Hockey Australia recently released its new National Participation Game Plan 2017-2020 which provides a road map on how Hockey Australia in collaboration and alignment with its key partners through a ‘whole of sport’ approach will develop national strategies that are delivered locally to achieve its participation objectives of attracting new participants, retaining current participants and re-engaging past participants. The report is eighteen months in the making following stakeholder consultation.
Why is it so critical?
The social determinants as to what and why young people are engaged in physical activity and sport indicates that institutionalized sport of which hockey is one is losing ground to other types of physical activity. Also sport consumers are a different breed than in years gone past and sports are frantically readjusting what they offer to possible participants and consumers, how they offer it and why they offer it. An example of this is the growing interest of girls/women to participate in sports that have been labelled as traditional male sports, e.g., AFL, Rugby. This has repercussions in that the available female sports participation numbers pool will shrink. Therefore making it more competitive for traditional sports to attract new participants. So in a nutshell hockey needs to devote more thinking, energy, and resources if possible to increase its playing numbers. Former Hockey Australia’s interim CEO Ben Hartung highlights the challenges facing hockey and what is being done to tackle the identified issues;
“The National Participation Game Plan acknowledges that it is critical for the sustainability of our sport to continue to nurture and support the traditional club-based component of the sport because the clubs and associations have been, and will continue to be, the backbone of hockey into the future, but it also recognises the need to provide non-traditional modified new social formats of the game that meet the needs of new consumers of the sport.”
About the National Participation Game Plan
The National Participation Game Plan outlines the national growth targets for the sport for the next four years. Key features include growing participation from 196,584 participants in 2016 to over 250,000 participants by the end of 2020, with more than 100,000 of these participants being juniors (under 18) experiencing Hookin2Hockey programs, competitions and events, as well as modified new social formats of the game.
The National Participation Game Plan includes a target of 50,000 school students per year experiencing quality hockey programs delivered by accredited providers through the Australian Sports Commission’s Sporting School Schools Program. The National Participation Game Plan includes a focus on reducing the annual churn of participants from approximately 25% to 15% through the identification and implementation of effective retention strategies to engage and retain participants. To support the growth in participation, the National Participation Game Plan also outlines a target of increasing the number of accredited coaches, umpires and technical officials by 20%.
The National Participation Game Plan contains the following eight strategic priorities:
From these pillars Hockey Australia have identified 3 key focus areas;
- To attract new participants, retain current participants, and re-engage previous participants using the traditional club based hockey model.
GHN viewpoint
The challenges will be to address ‘the rising cost versus value’ of playing hockey, the cultural decline in value of hockey clubs as a social entity due centralized synthetic playing surfaces as apposed to traditional club grounds / clubhouse focused hockey.
- to attract new junior hockey participants (networking Clubs, Associations, Schools)
GHN viewpoint
Hockey Australia has laid successfully a strong structural and resourceful foundation already with the Hookin2hockey program. An important missing part of this that needs further consideration is engagement of parents as an important part of achieving outcomes. See GHN Feature Article on this. In doing so the compounding effect will be to see adult participation grow in the other two identified key focus areas.
- Attract and engage hockey participants through modified new formats of the game aimed at social and fitness goals
GHN viewpoint
A welcomed decision to combat the issue of low club participation numbers particularly in country based Associations. Also for junior hockey smaller team number requirements and creating more opportunities for open play and high scoring is ideally met through hockey 5’s (FIH approved) or 7’s or 9’s game format.
The National Participation Game Plan 2017-2020 is designed to be a live working strategic document that will be reviewed annually and modified as required. In a new era of sport consumerism sports marketing strategies are imperial to outcomes achievement. In this document Hockey Australia have identified its importance and have outlined generalized approach for success. An important future consideration will be how well they can provide the right branding (e.g. ‘hockey the family first sport’, ‘hockey a life time sport’), develop marketing resources, communicate and implement marketing campaigns that are diligently followed by Associations and clubs.
The future is looking bright. Well done Hockey Australia. Now the hard work begins
Click here to view the National Participation Game Plan 2017-2020.
Source: Adapted Hockey Australia News
Hi All
I have read through all this, and in most ways the ideas are quite good.
But the key factor you have missed is the volunteer. Without these people, not only hockey but for most sports.
I do come from a area that can boast of having 70 junior sides. 43 of these sides are under the age of 11. The 11’s play also full field games.
Now with this in mine do you think other areas would copy what we do.
The answer is NO. And that includes our state board.
There focus is the elite level, or there child making a state team.
I am concerned with the player numbers overall, but more concerned with the burn out of volunteers. The amount of work they do these days is a concern.
Happy to talk to anyone anytime.
Lee
Agree A very pertinent point about volunteer burnout. There is a constant need to attract and maintain vounteers.A constant stream of parental involvement in junior hockey appears to be working. Very interested in you sharing your thoughts with readers. Feel free to send them to editor@gohockeynews.com
Thank you Lee. Getting, maintaining, supporting, and rewarding volunteers is an area that needs to be investigated. Too often volunteer burnout occurs. You are talking to one who became a victim of it. I welcome article submissions editor@gohockeynews.com
Grafton also had a success blueprint for growing numbers but as Lee stated relied on the volunteer. Many of the initiatives relied on low money input but an Association can get caught up too much in facility development and not in player numbers. The ratio in my time was 98% facility to 2% junior or player development. I adopted many of Lee’s ideas. Every Association needs a Strategic plan based on the five goals in the nsw model plan and adapted for the local area.
Thank you Kerry – Wise thoughts