Australians are a sports obsessed nation, however only about 41% participate in a weekly sports-based activity according to Australian Government data.
For many men as we age, conflicting work, life and family commitments limit any chance of maintaining an active association with a chosen sport or club. More passive participation in club sports can be achieved through volunteering, coaching and umpiring. Whether active or passive, the health and social benefits of clubland can be enormous.
Sporting clubs evoke parochial loyalty and lifetime attachment, whether the local football team or a club from one of the world’s premier leagues. For example, according to ESPN the Chicago Bulls remain one of the most popular sports franchises in the world despite not winning a championship since Michael Jordan led the Bulls in 1998.
What are the Benefits of Club Sport?
Participation in sports clubs has been shown to have physical, mental and social health benefits across the lifespan. European research has shown that sports club participation is associated with better emotional health outcomes for children who were born pre-term.
Researchers from Finland examined the effect organised sport had on socially vulnerable children. The results showed improved self-esteem, emotional self-regulation and social behaviour were reported by parents of these children following participation in a sports-based programme.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of middle-aged and older adults found that “sport participation is associated with multiple psychosocial benefits for middle-aged and older adults…”
Australian Club Sport
Australian research into club sports has been released (2024) which highlights the positive benefits of participation in sporting teams. Over 4000 participants completed the online survey, with age demographics ranging from 13 years to an impressive 92 years of age. The survey sought to understand what motivated the respondents to engage in their particular sport or code.
Findings from this survey found that fun and enjoyment of participation was the main motivation for both males and females. Males were more likely (79%) than females (75%) to report playing motivation of performance or competition.
Conversely, there were several motivations that were significantly more likely to be reported by females than males. These include physical health or fitness, a sense of achievement, to lose weight or to learn a new skill.
Competitiveness was found to decline with age (for both genders) with an emphasis on fun, fitness and social engagement seen as more important by older participants.
Expert Opinion: Devlin Higgins, Accredited Exercise Physiologist
The bio-psycho-social benefits of physical activity is well described both in research and anecdotally.
Team-based sports should be an excellent consideration for adults in addressing their physical health, mental health and social health – particularly by those that enjoy it.
For children, there is an abundance of government policy directives aimed at schools. For example the NSW Department of Education ‘Student health and wellbeing’ policy dictates that school principals need to “ensuring sport and physical activity is incorporated into the weekly school plan”. While in comparison adults certainly should be free to make their own decisions, there is clearly far greater access and promotion of team sport during school compared to after, with a clear emphasis on health and wellbeing.
