clarify and aid understanding of the graduated return to activity and sport process. The guidelines remain clear that anybody suspected of a having a concussion should be immediately removed from play. A graduated return to daily activity, school, work and ultimately sport is recommended to reduce the risks of slow recovery, further brain injury and longer-term problems.

Our newly-released participation figures show that it’s been yet another sensational academic year for Panathlon in 2023/24 – with record numbers taking part in events across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. With more than 66,000 young people involved across all ages and events, Panathlon in primary schools has enjoyed a particularly sharp increase, with 15,661 participants taking part across 336 events – and Ten Pin is proving a huge success, with an average of 62 competitors across 250 events – a total of 15,453 altogether. With ParalympicsGB launching their Equal Play campaign – calling for disabled children to have equal access to PE and school sport – Panathlon are showing just how it can be done, and the numbers of young people who can benefit from it. Sport England Activity Alliance Sport and Recreation Alliance

New Post: How to Make Golf More Inclusive: Breaking Down Barriers in the Game