Articles

So what’s the issue with blackface?

April 2016

A recent incident involving Australian women’s national basketball team player Alice Kunek posting a photo of herself with her face painted black for an end-of-season dress up party invoked public outrage and condemnation from many, including her team-mate Liz Cambage, whose father is Nigerian. Kunek apologised for her choice of a blackface costume at the Melbourne Boomers party, saying she didn't intend to offend anyone.

Supporting mental wellness

August 2016

There is a new phrase you are likely to hear more of around sports clubs in coming years — mental health literacy. It is the concept of increasing the ability of players, parents and coaches to recognise the signs of mental illness among people in their club, and to be able to initiate a conversation and point to resources that might help.

Everyone matters! How design thinking and universal design principles could help us build better & more inclusive sport programs

August 2017

Inclusive design takes into account the broad range of diversity in our society such as age, gender, race, culture, language, socio economic background, ability, sexual orientation and other types of difference.

Safe Celebrations

July 2017

Everybody loves a club function. They’re a great chance to celebrate the club, get together with teammates and build comradery and team morale. The best celebrations are events where everyone feels safe and involved.

Coaching kids - making it mixed, fun and fair

February 2016

Junior sport should be all about fun, but it also offers a host of other opportunities for children to gain social skills, build self esteem, learn about fair play, meet people from different social and cultural backgrounds, and develop physical skills.

Do coaches need knowledge of impairment to coach people with disability?

July 2017

How much knowledge of impairment, if any, does a coach need to coach a person with a disability? In this article we discuss the issue to help shed some light on a question that's been debated for years.  

Governance is just a word for doing business better

June 2017

Governance is just a fancy word for doing the business of your sport’s board or committee better. But good governance is essential to keeping your club or organisation safe, fair and inclusive. These 10 tips are written to help you and your board/committee do the job you were elected to do as well as you possibly can.

PaRANTING from the sidelines

June 2017

If you have a child who plays sport then aim to train yourself, from the very first blow of the very first whistle, to offer encouragement and encouragement only from the sideline. Learn early how to bite your tongue when you feel you would like to add anything more than this to the game.

Creating a bully free environment

June 2016

There is no two ways about it: bullying has no place in sport. What is bullying? It’s all about power!

7 ways how yelling at officials is hurting children

March 2017

In March the community website from the USA, Switching the Field, published an interesting article that resonated with over 17,000 people on the Play by the Rules Facebook page. Switching the Field describes themselves as “humble members of the greater soccer community doing our part to help the game.”

A male feminist view on women's sport

March 2017

Today is International Women’s Day. I thought it important that Play by the Rules runs a feature on the day to highlight the great progress made in recent times in women’s sport. After all, Play by the Rules is all about inclusion and there’s a lot to celebrate. 

Why adults behave like kids at kids sport

March 2017

Clyde Rathbone explores why adults often behave poorly at kids sporting events. Is the answer at the juncture of misguided values and insecurity? 

Eating disorders and sport

July 2016

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that can have devastating impacts on the person experiencing the disorder and their family or friends. Anyone can develop an eating disorder – including sportspeople.

What is mediation?

October 2017

Mediation is also known as Alternative Dispute Resolution but may be otherwise described as a managed conversation. But what does it entail for your sports club or association? What's the role of the Board? Why and when to mediate?