Junior sport is an important setting for promoting diversity and social inclusion because it is where many children and young people learn about social norms and develop attitudes towards people with diverse backgrounds and abilities. Positive sport experiences at an early age can encourage lifelong involvement, with important social and health benefits to the community.
In 2014, we embarked on a three-year study to investigate diversity in junior sport. The study brought together leading researchers from Victoria University, Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology and Curtin University. It was funded by the Australian Research Council in partnership with VicHealth, AFL and Centre for Multicultural Youth. The research involved a combination of in-depth interviews, surveys, social network analysis and observations across five sports (cricket, netball, Australian Rules football, soccer and basketball) in metropolitan and regional Victoria.
The question we sought to answer was twofold: how is diversity managed in junior sports clubs, and to what extent is including people with diverse backgrounds and abilities compatible with promoting sporting excellence and competitiveness? In this article, we discuss the practical lessons that the community sport sector can take from the research.