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Have you, like I have, been dismayed at the horrendous stories of sexual violence and assault over recent weeks coming from parliament house, Sydney schoolkids and so many other places?

We all know that this behaviour is in no way a reflection of men as a whole, however, fully two thirds of young men in Australia recall being told that a “real man” behaves in a certain way, i.e. self-sufficient, tough, physically attractive, rigidly gendered, risk-taking. 60% feel that society thinks that a bloke that doesn’t fight ‘violence with violence’ is weak.

Think about the men you know.  Chances are they are decent, loving, caring people – and that’s what you like about them. However, the traditional gender stereotypes applied to boys and men is more about being tough, self-sufficient, patriarchal, and even alpha. Most Australians acknowledge the harm this stereotyping does, and many are receptive to changing their language, their expectations and their portrayal of men in this way.  Not trying to stamp out masculinity, but rather moving away from rigid stereotypes and embracing more diverse forms of masculinity.

For coaches it’s a balancing act

As you wake your club from hibernation and set your systems in place for the upcoming season, it’s important to be aware of the challenges that the various segments of your club will be experiencing.  While life is getting back to normal, there will still be invisible mental scars that people are carrying because of the pandemic – particularly in Victoria.

For coaches, their role will be very difficult.

Fundraising is a real necessity for the majority of sporting clubs.  Fees, if they are to be kept affordable (and as community sporting organisations, that’s vitally important) only go some of the way to paying for all the expenses incurred in running a club. If you want to fund improvements, then that requires a real effort to build the bank balance you need.

Whilst players generally bring the glory, they are standing on the shoulders of a far bigger team. That selfless army of volunteers who, in this return to COVID Normal, need recognition, care and understanding – maybe even more so than others in your club. Many volunteers might be pressured into supporting clubs initially by their…

It’s full steam ahead for clubs as they plan for next season!  In Victoria in particular, it’s important to remember that a few short months ago your players were living under lockdown conditions.  Regardless of whether they could go to work or not, their lives have been changed.  They have been cut off from their extended families, their friends and their networks that provide support and stability.

When community sport came to a halt amongst the chaos of COVID-19 earlier this year it became evident just how important local clubs and associations were to the health and wellbeing of Victorian individuals.

The junior netballers were missing playing with their friends, coaches were forced to re-work their training sessions and the local volunteers longed for the opportunity to come together again. While many were tested throughout the winter pandemic, many clubs and teams found motivation and comfort from one another through online platforms.

Real Estate in Victoria has been an industry that has suffered significantly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  While deemed an essential service in the first round of restrictions and able to work in a limited capacity, there was significant emotional pressure experienced by team members as they dealt with tenants who could no longer pay rent, landlords who were no longer getting an income and people who had lost jobs and income and desperately needed to sell their homes.

For the last six months, Dave Burt, founder of SALT (Sport and Life Training) has spent hundreds of
hours talking to people in virtual gatherings, finding out how they are coping and offering them the
tools to help them through the significant mental challenges that this pandemic has thrown up.

The last decade has delivered up significant disruption to businesses.  From the coming of Uber to challenge the monopoly of taxis to online companies intercepting and charging for sales leads, Australian businesses have had to cope with unimagined challenges to their traditional way of trading.  But the biggest disruption of all has been COVID-19.  No one imagined a time when your business could be forced to close its physical doors for an extended period of time.  No one imagined curfews, wearing masks to go outside, extended separation of family members.