Playing it Safe: Psychological Safety and Mental Health for Community Sport. At a time when over half of all Australians participate in organised sports it is critical to ensure that these environments are psychologically safe. The problem is that community sports clubs have no clear guidance on how to fulfil this substantial responsibility. There have been urgent calls for the development of psychological safety and mental health guidelines which have yet to be answered. This project will deliv ....Playing it Safe: Psychological Safety and Mental Health for Community Sport. At a time when over half of all Australians participate in organised sports it is critical to ensure that these environments are psychologically safe. The problem is that community sports clubs have no clear guidance on how to fulfil this substantial responsibility. There have been urgent calls for the development of psychological safety and mental health guidelines which have yet to be answered. This project will deliver the knowledge to underpin effective psychological safety and mental health guidelines for community sports with national impact. When implemented, this knowledge will help sports clubs to provide a psychologically safe environment, and promote the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians involved in organised sports.Read moreRead less
Reconfiguring women's professional sport - on and off the pitch. This project aims to develop a model that reconfigures how women’s professional sport is structured, valued and managed. The project intends to examine professional women’s competitions (AFL, cricket, football, Rugby League and Rugby Union), their co-existence within their respective national associations and the experiences of contracted women athletes. Expected outcomes include the development of a new model of women’s profession ....Reconfiguring women's professional sport - on and off the pitch. This project aims to develop a model that reconfigures how women’s professional sport is structured, valued and managed. The project intends to examine professional women’s competitions (AFL, cricket, football, Rugby League and Rugby Union), their co-existence within their respective national associations and the experiences of contracted women athletes. Expected outcomes include the development of a new model of women’s professional sport, advancing knowledge of inclusive gender relevancy at the individual, team and organisational levels. The adoption of strategies and policies to improve the support and playing experiences of women would position Australia globally at the forefront of changing approaches to women’s professional sport.Read moreRead less
Caring for thoroughbreds: addressing social, economic and welfare issues in international horse racing. Horse racing is an economically valuable industry but visible welfare issues are challenging its future. This study addresses perceptions and the economic worth of these issues internationally. Research findings about values, and alternatives to jump racing and whipping horses, will help change the conduct of horse racing around the world.
Identifying better practice for volunteer management in community sport organisations. This project will: (i) research the approaches of community sport organisations (CSOs) to volunteer management and retention; (ii) investigate how volunteers' motivations, commitment, and behaviour influence their intention to continue involvement in CSOs; and, (iii) generate innovative solutions for the problem of volunteer retention in CSOs. The study will both contribute to research knowledge as well as und ....Identifying better practice for volunteer management in community sport organisations. This project will: (i) research the approaches of community sport organisations (CSOs) to volunteer management and retention; (ii) investigate how volunteers' motivations, commitment, and behaviour influence their intention to continue involvement in CSOs; and, (iii) generate innovative solutions for the problem of volunteer retention in CSOs. The study will both contribute to research knowledge as well as understanding of the association between organisational practices and volunteer requirements. It will assist CSOs and policy makers to identify how best to increase volunteer retention levels and contribute substantially to developing a theory of volunteer retention that will enhance the sustainability of Australian sport organisations.Read moreRead less
Improving determinants of Australian sports talent identification and development: a multi-disciplinary approach. Sport is important to many Australians. Our sport successes enhance our national identity, generate community pride and attract mega sport events. Currently our sport talent identification and development (TID) systems have been surpassed by our international rivals who borrowed from and improved our knowledge. This project will help regain Australia's international advantage and aga ....Improving determinants of Australian sports talent identification and development: a multi-disciplinary approach. Sport is important to many Australians. Our sport successes enhance our national identity, generate community pride and attract mega sport events. Currently our sport talent identification and development (TID) systems have been surpassed by our international rivals who borrowed from and improved our knowledge. This project will help regain Australia's international advantage and again make Australian TID the international benchmark. Results will highlight the role of TID practices in improving recreational participation and maximising, attracting, developing and retaining sport talent. This will result in improved use of sports limited TID funding by providing greater understanding of factors that influence elite selection and sport development.Read moreRead less
Discovering genes which modify human physical performance: a means of developing healthier life styles & novel athletic training programs. The aim of this multicentred study (University of Sydney, Australian National University, Australian Institute of Sport) is to find genes in the cardiac and musculoskeletal systems that are involved in modifying human physical performance. From this knowledge, it is proposed to develop novel physical training programs in our national sporting institutions ba ....Discovering genes which modify human physical performance: a means of developing healthier life styles & novel athletic training programs. The aim of this multicentred study (University of Sydney, Australian National University, Australian Institute of Sport) is to find genes in the cardiac and musculoskeletal systems that are involved in modifying human physical performance. From this knowledge, it is proposed to develop novel physical training programs in our national sporting institutions based on an individual's genetic information. In the broader community, knowledge of genes which contribute to the normal and healthy functioning of the cardiac and musculoskeletal systems will be invaluable in understanding and preventing breakdowns in these body systems.Read moreRead less
Peer Based Mentoring in Sport: Strategies for Best Practice. Federal and state governments and agencies have acknowleged the need to increase participation in sport. This project will support this important aim because it will generate empirical data about the value and best practice design of mentoring programs in elite and community or school based sport.Such programs are designed to ensure that sport is a forum for promoting positive social behaviours on and off the field and to increase part ....Peer Based Mentoring in Sport: Strategies for Best Practice. Federal and state governments and agencies have acknowleged the need to increase participation in sport. This project will support this important aim because it will generate empirical data about the value and best practice design of mentoring programs in elite and community or school based sport.Such programs are designed to ensure that sport is a forum for promoting positive social behaviours on and off the field and to increase participation in sport by reducing any negative behaviours associated with sporting cultures.Read moreRead less
The Well-Rounded Person: The Role of Sport in Shaping Physical, Emotional and Social Development. Young Australians who play sport have better physical health, higher levels of self-esteem and are less likely to be obese.Yet sports participation rates among young Australians remain low and there are growing concerns that participation in some sports is associated with antisocial off-field behaviours. This project investigates the real impact playing sport has on young Australians' physical, emot ....The Well-Rounded Person: The Role of Sport in Shaping Physical, Emotional and Social Development. Young Australians who play sport have better physical health, higher levels of self-esteem and are less likely to be obese.Yet sports participation rates among young Australians remain low and there are growing concerns that participation in some sports is associated with antisocial off-field behaviours. This project investigates the real impact playing sport has on young Australians' physical, emotional and social development. It will identify barriers to participation in sport and suggest solutions to concerns about antisocial behaviours. Ultimately, this project will assist public and private sector organisations involved with sport to increase participation and tackle negative attitudes or behaviours associated with that participation.Read moreRead less
Engaging Outsiders in Sport: Transforming Sport Event Legacy Planning . The project aims to investigate intersectional inequities in sport participation for girls, women and non-binary people in Queensland by working with them to envision legacies for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Using a co-creation approach this project expects to identify how and what benefits can be achieved through legacy planning that engages with end-users who have historically been marginalised in sport. In doin ....Engaging Outsiders in Sport: Transforming Sport Event Legacy Planning . The project aims to investigate intersectional inequities in sport participation for girls, women and non-binary people in Queensland by working with them to envision legacies for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Using a co-creation approach this project expects to identify how and what benefits can be achieved through legacy planning that engages with end-users who have historically been marginalised in sport. In doing so, the expected outcomes of the project include the development of evidence-based resources to improve engagement in sport and to build capacity and sustain meaningful change for communities and organisations.Read moreRead less
Multiple Perspectives of Eating Disorders in Girls. This study explores the subjective experiences of anorexic adolescent girls and the perspectives of their parents and other professionals to identify the beliefs and constructs underpinning the identification, management and experience of anorexia. Using a multi-method heuristic approach, we will analyse congruence and dissonance in perspectives, the mechanisms individuals and groups use to assert and justify their views and actions, and the r ....Multiple Perspectives of Eating Disorders in Girls. This study explores the subjective experiences of anorexic adolescent girls and the perspectives of their parents and other professionals to identify the beliefs and constructs underpinning the identification, management and experience of anorexia. Using a multi-method heuristic approach, we will analyse congruence and dissonance in perspectives, the mechanisms individuals and groups use to assert and justify their views and actions, and the reflexive impact of these on others. The study will generate basic knowledge to improve support for girls and families, development better preventative education and inform the education of professional in the field.Read moreRead less