SPORTING BODIES BEAR DOWN ON PARTICIPATION COSTS AS COMMUNITY SPORT WINTER COMPETITIONS LOOK TO REBOUND IN 2021

Community sport in Queensland faces a moment of truth of sorts in coming weeks as those sporting bodies delivering regular weekly competitions predominantly in winter months assess the level of resumption for 2021 after COVID-19 closed, cut short or extended their competition offerings into spring last year.

February / March traditionally sees dates for sign on days for juniors and preseason training for adult players populate calendars, along with release of fixtures for community-based competitions running from post Easter to the beginning of spring.

With it comes plenty of work for State and regional sporting organisations and local clubs as the largely volunteer cohort of committees, coaches, players and other support personnel ramps up for hopefully a less COVID impacted season of winter-based sport so important to hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders and their local communities.

QSport CEO and Secretary of Community Sport Australia Peter Cummiskey says “Like many others in the sector, I am very interested in what transpires as this winter sporting season approaches, particularly in terms of player registration and volunteer engagement.”

“How community sport shutdown last year in March / April responded to the opportunity to return to training in June and then resume competition in July / August was encouraging, highlighting that the pro’s of delayed involvement far outweighed the con’s of disrupted engagement for most.”

“I have remained optimistic about the prospects of large scale resumption in 2021 and will know soon enough how well placed or otherwise is optimism reliant on hard working, sometimes taken for granted volunteers who are essential to the delivery of sport at local community level.”

“The great majority of QSport member State sporting bodies that I have engaged with in recent weeks report no increase in fees charged by them for participation in 2021, acknowledging the impact of COVID-19 on their affiliates at regional and local level and their players.”

That’s certainly as expected, particularly for those which have received various forms of government assistance to ride out the first- year effects of the pandemic. And pleasingly some are able to offer discounted fees to assist which, along with State Government Fair Play vouchers of up to $150 for young Queenslanders to participate and support families experiencing hardship due to COVID-19, optimise participation.

There are very real benefits to individuals and communities via sporting involvement, on and off the field of play, and hopefully these are moving back to front of mind at present in those local heroes who make community sport happen at local level for theirs’ and others’ collective enjoyment.”

For further information, contact QSport CEO Peter Cummiskey on 0418 185 008.