Media

How do we respond to the news that one in four sporting clubs may not survive the COVID Lockdown? Clubs have reported that income from sponsors, participants and activity-based revenue streams have disappeared, but their costs continue. There is also fear the many participants won’t return due to concern about health and hygiene.

It was a really disappointing end to the AFLW season in 2020 with the COVID-19 state of emergency meaning that those teams who had battled to the top were not able to square off in a final to find an ultimate winner.  It was a real body blow to not only the players, but a whole battalion of women who had watched, thrilled, as AFLW had tenaciously worked to win the hearts and minds of the general public.  Proving that women’s footy was a sport well worth playing, watching and supporting.

With the lockdown of Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire until the 19th of August at the earliest, sport is once again off the table and the impact will be significant for a lot of adolescents and young adults.  The risk of increased mental health problems is real.

With the announcement that the Eastern and Northern Football Leagues are cancelling their 2020 seasons for all but junior levels, there are a range of costs that will fall out of this, including a cost to emotional wellbeing.

The temporary shutdown of sporting clubs that has been brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic will have critical, long lasting implications.

Dave Burt, Founder of SALT (Sport and Life Training), has spent years using the strength of sporting teams and clubs as the springboard for cultural change, and he believes that this forced shutdown presents a tremendous opportunity.

Football clubs, by nature, develop strong bonds in the playing groups.  The amount of time spent together training, the tribal emotions when battling for a win on the field – this intensity drives the adoption of group behaviour and values – but it’s not always good.