BENEFITS OF SPORT
As part of the broader Closing the Gap agenda, sport can help break down barriers and assist with entry into First Nations communities. 1, 2
The diversity of sports and sporting activities (including social sport and physical recreation) make sport an ideal medium to reach individuals from every age-group, culture, and socio-economic background. 2, 3, 4
“Sport can transcend the perceived differences between race, religion and origin, and unite us through shared dreams and connections.” 5
Patrick Johnson, former Olympian and proud Kaanju man, (September 2022)
IMPACT
Sport can be a positive vehicle for community and cultural connectedness and individual education, health, social, emotional wellbeing, and life skills.
Impact
Role of sport
"The success of sports programs can be reliant upon strong partnerships fostered between Government, sporting bodies and the corporate sector…the benefits gained from sport were more than about simply increasing Indigenous participation in sport – it was about engaging the local community as a whole. Community involvement included encouraging Indigenous people to become involved in the administration, umpiring and coaching positions in addition to playing sport." 3
Janelle Saffin, Chair, House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs report committee, "Sport - More Than Just a Game". (2013)
Sport can play a positive role in increasing physical activity participation and improving broader health, wellbeing, and community outcomes for First Nations people. 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 62, 63
Most frequently sport is cited as a positive vehicle for community and cultural connectedness, as well as improving individual education, health, social and emotional wellbeing, and life skills. Evidence can also be seen for positive impact in increasing school/training/work attendance and reducing crime. 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 61, 62, 63, 64
Despite the potential positives, research highlights various areas that can be improved in programs for First Nations audiences, such as:
- Improving consultation, communication, and effective co-operation with First Nations communities and other service providers. 15, 18, 19, 20
- More evidence-based, collaborative research and robust evaluation of programs using sport for both sport participation and non-sport outcomes. 10, 16, 21, 22, 61
- Recognising that sport is not a ‘cure-all’. 14, 23, 24, 25
- Creating programs that focus on increasing First Nations women and girls’ physical activity and improving athlete/junior pathways. 15
- Developing and promoting First Nations coaches, umpires, health workers, administrators, and role models at both community and elite levels. 20, 26, 27, 28
While the value of sport in promoting and encouraging healthy behaviours and communities is well recognised, without some of these improvements sport can also have a negative impact on individuals and communities. 27, 29
- Indigenous Marathon Project runners shed light on health of First Nations people as they train for New York Marathon, Anthea Moodie, ABC, (13 May 2024). Yorta Yorta man Koolyn Briggs is training almost every day for the New York Marathon as part of the Indigenous Marathon Project. But his lifestyle hasn't always been this healthy. "Eight years ago, I was 130 kilos," he said. "I was drinking five, six times a week, I wasn't eating healthy, I wasn't working out." The Melbourne electrician said he had a lot of mental health problems that "led him astray". "I didn't really have many other good influences in my life, and I didn't have any platforms like this [Indigenous Marathon Project] to engage in," he said.
- Remote footy players take on tough conditions at Martu Youth Festival as West Coast Eagles scouts watch on, Jesmine Cheong and Eddie Williams, ABC Pilbara, (15 July 2023). Ms Badal is one of about 700 people who've travelled long distances on remote bush tracks to Punmu, for the Martu Youth Festival — a major event in Western Australia's Western Desert, celebrating sport, music and culture.
- Peris hails sport as equaliser for Indigenous people, William Ton, Australian Associated Press/The Leader, (1 June 2023). Olympic champion Nova Peris has hailed sport as the great equaliser, recounting how as a young Indigenous girl it gave her the inspiration to dream when there was nothing else.
- Games changers, Domini Stuart, Australian Institute of Company Directors, (1 September 2022). With the 2032 Brisbane Olympics as a long-term goal, the Indigenous Advisory Committee is building opportunities for increased inclusion and participation of First Nations Olympians. A total of 4315 athletes have represented Australia at a modern Olympic Games. Just 60 are known to be First Nations people — and Patrick Johnson is one of the few. A proud Kaanju man, he was the first Australian to break 10 seconds for the 100 metres (9.93) — a national record that still stands — and represented Australia at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. Johnson feels the Olympic Games has the potential to bring the country together by advocating equity, better health services, social justice, economic sustainability, innovation and a fair go for all. “My personal vision is that the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and the Olympic movement in Australia can embrace and walk together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through increased understanding and recognition of our cultures, histories, knowledge and rights.”
- Indigenous students’ views on AFL, rugby, MCERA/Flinders University, (25 October 2020). Playing football or rugby gives Indigenous students a chance to “feel proud” of their culture and people, a national study has found. The students said the sports were fun, enabled them to express their culture, provided them with support, and helped them connect with their families and communities. The 12 students came from several different mobs (Aboriginal cultural groups), five different high schools and one college.
- The numbers highlighting Indigenous players' immense impact on Australian rules football, Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson, ABC News, (20 August 2020). While some insist that sport and social issues should be kept separate, football has often been the stage where Indigenous leaders have found their voice, including the likes of Sir Doug Nicholls and Adam Goodes. The colossal impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander footballers is difficult to put in words. So, on the eve of this year's Indigenous Round, let's delve into some of the numbers that illustrate their contributions.
- 87 Indigenous Australians are currently on AFL lists — which is about 11 per cent of the entire playing cohort. 22 Indigenous players during this year's AFLW season, or 5 per cent of the competition.
- There's only been one Indigenous umpire in VFL or AFL football: Glenn James. James umpired the 1982 and 1984 VFL Grand Finals.
- 2 per cent - the number of Indigenous coaches in the AFL system badly trails the participation rate of players. There have only been two Indigenous senior coaches in the VFL/AFL, and none since 1984 — when Barry Cable left North Melbourne.
- Are sports programs closing the gap in Indigenous communities? The evidence is limited, Rona Macniven, John Evans, Rachel Wilson, The Conversation, (18 July 2019). To better understand the impact sport can have on Indigenous communities and how government investment could be better targeted, we undertook a review of 20 Australian studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2003 and 2018. Our review found some evidence that sport and physical activity increases Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school attendance, improves self-esteem, and can enhance cultural connectedness, values and identity. But the studies were inconclusive on whether sport and physical activity can have longer-term benefits, such as improving educational or employment outcomes or reducing crime.
- Sport’s important role in helping to Close the Gap. Dr Paul Oliver, Oliver and Thompson Consultancy, LinkedIn, (19 February 2016). The concept of sport as a tool to contribute to Close the Gap building blocks and targets is rooted in recognition that sport has unique attributes that enable it to contribute to community development goals. Sport’s universal popularity; its ability to connect people with communities; its capacity and reach as a communication platform; and its potential to empower, motivate and inspire make it a development tool that can be used to contribute to any number of objectives.
- A new game. Stuart Rintoul, The Age, (17 May 2014). Racial tension between Aboriginal and African youths in Darwin has been quelled by a shared love of sport.
- Physical activity and the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations people, Macniven R, Tishler X, McKeon G, et al., Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, catalogue number IMH 021, (December 2023). Summarises existing evidence on the relationship between physical activity and First Nations SEWB. It describes the policy context and actions, as well as program approaches implemented with First Nations adults and children in Australia. It takes the form of a scoping review of academic research and grey literature, including governmental reports and policy documents. The article focuses on the strengths of First Nations people’s experiences and knowledge and concludes with a summary of the key messages from this report that are essential for understanding First Nations physical activity participation and SEWB. Includes summaries of several programs and initiatives that use sport as a vehicle for engagement in physical activity including Deadly Choices; Dead or Deadly; Traditional Indigenous Games (TIG) Program; Community surfing programs; Indigenous Marathon Program (IMP); Fitzroy Stars Football Club; Sport-Based Youth Mentoring Program; ‘Strong Men’: Aboriginal community development of a cardiovascular exercise and health education program; Sport and Active Recreation Program in an Indigenous Men’s Shed.
- Youth Survey 2023, McHale, R., Brennan, N., Freeburn, T., et al., Mission Australia, (2023). The Mission Australia 2023 Youth Survey was completed by 19,501 young people aged 15-19 years from across the country. Young people were engaged via schools, local governments, community and service organisations, and through Mission Australia services. The survey was also available on the Mission Australia website, promoted via social media, and distributed to peak bodies, local governments, and community managed organisations. Some key findings include:
- Regardless of the type of challenge, a larger proportion of females than males mentioned that they found support from their teachers or professional supports, while a larger proportion of males than females mentioned the positive benefits of physical activity. Meanwhile, a higher proportion of gender diverse young people than females and males reported that nothing helped. Many young people said they turned to their friends and family to help them with their mental health challenges. They also listened to music or did physical activity when they were struggling with mental health issues.
- “Going to the gym and exercising. Playing football and going out bush for hunting, fishing and camping out on country.” Male, 17, NT
- For First Nations people the top activities that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people were involved in during the last year were sports (as a participant) (58.7%), sports (as a spectator) (44.8%) and volunteer work (34.1%).
- A higher proportion of males involved in sports (as a participant) (65.9% compared to 54.3%) and sports (as a spectator) (53.1% compared to 37.8%), while a greater proportion of females than males were involved in volunteer work (29.6% males compared to 39.7% females).
- First Nations young people, both males and females, were less likely to participate in sport (as a participant or spectator) and to volunteer than non-Indigenous youth.
- Regardless of the type of challenge, a larger proportion of females than males mentioned that they found support from their teachers or professional supports, while a larger proportion of males than females mentioned the positive benefits of physical activity. Meanwhile, a higher proportion of gender diverse young people than females and males reported that nothing helped. Many young people said they turned to their friends and family to help them with their mental health challenges. They also listened to music or did physical activity when they were struggling with mental health issues.
- Do Better - Independent review into Collingwood Football Club’s responses to Incidents of Racism and Cultural Safety in the Workplace, UTS for Collingwood Football Club, (2021). The Report is an independent review that challenges Collingwood to take a leadership position in Australian sport by confronting racism. It also urges Collingwood to use its past to inform its future and to drive change in our game and, more broadly, our nation. These challenges Collingwood accepts without qualification. The club has adopted all 18 recommendations in the REPORT and has begun the process of implementing them. Full Report.
- Racial Equality Review of Basketball Australia, Australian Human Rights Commission, (2021). In August 2020, the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) was engaged by Basketball Australia to undertake an independent Racial Equality Review (‘the Review’) of the sport at a national level. In conducting the Review, the Commission sought to engage with current and former national players and their families, coaches, administrators, and Basketball Australia staff by way of interviews, focus groups and written submissions. The Commission also undertook a ‘desktop audit’ of Basketball Australia’s relevant policies and procedures. The purpose of this engagement and audit was to examine and report on: Existing structural barriers to achieving racial equality within organisational policies, pathways, programs, leagues, governance, and culture within Basketball Australia; and, The experiences of current and former national players and their families, coaches, administrators, and Basketball Australia staff about the organisational culture at Basketball Australia, in particular as it relates to racial equality. This report outlines the Commission’s key findings, highlights international and domestic examples of good practice, and makes 12 recommendations for action and reform under three focus areas, including establishing targets to diversify Board membership and recruitment, embedding racial equality in all policies and education; delivering regular anti-racism and cultural awareness training; and improving opportunities and pathways for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander national players and national players from racial, ethnic, and/or ethno-religious minority groups to progress through the sport on and off the court.
- BA commit to addressing racial equality following independent review, Basketball Australia, (19 March 2021).
- Football's Indigenous Engagement: State of Play, Professional Footballers Australia on behalf of John Moriarty Football, (November 2018). Engagement between the major sporting codes and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians provides a significant opportunity for mutual benefit. This report benchmarks the progress being made by sporting codes to highlight football’s missed opportunity and to call for a reignition of football’s Indigenous engagement. Engagement between the major sports and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians provides a significant opportunity for mutual benefit. For sports, there is a pool of talent to be tapped, and a community of potential supporters to be embraced. For Indigenous communities, sport has the power to enhance social, education and health outcomes, and provide a pathway to rewarding professional careers, in turn developing inspirational role models.
- Indigenous Australians' Participation in Sports and Physical Activities: Part 2, Qualitative research, ORC International for the Australian Sports Commission, (March 2018). The research affirms the central role of sport and physical activity within Indigenous communities and the importance of sporting clubs and organisations to facilitate these opportunities. Increasing participation and overcoming barriers to sports and physical activities, for both adults and children was a priority amongst Indigenous people. The encouragement and facilitation of physically active traditional cultural practices can drive engagement and participation amongst Indigenous people of all ages – this was particularly evident in remote locations. Recommendations include ensuring that programs are culturally inclusive and respectful of Indigenous people, reducing costs, and increasing opportunities which are available within remote and some regional areas. While many issues related to sporting infrastructure, public transport and economic factors are beyond the remit of sporting clubs to solve, clubs can take some practical measures to improve participation amongst Indigenous Australians.
- The Indigenous Marathon Foundation Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis of the Indigenous Marathon Project, SVA for the Indigenous Marathon Foundation, (2018). Between 2014-2016, 35 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people from around Australia were selected to participate in the IMP, and 33 crossed the finish line. In the three year period covered by this SROI analysis, IMP created significant value for graduates, their families, members of their home communities and Government. The total value social, economic and cultural value created by IMP between 2014-2016 is estimated to be $13.6m. When compared to investment of $2.1m, the SROI ratio is 6.6:1 based on the investment for three years between 2014 and 2016. That is, for every $1 invested, approximately $6.60 of social and economic value has been created.
- After the Siren: The community benefits of Indigenous participation in Australia Rules Football. Michael Dockery and Sean Gorman, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre , (September 2017). This report aims to build on the narrative of Indigenous peoples’ participation in football at a grass-roots level, and the associated individual and community level outcomes. It is based on analyses of data from the 2014-2015 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS), supplemented by interviews with a number of stakeholders in West Australian communities. The community benefits of Indigenous participation in Australian Rules Football reveal the numerous benefits that participation in sport, and AFL in particular, bring to Indigenous Australians. Direct health benefits are apparent in both children and adults involved in AFL, with better mental and physical health outcomes compared to those who are not involved in sport. The report also highlights the broader role AFL can play in a community, by being the conduit through which community programs targeted at health and safety can be delivered, and the means through which communities can be brought together.
- Indigenous Australians' Participation in Sports and Physical Activities: Part 1, Literature and AusPlay data review, ORC International for the Australian Sports Commission, (March 2017). Analyses were performed on data produced by the AusPlay survey and recent literature. The AusPlay data analyses found that, in keeping with previous research findings, Indigenous people were less likely than non-Indigenous people to have participated in sports or physical activities in the last twelve months. However, the AusPlay data suggested that Indigenous adults who did participate tended to participate more frequently and for longer session times. A wide range of benefits were identified in the literature on Indigenous sport and physical activity participation. These included benefits to health and wellbeing, education and employment, the reduction of crime and anti-social behaviour, and increased social capital. It was also suggested that regular, organised, group participation created opportunities which could be leveraged for other service provision (such as health services), that it had potential economic benefits, and could contribute to reconciliation of Indigenous culture in the wider community. Sports clubs and associations were generally viewed as positive enablers of these benefits; however, authors cautioned against treating either sports and physical activity, or sports clubs, as some sort of ‘magic bullet’, noting that the benefits were inter-related, difficult to measure, and always occurring within a particular social and historical context.
- The Social Value of an Aboriginal Run Sporting Club, La Trobe University, Centre for Sport and Social Impact, (2016). The social return on investment for the Rumbalara FNC indicates that for every $1 invested in cash, volunteer time and other resources to run the club, it generates at least $5.45 return in social value in terms of increased social connectedness, wellbeing, and mental health status of its members and other community members; employment outcomes; personal development; physical health; Indigenous pride and support for the delivery of a range of non-sport programs for the Indigenous communities in the greater Shepparton region
- Supporting healthy communities through sports and recreation programs, Resource sheet no. 26, Vicki-Ann Ware and Veronica Meredith, produced for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, (December 2013). Healthy communities are communities in which people have the physical and mental health and wellbeing needed to conduct their daily lives. This paper reviewed the available evidence of a range of sports and recreation programs in relation to their effects on supporting and building healthy communities, what we know, what works, what doesn't work, and what we don't know. There is some evidence, in the form of critical descriptions of programs and systematic reviews, on the benefits to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from participation in sport and recreational programs. These include some improvements in school retention, attitudes towards learning, social and cognitive skills, physical and mental health and wellbeing; increased social inclusion and cohesion; increased validation of and connection to culture; and crime reduction.
- The Impact of Indigenous Community Sports Programs: The Case of Surfing, The University of Queensland, (June 2012). This report outlines findings from a research project that investigated the impact of community surfing programs on the lives of Indigenous Australians. The study examined whether surfing programs confer social benefits on participants and how surfing programs should be designed for sustainability and viability. The most significant finding related to the potential for surfing programs to connect participants so they could learn and develop in a variety of meaningful ways. Surf programs provided a way for Indigenous people to (re)connect with country, foster connections between participants and program providers, form bonds with other Indigenous children, and unite community members to reinforce and pass on aspects of culture. Beyond (and in some ways because of) this significant achievement, surfing programs were also found to generate other outcomes including:
- Participants learn to be safe and confident in the surf.
- Programs offer an escape from boredom or difficult life conditions and provide a way for participants to physically exert themselves in a positive way.
- Participants develop and can self-monitor their physical skills and improve aspects of their physical capacities.
- Participants develop psycho-social skills related to confidence, self-esteem, empathy, maturity and independence, and these can have an impact beyond programs (at school and home).
- Programs foster an understanding of first aid and surf etiquette which allows individuals to better navigate the coastal environment.
- It should be acknowledged that programs were not without fault or limits. The findings of this research indicate that surfing cannot be considered to be a ‘cure-all’. Not everyone surfs or likes surfing, it is possible to be injured, and just because children surf does not mean they will stop anti-social behaviours. The subsequent recommendation is that:
- Rather than emphasising the peripheral things sport can achieve, programs which do not explicitly and purposefully pursue other agendas (such as by strategic partnerships with health services) should be primarily considered with respect to the value of sport for sport’s sake.
- Evaluation of the AFL Remote Regional Development Program - Wadeye, Colmar Brunton for the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, (20 February 2012). This report reviews the effectiveness of the AFL Remote Regional Development Program in Wadeye, Northern Territory. Wadeye is a large Indigenous community facing significant and complex disadvantage, and with a growing gang sub-culture among youth. As one initiative to help reduce gang violence and improve community cohesion, a structured football program was developed for young people, tied to participation in education or employment and non-offending. This AFL Program aims to increase participation in education and employment, reduce crime, provide activities and aspirational goals, promote a sense of belonging, build community strength, provide positive social norms, provide positive role models, and improve general health. This review assesses the effectiveness of the program in meeting its goals, the effectiveness of its implementation, and the potential of the program model to be applied more generally. According to analysis of the most significant change data, the top five changes that have occurred as a result of the AFL Program are: People feel prouder to live in Wadeye; Players are helped to stay out of trouble; Players are role models to other boys and men; Men/boys who play are more active/healthier; Players are taught skills - discipline, respect, organisation, team work, leadership. These results underscore the intangible put powerful effect that Wadeye Magic, in particular, is having on peoples’ morale in Wadeye as well as the perceived positive effect the Program has on helping players stay out of trouble and become good role models who are more active and healthier and who are learning leadership skills. Issues with communication, lack of effective co-operation with other service provides; failing to engage women or provide a Junior League competition were also highlighted as key areas for improvement within the program.
- Evaluation of the AFL National Partnership Agreement, Collaborative Systemic Change for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, (November 2011). In 2008, the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) entered into a funding agreement with the Australian Football League (AFL). The name of that agreement was the Australian Government AFL Partnership Agreement. The AFL has used funding under the Partnership Agreement for two programs: The AFL Club Fostership Program (later known as the AFL Club Partnership Program); and The AFL Ambassadors for Life Mentoring Program. The evaluators assessed that some very positive outcomes have been achieved through the Fostership Program - the motivation that the visits by AFL clubs generates and examples of cohesiveness and purpose that Australian Rules Football tends to bring to remote communities during a football season. The simple fact of feeling that their communities are being recognised through AFL Clubs visit was seen by Aboriginal community people as a positive. In return, the evidence suggests that AFL Clubs participating in the Fostership Program have benefited participating because players and officials have had the chance to meet and gain a better understanding of Aboriginal peoples in remote areas in Australia.
- The future of sport in Australia [Crawford Report]. David Crawford, Australian Government, Independent Sport Panel, (2009). This report found that all levels of government were involved in the delivery of sport and recreation services to Indigenous Australians. It highlights that sport is a proven way to engage Indigenous young people but is under-resourced, and often not connected with other engagement programs. Sports facilities and resources are minimal in most remote communities. Much is being spent but little actually reaches the communities with much of the resources being absorbed in administration. Government departments and non-government organisations (NGOs) often use sport to achieve other social outcomes but they are not coordinated with sports infrastructure leading to wasteful, duplicated and ineffective outcomes. Put simply, there are too many missed opportunities in the lack of a coordinated strategy using sport as a means of delivering significant benefits to Indigenous Australians. Sport offers one of the most efficient and trusted pathways for success for many Indigenous people and communities. We underplay its significance in Australia and fail to take advantage of one of our clearest opportunities to deliver successful social outcomes—it’s not just about Aboriginal role models in sport—it is the total pathway of health, setting clear goals, aligning sporting opportunities with responsibility around education and employment. The Report recommended a rationalised, targeted approach to ensure that Indigenous Australians are receiving the best possible options to participate in quality sport and recreation programs.
- What's the Score? A survey of Cultural Diversity and Racism in Australian Sport, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, (2007). This report aims to provide the basis for organisations to consider future policy strategies aimed at both addressing racism within sport, as well as promoting an inclusive and non-discriminatory attitude by players, supporters, and the public. The report highlights that sport can break down barriers in ways that other areas of society can struggle to match, by encouraging participation, integration, and diversity. It also plays an important role in creating ‘social capital’ by developing connections, openness, and respect between different individuals and groups. This can lead to better understanding, cooperation and social cohesion within communities, but Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are also not represented proportionally in sporting organisations, and very few have represented at the elite and national level.
- Australian cricket, race, and First Nations Australians: the past and present, Chelsea Litchfield, Jaquelyn Osborne, Tracey Gale, Sport in History, Volume 42(3), pp.384-404, (2022). Games and sport during the colonial period in Australia were rarely hospitable to First Nations people. However, the first Australian cricket team to tour England in 1868 were predominantly First Nations men. While such a tour might appear to be a ‘triumph' for race relations in Australia, the details of the tour and treatment of the young men were haunting. The 1868 tour has been glorified in contemporary cricket circles, however, despite this, the promotion of the game to First Nations Australians is relatively recent. Over the last decade, Australian cricket has attempted to combat racism and promote First Nations player development through initiatives such as their Reconciliation Action Plan. One example of promoting the Black Lives Matter message and anti-racism has been carried out by Australia's national women's cricket team and the women's national T20 competition. In 2020, the Australian women cricketers made a conscious decision to promote the Black Lives Matter movement by engaging in a ‘barefoot circle' to acknowledge country before each match. This manuscript will explore the importance of the Australian women cricketers' actions and advocacy against the backdrop of Australia’s history and interactions with First Nations Australians in cricket.
- Sport organizations and reconciliation in Australia, Ashlee Morgan, Violetta Wilk, Sport in Society, Volume 25(11), pp.2339-2364, (2022). This article explores the current mobilization of Australian sport organizations in contributing to reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. This study focuses on the formal commitment of sport organizations to the reconciliation process. Through a stakeholder theory perspective and a shared value lens, 22 Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) were examined using text analytics and visualization software, Leximancer. It is concluded that, while continuing their regular business, sport organizations can be advocates of social justice and a RAP can contribute to the organization’s stakeholder ecosystem and guide its management processes and activities. However, questions remain as to how measurable and impactful the strategies and activities are, particularly in the mitigation of racism in Australian sport.
- ‘ … if my family didn’t play football … we would literally have pretty much nothing’: how high school Aboriginal students continue culture through rugby league and Australian football, John Williams, Shane Pill, John Evans, et al., Sport, Education and Society, Volume 27(1), pp.57-71, (2022). Sport, including rugby league and Australian football (AFL), was used in Australia to teach British values and gentlemanly behaviour to show Aboriginal people their ‘place’. This study explains how both sports have meaning for high school students, as an unintended outcome of their introduction to Australia’s Indigenous peoples. Figurational sociology, through its concern with long-term processes, is used to examine the importance of AFL and rugby league to 12 Year 7–10 (age 12–16 approximately) participants. Data were collected using six semi-structured interviews and were interpretively analysed. Instead of experiencing a sense of being ‘civilized’ or enlightened through their involvement in AFL and rugby league, participants instead spoke about both sports offering: (i) personal meaning through enjoyment and identity creation; (ii) family and community connections; (iii) support networks from family members, peers and others; and (iv) opportunities to continue their culture. It would seem then that the introduction of rugby league and AFL to Australia’s Indigenous peoples has resulted in the adaption of both sports for cultural and other reasons. It is possible that similar reconstruction of meaning is experienced by Indigenous groups beyond Australia who were similarly colonised by Western nations.
- Sport as a cultural offset in Aboriginal Australia? L.K. Sheppard, S.B. Rynne, J.M. Willis, Annals of Leisure Research, Volume 24(1), pp.29-50, (2021). Sport-for-development is increasingly employed as a tool for domestic development within marginalized communities. In Australia, sport is assumed to have a ‘natural fit’ with Aboriginal communities – accordingly it is utilized in a variety of ways. In seeking to challenge and examine this situation and the dominant / unquestioned / invisible assumptions inherent, we propose the notion of cultural offsetting – whereby sport is positioned as a way of offsetting a variety of losses that Australian Aboriginal communities and peoples have experienced and continue to experience. Within the context of sport, this article examines whether cultural offsetting using sport is feasible and/or desirable. While the conclusion reached is that Aboriginal peoples have been using sport as a cultural offset for some time, serious questions remain regarding the capacity of sport-for-development programmes to offset the variety of losses (e.g. culture, language, identity) experienced by Aboriginal Australians.
- The impact of physical activity and sport on social outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: A systematic scoping review, Rona Macniven, Karla Canuto, Rachel Wilson, et al., Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 22(11), pp.1232-1242, (2019). Of the 1160 studies identified, 20 met the inclusion criteria and were published between 2003 and 2018. Most studies reported positive findings across multiple, broad outcomes of education (N = 11), employment (N = 1), culture (N = 9), social and emotional wellbeing (N = 12), life skills (N = 5), and crime reduction (N = 5). Some evidence was found for increased school attendance and improved self-esteem resulting from physical activity and sport participation as well as enhanced aspects of culture, such as cultural connections, connectedness, values and identity. The authors conclude there is some evidence of benefit across the six social outcomes from physical activity and sport programs. This promotes their continuation and development, although critical appraisal of their methods is needed to better quantify benefits, as well as the generation of new evidence across indicators where gaps currently exist, particularly for employment and crime reduction outcomes.
- Bright spots, physical activity investments that work: Indigenous Marathon Foundation, Macniven R, de Castella R, Seriat EB, et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 52(20). pp.1302-1303, (2018). IMF takes a challenging goal (training to run a marathon in 6 months), uses it to change lives and then supports graduates to use running to inspire positive change, promote healthy lifestyles and build self-belief, pride and self-worth in others. IMF is embedded in communities and uses local role models, in contrast to many other role modelling programmes that use ‘fly in fly out’ sport or health professionals to deliver physical activity promotion. Thus, it operates in a sustainable manner, building capacity among local Indigenous people to reach hard-to-reach groups through this role modelling and the achievement of initiating previously inactive people to take up running.
- Indigenous Women's Sporting Experiences: Agency, Resistance and Nostalgia, Gary Osmond, Murray Phillips, Australian Journal of Politics and History, Volume 64(4), pp.561-575, (2018). This paper offers specific and broader insights on sport in Australian Indigenous communities and on the entanglement of the sporting past with the histories and politics of race and gender in Queensland. In repositioning researcher and researched in Aboriginal sport history, this paper demonstrates the potential of transformative narratives about the experiences of Indigenous Australians.
- A snapshot of physical activity programs targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, Rona Macniven, Michelle Elwell, Kathy Ride, et al., Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 28, pp.185-206, (2017). A total of 110 programs were identified across urban, rural and remote locations within all states and territories. Only 11 programs were located through bibliographic sources; the remainder through Internet searches. The programs aimed to influence physical activity for health or broader social outcomes. Sixty five took place in community settings and most involved multiple sectors such as sport, health and education. Almost all were free for participants and involved Indigenous stakeholders. The majority received Government funding and had commenced within the last decade. More than 20 programs reached over 1000 people each; 14 reached 0–100 participants. Most included process or impact evaluation indicators, typically reflecting their aims.
- An evaluation of an Australian Aboriginal controlled-community organization’s remote sports-based programme: a qualitative investigation, Louisa Peralta, Renata Cinelli, Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics, Volume 19(7), pp.973-989, (2016). Current research suggests that Aboriginal-controlled organizations should play a larger role in developing and implementing sports-based programs for Aboriginal young people. In this paper, we explore the influence of an Aboriginal-controlled organization and its government-funded remote sports-based program on Aboriginal participants and non-Aboriginal stakeholders.
- Aboriginal Rules: The Black History of Australian Football, Sean Gorman, Barry Judd, Keir Reeves, et al., International Journal of the History of Sport, Volume 32(16), pp.1947-1962, (2015). This paper is interested in the significance of Australian football to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia. In particular, in the cultural power of football and how it has foregrounded the struggle and highlighted the contribution that Indigenous people have made to the national football code of Australia. It also discusses key moments in Indigenous football history in Australia and questions further that a greater understanding of this contribution needs to be more fully explored from a national perspective in order to appreciate Indigenous peoples’ contribution to the sport not just in elite competitions but also at a community and grass roots level.
- Expecting too much? Can Indigenous sport programmes in Australia deliver development and social outcomes? Tony Rossi, International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 7(2), pp.181-195, (2015). Sport holds a special place in the national psyche of many nations with claims for sport being far reaching. More recently sport has been identified as a development and an educational tool in the areas of health and behaviour modification. Against the backdrop of the Close the Gap blueprint for Indigenous Australians and within the context of competing claims for sport, this paper discusses whether sport can genuinely contribute to community development in Indigenous Australian communities. Drawing on cases from sports-based programs that spanned a 5-year research program and informed by a theoretical framework inspired by Sen’s notion of ‘Development as Freedom’, this paper makes the case that sport can be a robust developmental tool capable of delivering social outcomes to marginalized communities.
- Indigenous Participation in Australian Sport: The Perils of the ‘Panacea’ Proposition, John Robert Evans, Rachel Wilson, Bronwen Dalton, et al., Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume 7(1), (2015). The argument that participation in sport among disadvantaged populations can produce positive outcomes in wide range of areas has been a consistent theme in academic literature. In Australia, participation in sport among Indigenous Australians has been proffered as a ‘panacea’ for many Indigenous problems; from promoting better health and education outcomes, to encouraging community building, good citizenship and entrepreneurship. Parallel to this has been a focus on documenting and analysing sport participation among Indigenous Australians in elite sport which often concludes that Indigenous Australians have an innate and ‘natural ability’ in sports.
- On and off the field: a Bourdieuian perspective on the significance of sport to urban Aboriginal Australians, Kathryn Browne-Yung, Anna Ziersch, Fran Baum, et al., Sport in Society, Volume 18(6), pp.717-733, (2015). Sport is highly valued in Australian society and is one of few environments where Aboriginal Australians have opportunities to excel and engage with non-Aboriginal people; however, there is little evidence to suggest that sport has led to social improvements in Aboriginal communities or any transfer of engagement into non-Aboriginal dominated activities. While much has been written about elite Aboriginal sportspeople, less is known about how other Aboriginal people feel about sport and its place in their lives, including how it is linked to social capital (the benefits that accrue to individuals and groups through their network membership). Drawing on in-depth interviews and applying Bourdieu's theory of practice, this paper examines the role of sport in social capital creation for Aboriginal people living in urban settings. While sport facilitated important social and cultural resources, there were limitations to its ability to reduce disadvantage for Australian Aboriginal people.
- The power of sport: Building social bridges and breaking down cultural barriers [thesis], Dr Paul Oliver, Curtin University, (September 2015). Is sport effective at breaking down cultural barriers within sporting communities for Indigenous Australians and people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds? Can it build social bridges by contributing to wider social issues? Drawing upon insights from those in this field, this thesis finds that sport is not the magic 'cure-all' that some assume. However, if managed correctly, sport can be an excellent medium for encouraging valuable debate, and can assist with positive social change.
- To play Papunya: the problematic interface between a remote Aboriginal community and the organization of Australian Football in Central Australia, Judd, Barry, Butcher, Tim, Sport in Society, Volume 18(5), pp.543-551, (2015). This paper outlines issues arising from engagement with the remote Aboriginal community of Papunya. Researching the relationship between the community's football club and the organization of competitive fixtures in the Central Australian Football League (CAFL), we found that contrary to popular discourse the well-being of men in Papunya may be damaged by their participation in ‘town football’. We outline the nature of the current relationship between Papunya and the CAFL and the efforts of Elders to reshape the organizational interface via the establishment of an ‘on-country’ football league. We highlight that organizational rhetoric about reconciliation and cross-cultural awareness is not enough to warrant effective working relationships with Papunya people. We argue that there is a need to move beyond recognition of difference that is embodied in such agendas to develop strategies of interface inclusive of Aboriginal understandings of football.
- The community network: an Aboriginal community football club bringing people together, Alister Thorpe, Wendy Anders, Kevin Rowley, Australian Journal of Primary Health, Volume 20(4), pp.356-364, (2014). The aim of the present study was to understand the impact of an Aboriginal community sporting team and its environment on the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of young Aboriginal men, and to identify barriers and motivators for participation. Results of the interviews were consistent with the literature, with common concepts emerging around community connection, cultural values and identity, health, values, racism and discrimination. However, the interviews provided further detail around the significance of cultural values and community connection for Aboriginal people. The complex nature of social connections and the strength of Aboriginal community networks in sports settings were also evident. Social reasons were just as important as individual health reasons for participation. Social and community connection is an important mechanism for maintaining and strengthening cultural values and identity. Barriers and motivators for participation in Aboriginal sports teams can be complex and interrelated. Aboriginal sports teams have the potential to have a profound impact on the health of Aboriginal people, especially its players, by fostering a safe and culturally strengthening environment and encompassing a significant positive social hub for the Aboriginal community.
- Sport development programmes for Indigenous Australians: innovation, inclusion and development, or a product of ‘white guilt’? Tony Rossi, Steven Rynne, Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics, Volume 17(8), pp.1030-1045, (2014). Under the legacy of neoliberalism, it is important to consider how the indigenous people, in this case of Australia, are to advance, develop and achieve some approximation of parity with broader societies in terms of health, educational outcomes and economic participation. In this paper, we explore the relationships between welfare dependency, individualism, responsibility, rights, liberty and the role of the state in the provision of Government-funded programmes of sport to Indigenous communities.
- Cathy Freeman and Australia’s Indigenous heritage: a new beginning for an old nation at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Leanne White, International Journal of Heritage Studies, Volume 9(2), pp.153-170, (2013). The paper examines representations of heritage and identity at the of the Sydney Games and how these images were played out in wider discussions about the future of the Australian nation state. The choice of Cathy Freeman was widely considered the ‘right’ choice and served to emphasise the highly considerable indigenous themes throughout the Opening Ceremony. The emphasis on indigenous culture continued during the Games and into the Closing Ceremony in a way that was partly orchestrated and partly developed a life of its own due to the actions of particular individuals. The Sydney Opening Ceremony was a significant moment for all Australians and pointed the way for how the nation might present itself to the international community in the new millennium.
- What makes us different? The role of Rumbalara Football and Netball Club in promoting Indigenous wellbeing, Joyce Doyle, Bradley Firebrace, Rachel Reilly, et.al., The Australian Community Psychologist, Volume 25(2), pp.7-21, (2013). The Rumbalara Football and Netball Club has competed in regional football and netball leagues since 1997, continuing a tradition that began with the Cummergunja football teams of the 1890s. The Club is an important contributor to cultural identity for Aboriginal people in the Goulburn-Murray Rivers region of northern Victoria. It is a place where Aboriginal people can (re)connect with community, language, and stories of culture and history. It is also a vehicle for building relationships with mainstream Australia. Through competing in regional football and netball leagues, the Club brings Aboriginal community into mainstream society, working towards and demanding recognition, equality, and respect for Aboriginal people. The Club’s hosting of visiting players and supporters enables mainstream visitors to accept reciprocity from the Aboriginal community. These characteristics of participation make up part of ‘being healthy’ for Aboriginal people. Because they drive engagement of Aboriginal people with the Club, they are foundational to the Club’s programs and activities that fit with a more conventional definition of ‘health promotion’, including programs to increase physical activity and improve diet, promote engagement of young people in education, and facilitate employment opportunities. The Club also engages in research which seeks to describe the breadth, strategies, and effectiveness of this health promotion activity.
- Promoting Cultural Harmony through Indigenous Inclusion, Dr Sean Gorman, 2018 Diversity and Inclusion in Sport Forum, Play by the Rules, (2018). Discusses the Indigenous Past Players Association which is now called the Indigenous Player Alliance, that’s to incorporate both current and past men and women.
- Feeling comfortable in your skin, Dean Widders, Welfare and Education manager, NRL, Now Best Next Conference (02 June 2016). Rugby League was the first sporting code in Australia to join the Close the Gap campaign with an inaugural Close the Gap Round in 2009. In 2015 we changed the wording to Indigenous round supporting the contribution of Indigenous communities to Rugby League. The round is all about showcasing the positive effect Rugby league has on Indigenous communities and celebrating the contribution to the game of Indigenous players and fans.
- Indigenous Webinar Series, Australian Sports Commission, (2012). This webinar series includes three webinars: Setting the scene and looking at the evolution; Creating opportunities for participation by working together; and Using sport for non-sport outcomes.
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Sport can contribute to improved educational outcomes and increased physical and mental wellbeing which can positively impact the ability to learn.
Impact
Education
Attaining higher levels of education generally improves employment opportunities and is associated with higher socio-economic and overall wellbeing. 30, 31, 32
The National Aboriginal and Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA) highlights research that if First Nations students reach the same level of academic achievement as other students by the age of 15, there is no significant difference in subsequent educational outcomes such as completing Year 12 and participating in university or vocational training. Additionally, First Nations individuals who complete a university degree, are as likely to become employed as a non-Indigenous person. Education is therefore seen as a key factor in various aspects of 'closing the gap'. 30, 33
Sport is often promoted as a way to engage First Nations young people in education, often as a 'hook', incentive, or reward for attendance, as well as by promoting positive role models. 34, 35, 36, 37, 38
Studies have demonstrated that sport participation can contribute to improved literacy and numeracy, positive educational outcomes, and improved physical and mental wellbeing which can have a positive impact on the ability to learn. 12, 31, 39, 40, 41
The 2017 ‘After the Siren’ report investigated First Nations participation in Australian rules football at a grass-roots level, and the associated individual and community level outcomes. Some key findings relating to education and learning included: 12
- Children who played football were six percentage points less likely to be assessed as having learning difficulties due to health issues.
- Boys living in remote areas playing Australian football had a 20% lower truancy incidence.
The 'Sporting Chance' program encouraged improved educational outcomes for First Nations students using sport and recreation. An evaluation of the program found that over 90% of the students in the study reported a positive attitude toward their schooling, particularly in relation to their attitudes to school, self-identity, sense of pride in being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and self-efficacy as learners. 42
- Sport boosting academic outcomes of Indigenous children, Darby Ingram, National Indigenous Times, (28 January 2021). Research from the University of South Australia has linked higher participation in sport among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with better academic performance. Conducted in partnership with the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney, the study found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who played organised sports every year for four years had numeracy skills that were advanced by seven months, compared to children who played less sport.
- In both schooling and sport, Australia has slowly come to recognise its Aboriginal talent pool, Colin Tatz, The Conversation, (13 April 2018). Back in the 1960s, I wrote seemingly endless pieces about sport being a better pathway for Aboriginal youth than education. That remains true: where else but on the sports field can an under-educated and even a troubled youth pit their skills against opponents, get paid enormous sums, manage their own brand names, have entourages, achieve celebrity status and social mobility – and get to publish memoirs before reaching the age of 30? But what happens to life after sport is another story.
- We can use AFL to boost school attendance and improve mental health in Indigenous communities, Michael Dockery, The Conversation, (14 September 2017). Indigenous boys living in remote Australian communities have a 20% lower truancy rate if they play AFL. This is one of the findings from our latest study exploring the benefits of Indigenous people’s participation in Australian rules football (AFL). Our report, After the Siren: The community benefits of Indigenous participation in Australia Rules Football found Indigenous children who participate in AFL have better physical and mental health than those who don’t. Children who played football were 6% less likely to be assessed as having learning difficulties due to health issues.
- Indigenizing Education: Discussions and Case Studies from Australia and Canada, Alison Sammel, Susan Whatman, Levon Blue (eds.), Springer Nature, (2020). This book provides guidance for community, school, and university-based educators who are evaluating their educational philosophies and practices to support Indigenizing education. Relevant chapters include:
- A Dialogue Around Indigenizing Education and Emerging Themes, Nerida Blair, Blair Stonechild, Linda Goulet, et.al., pp.3-28, (May 2020).
- Embedding Indigenous Knowledges in Australian Initial Teacher Education: A Process Model, Susan Whatman, Juliana McLaughlin, Victor Hart, pp.163-180, (May 2020).
- National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA). NASCA is acutely aware that effective Aboriginal education outcomes require connection to communities and engaged parents and guardians. NASCA’s model engages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mentors or mentors with a deep understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues as a crucial key in the development of the educational confidence of young Indigenous people. By adding cultural elements and encouraging community input in the school day we are directly addressing a gap that is evident in the mainstream education system.
- John Moriarty Football. JMF is named for co-founder, John Moriarty, the first Aboriginal player selected to play football for Australia. It is a transformational skills mastery program for 6-18 year-olds that uses football (soccer) for talent and positive change, improving school attendance and achieving resilient, healthier outcomes in Indigenous communities. JMF is a permanent presence in the communities where we operate. We deliver 5-6 days per week to primary and secondary school children, with equal participation of boys and girls, through in-school and after school sessions, school holiday clinics and tournaments.
- Indi Footi is a pre-school football fitness program for 2 to 6 year olds delivered by John Moriarty Football coaches through our Indi Kindi initiative. Indi Footi promotes healthy growth and development and is aligned to Indi Kindi’s daily messaging: *Eat well *Drink well *Clean well *Play well. The underlying objective of Indi Footi is to activate young brains through movement, and develop basic football and motor skills, balance and coordination in a fun, non-competitive way.
- The JMF Scholarships and Pathways initiative provides a life-changing pathway for talented young footballers aged 10-18 years in our grassroots JMF program who show exceptional sporting ability and a desire to work hard at school.
- Coaching Unlimited. A national coaching education program that provides sport-specific coaching accreditation, and research-based health promotion workshops, to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples become sport coaches and community leaders.
- Coaching Unlimited: Empowering generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, A research report commissioned by Netball Australia and Netball New South Wales, (2017). Based on the survey and interview results, all coaches either agreed or strongly agreed that the Coaching Unlimited workshop included useful resources; increased their interest in, and understanding of, the workshop topics; and, enhanced their ability to implement strategies relating to the workshop.
- ‘We were made to feel comfortable and … safe’: co-creating, delivering, and evaluating coach education and health promotion workshops with Aboriginal Australian peoples, Andrew Bennie, Demelza Marlin, Nick Apoifis, et al., Annals of Leisure Research, Volume 24(1), pp.168-188, (2021). This paper outlines the processes for co-creating and delivering Coaching Unlimited. We used the Ngaa-bi-nya framework – an Aboriginal health and social programme evaluation framework. Using the four domains of Ngaa-bi-nya, we were able to confirm the importance of co-creating and delivering the workshops in a culturally safe and inclusive environment.
- The Clontarf Foundation works to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem, and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and by doing so equips them to participate meaningfully in society. Using the existing passion that these boys have for sport allows Clontarf to initially attract them to school, and then keep them coming. It is however, not a sporting programme – it’s about developing the values, skills, and abilities that will assist the boys to transition into meaningful employment and achieve better life outcomes.
- Shooting Stars, an initiative of Glass Jar Australia, empowers Aboriginal girls and women across Western and South Australia to make informed choices about their education and employment journey, helping them shoot for the stars. Based in host schools, our program combines advocacy and support, engagement activities, rewards, and health and wellbeing sessions to strengthen participants' confidence, cultural identity, and positive attitudes, while promoting their health and wellbeing. Participants are engaged with different sports, arts, and fun games at school and outside of school. The program operates with a minimum target of 80% attendance at school for our Indigenous girls, with a goal to increasing this to over 90%.
- I-CAN is an Indigenous Marathon Foundation program that works in remote Indigenous primary schools and communities across Australia to provide children with access to fun and educational health and fitness programs that encourages school attendance and addresses childhood obesity and inactivity. The program is conducted over an eight-week period during the selected school term and involves a series of health screenings, delivery of weekly games and activities in schools and communities, and the installation of running tracks and fitness equipment in primary schools or community parks. The program also trains and supports local teachers and community leaders to improve the children’s skill, abilities, understanding and enjoyment of physical activity and health.
- Education Statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (December 2020). Early childhood, primary, secondary, and non-school education statistics including highest level of education and attendance information.
- Barhava Report: Indi Kindi Impact Report, Moriarty Foundation, (August 2020). Indi Kindi has successfully developed a model that has been driven by, and adapted to, the needs of the community. This model draws on local Indigenous leaders, employs local Indigenous women, fosters local Indigenous languages and culture, and operates outdoors on Country through a uniquely interactive ‘walking learning’ approach. The 'Barhava Report' is an independent assessment of the impact Indi Kindi has demonstrated in Borroloola and Robinson River, two very remote Northern Territory Indigenous communities with complex needs and disadvantages. Benefits of Indi Kindi for the local community include: Improved educational outcomes for the children attending the service, including demonstrated improvements in listening, school readiness, classroom engagement and motor skills.
- After the Siren: The community benefits of Indigenous participation in Australia Rules Football, Michael Dockery and Sean Gorman, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, (September 2017). This report is based on analyses of data from the 2014-2015 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS), supplemented by interviews with a number of stakeholders in West Australian communities. The community benefits of Indigenous participation in Australian Rules Football reveal the numerous benefits that participation in sport, and AFL in particular, bring to Indigenous Australians. Direct health benefits are apparent in both children and adults involved in AFL, with better mental and physical health outcomes compared to those who are not involved in sport. The report also highlights the broader role AFL can play in a community, by being the conduit through which community programs targeted at health and safety can be delivered, and the means through which communities can be brought together.
- Evaluation of the Sporting Chance Program, Lonsdale, M., Wilkinson, J., Armstrong, S., McClay, D., et.al., for the Australian Council for Educational Research, (2011). The objective of the Sporting Chance Program is to encourage improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students using sport and recreation. Such outcomes may include an increase in school attendance, strengthened engagement with school and improved attitudes to schooling, improved achievement in learning, increased retention to Year 12 or its vocational equivalent, and greater parental and community involvement with the school and students’ schooling. The program comprises two elements: School-based Sports Academies (Academies) for secondary school students; and, Education Engagement Strategies (EES) for both primary and secondary school students. More than 90 per cent of the 1,012 students surveyed and interviewed as part of the evaluation reported a positive attitude toward their schooling, particularly in relation to their attitudes to school, self-identity, sense of pride in being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and self-efficacy as learners.
- Contextual factors that influence the achievement of Australia’s Indigenous students: Results from PISA 2000 - 2006, Lisa De Bortoli, Sue Thomson, Australian Council for Educational Research, (2010). Results from international programs that assess the skills and knowledge of young people have indicated that Australia’s Indigenous students perform at a significantly lower level than non-Indigenous students. The current report provides an understanding of how various aspects of students’ background and psychological constructs relate to each other and to student performance.
- ‘ … if my family didn’t play football … we would literally have pretty much nothing’: how high school Aboriginal students continue culture through rugby league and Australian football, John Williams, Shane Pill, John Evans, et al., Sport, Education and Society, Volume 27(1), pp.57-71, (2022). Sport, including rugby league and Australian football (AFL), was used in Australia to teach British values and gentlemanly behaviour to show Aboriginal people their ‘place’. This study explains how both sports have meaning for high school students, as an unintended outcome of their introduction to Australia’s Indigenous peoples. Figurational sociology, through its concern with long-term processes, is used to examine the importance of AFL and rugby league to 12 Year 7–10 (age 12–16 approximately) participants. Data were collected using six semi-structured interviews and were interpretively analysed. Instead of experiencing a sense of being ‘civilized’ or enlightened through their involvement in AFL and rugby league, participants instead spoke about both sports offering: (i) personal meaning through enjoyment and identity creation; (ii) family and community connections; (iii) support networks from family members, peers and others; and (iv) opportunities to continue their culture. It would seem then that the introduction of rugby league and AFL to Australia’s Indigenous peoples has resulted in the adaption of both sports for cultural and other reasons. It is possible that similar reconstruction of meaning is experienced by Indigenous groups beyond Australia who were similarly colonised by Western nations.
- Combining psychology, a Game Sense Approach and the Aboriginal game Buroinjin to teach quality physical education, Williams, J., Pill, S., Coleman, J., et al., Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, Volume 13(1), pp.34-48, (2022). In this research, we show how a quality teaching framework can be used with psychology, specifically self-determination theory (SDT), and a Game Sense Approach (GSA) to plan and teach a unit of work as a context-specific version of quality Physical Education. This unit of work using Buroinjin, an Australian Aboriginal traditional game, was taught to two Year 5 classes (49 students in total aged 10–11 years) at a government school in Australia’s capital city, Canberra. Following unit completion, a qualitative research design was adopted to answer our research question: To what extent do Year 5 students experience basic psychological need satisfaction by playing Buroinjin taught using a GSA? Four semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 26 of the original students who were taught the unit. Findings suggest the unit was effective in satisfying the participants’ SDT basic needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness.
- Conceptualising games and sport teaching in physical education as a culturally responsive curriculum and pedagogy, Shane Pill, John Evans, John Williams, et al, Sport, Education and Society, Volume 27(9), pp.1005-1019, (2022). We present an opportunity to ‘close the gap’ between Western and Aboriginal knowledge through the purposeful design of engagement in reconciliation, respect and recognition of continuous living Aboriginal cultures. We use the game Parndo (ASC, 2000) to illustrate an example of how Yunkaporta’s (2009) framework and the Game Sense approach (GSA) become a solution for closing our identified gap. By proposing a culturally responsive curriculum, we focus on the importance of identity for all people and how curricula must be relevant and meaningful for all Australians. Importantly, Yunkaporta's (2009) 8 Ways is a product of ‘cultural interface’, co-created through dialogue between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal educators. Our findings, although not transferable to other settings, nonetheless have relevance to other countries where there is a similar move to decolonise PE curricula.
- Sport and academic performance in Australian Indigenous children, Dorothea Dumuid, Rachel Wilson, Timothy Olds, et al., Australian Journal of Education, Volume 65(1), pp.103-116, (2021). Sport may promote academic performance through physiological and psychosocial mechanisms. We aimed to examine the association between sports participation and academic performance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Participants were from four successive waves of Australia’s Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (n = 303, baseline age 5–6 y). Cumulative sports participation was regressed against academic performance from two standardised tests. Results showed that children participating in sport at all four waves performed significantly better than children participating in sport in 0, 2 or 3 waves in Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) Maths, and better than children participating at two waves in National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) numeracy. There were no significant differences in PAT reading or NAPLAN literacy. The authors conclude that sports participation appears to be associated with subsequent better numeracy (2–7 months of learning) in a sample of Australian indigenous children. Fostering sports participation among indigenous children may be an avenue for reducing disadvantage.
- Navigating culturally responsive pedagogy through an Indigenous games unit, Alison Wrench, Robyne Garrett, Sport, Education and Society, Volume 26(6), pp.567-578, (2021). Curricula and pedagogies that fail to utilise the cultural resources of students contribute to educational disadvantage. The health and physical education (HPE) learning area is not exempt from these concerns with calls emerging within Australia to include movement forms and ways of knowing of Indigenous and ethnic-minority students. In many respects, these are calls to counter the normativity of Anglo-Saxon middle-class male framings for HPE. This paper engages with these concerns and seeks to contribute through reporting on a case study from Australian-based research into culturally responsive pedagogies (CRP).
- Lifestyle clusters and academic achievement in Australian Indigenous children: Empirical findings and discussion of ecological levers for closing the gap, Rachel Wilson, Dorothea Dumuid, Tim Olds, et al., SSM - Population Health, Volume 10, (April 2020). Participation in sport and physical activity can improve academic outcomes and has been identified as a potential mechanism for addressing educational disadvantage and ‘closing the gap’ in Australian Indigenous communities. To explore this possibility in relation to sport and lifestyle we performed a cluster analysis on data from the Footprints in Time study (also known as the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children), using data from Waves 3–6 (2010–2013, ages 5–9 years) of this cohort study. Cluster inputs were organised according to not only sports participation, but also screen time, sleep duration and unhealthy food intake, as reported in parent surveys. Three clusters were identified: Low Sport (36% of sample), characterised by low sports participation and low sleep duration; Junk Food Screenies (21% of sample), with high screen time and high intake of unhealthy foods; and High Sport (43% of sample), showing high sports participation and low screen time. Cluster membership was associated with academic performance for NAPLAN Literacy and Numeracy, and for PAT Maths. The High Sport cluster consistently performed better on these tests, with effect sizes (standardised mean differences) ranging from 0.10 to 0.38.
- Using a Game Sense Approach to Teach Buroinjin as an Aboriginal Game to Address Social Justice in Physical Education, John Williams, Shane Pill, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, Volume 39(2), pp.176-185, (2020). To explore a teacher educator professional learning opportunity within the context of a taught unit of work at a government primary school in Canberra, Australia’s national capital. The unit of work focus was a traditional Australian Aboriginal game taught using a Game Sense Approach to deliver a socially just version of quality physical education. Participants were Author 1 and 49 Year 5 students (aged 10–11 years). Game Sense Approach was found to be an effective professional learning opportunity for Author 1, while Author 2’s knowledge about Indigenous perspectives in physical education was extended. In addition, student participants valued the taught lessons, which highlighted issues of social justice. It is possible for the self-study approach described here and seemingly incompatible epistemological approaches to work together to realize a socially just version of quality physical education that can inform physical education teaching beyond this study.
- Yarning with the Stars Project: An Indigenous evaluation protocol for a sport for development and peace program, Rose Whitau, Helen Ockerby, Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 7(13), pp.46-54, (September 2019). In Australia, the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their non-Indigenous peers is significant in terms of attendance, retention to Year 12, and literacy and numeracy skills, with the gap widening in regional and remote contexts. School-based, “academy-style” engagement programs work to close this gap by providing holistic support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students while requiring a certain level of school attendance by program participants. Shooting Stars is an engagement program based in seven remote and regional schools in Western Australia, where it uses netball and other incentives to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls in their education, while promoting their health and wellbeing. Shooting Stars evaluates the efficacy of its services through collation of attendance data, participant case studies, and yarning circles. The methods used in the yarning circles research were developed over 18 months in collaboration with Shooting Stars participants, localized Shooting Stars steering committees, and Shooting Stars staff. This paper presents the evaluation protocols for the Shooting Stars program, focusing on the yarning circles’ methods in order to provide a framework or model of Indigenous evaluation methods for others working within this space.
- The impact of physical activity and sport on social outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: A systematic scoping review, Rona Macniven, Karla Canuto, Rachel Wilson, et al., Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 22(11), pp.1232-1242, (2019). Of the 1160 studies identified, 20 met the inclusion criteria and were published between 2003 and 2018. Most studies reported positive findings across multiple, broad outcomes of education (N = 11), employment (N = 1), culture (N = 9), social and emotional wellbeing (N = 12), life skills (N = 5) and crime reduction (N = 5). Some evidence was found for increased school attendance and improved self-esteem resulting from physical activity and sport participation as well as enhanced aspects of culture, such as cultural connections, connectedness, values and identity.
- A figurational analysis of how Indigenous students encounter racialization in physical education and school sport, John Williams, European Physical Education Review, Volume 24(1), pp.76-96, (February 2018). The recently launched Australian Curriculum Health and Physical Education has five propositions, one of which is for students to adopt a critical inquiry approach within this subject area. In particular, students are encouraged to explore issues that relate to social power and taken-for-granted assumptions. This paper problematizes the concept of ‘biological race’ as one such assumption at three government high schools in Canberra, Australia’s national capital. This study found that Indigenous students at the three schools experience racialization both from their health and physical education (HPE) teachers and from their non-Indigenous peers. Figurational sociology was used to show that this racialization is a characteristic of power relationships in the physical education and school sport figuration examined. The findings presented are important because they show that HPE teachers perpetuate the myth of ‘biological race’. Further, this fantasy of ‘biological race’ restricts opportunities for Indigenous students and is an obstacle for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
- ‘I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as Aboriginal games’: a figurational account of how Indigenous students experience physical education, John Williams, Sport, Education and Society, Volume 23(5), pp.462-474, (2018). This article is about how Indigenous students from Year 7 to 10 at three government schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) experience PE. Data were collected over a two year period using semi-structured interviews, school websites, school based documentation and wider ACT Education and Training Directorate system level documents. The research found that Indigenous students experience almost entirely Eurocentric PE that lacks acknowledgment of their own culture. The PE provided is an example of ‘superior’ knowledge characteristic of dominant groups. The research also showed that the habituses of key players such as principals, Health and Physical Education curriculum writers and teachers were pivotal as long-term processes in upholding Eurocentric PE content. The findings suggest that for Indigenous perspectives to be included in PE as stipulated in national level documentation, policy directives alone are inadequate. For meaningful change to take place alteration at the habitus level of the mentioned key players has to occur and such change requires a multi-faceted approach.
- Indigenous knowledges as a way to disrupt norms in physical education teacher education, Susan Whatman, Mikael Quennerstedt, Juliana McLaughlin, Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical Education, Volume 8(2), pp.115-131, (2017). The maintenance and reproduction of prevailing hegemonic norms have been well explored in physical education teacher education (PETE). A related problem has been the exclusion of Indigenous knowledges around health and physical education (HPE) in students’ experiences of HPE and PETE. The danger is that certain ways of being and becoming a PE teacher, other than the sporty, fit, healthy (and white) teacher, are excluded, positioning other preservice teachers’ experiences, knowledges and ways to teach as deficient. In this paper, we discuss findings from an investigation (Australian Office for Learning and Teaching CG10-1718) into the HPE practicum experiences of Indigenous Australian preservice teachers.
- Sport, Educational Engagement and Positive Youth Development: Reflections of Aboriginal Former Youth Sports Participants. Fitch, N., Ma'ayah, F., Harms, C., et al., The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, Volume 46(1), pp.23-33, (2017). The purpose of the current research was to investigate how participation in sports impacted on the educational engagement, aspirations and development of Aboriginal former youth sports participants. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of semi-structured interviews with six participants was conducted. For these participants, involvement in youth sport had clear educational and developmental benefits. It is concluded that youth sports participation is one developmental context with the potential to have a positive influence on the educational and developmental trajectory of Aboriginal youth.
- A Kickstart to Life: Australian Football League as a Medium for Promoting Lifeskills in Cape York Indigenous Communities, Maree Dinanthompson, Juanita Sellwood, Felicity Carless, The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, Volume 37(1), pp.152-164, (2015). This paper presents evidence collected from an evaluatory study of the Kickstart program conducted by Australian Football League (AFL) Cape York in far North Queensland. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Kickstart program in meeting its overall objective of enhancing lifeskills of Indigenous Australians through participation in AFL. Evidence collected via interviews with Indigenous youth, parents, teachers and Kickstart stakeholders (including community representatives) suggest mixed meanings surrounding the interpretation of “lifeskills”, and yet improvement in the education, attitudes, and lifestyle choices of Indigenous youth in the selected Cape York communities.
- Indigenous Youth Sports Program - Widening participation for higher education, Macgregor, Campbell; Mann-Yasso, Melinda; Wallace, Stacey; et al., Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, Volume 17(1), pp.86-102, (2015). In this report the success of the Indigenous Youth Sports Program (IYSP) at Central Queensland University is evaluated. Students who participated in the IYSP completed a survey both pre and post IYSP that was targeted at their age level. There is a call for a change of culture within institutions and ongoing emphasis on the value of higher education institutions to develop relationships with schools, while acknowledging that the changing context for schools (development of academies in particular) means that flexibility is necessary. Where academic departments do engage with local schools and communities in a sustained and detailed way, the results are encouraging, especially when sport is used as the medium to engage young people. The IYSP successfully increased student knowledge of HE opportunities that exist for these students, and resulted in increased awareness of the various choices they have for pursuing HE.
- Recognising change and seeking affirmation: themes for embedding Indigenous knowledges on teaching practicum, Julie McLaughlin, Susan Whatman, International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, Volume 14(2), (2015). In this paper, we discuss key themes that emerged from a recent Australian Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) research project which investigated ways in which preservice teachers from one Australian university embedded Indigenous knowledges (IK) on teaching practicum.
- The Effects of a Community and School Sport-Based Program on Urban Indigenous Adolescents’ Life Skills and Physical Activity Levels: The SCP Case Study, Louisa Peralta, Donna O’Connor, Wayne Cotton, et al., Health, Volume 6(18), (2014). The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a community and school sport program (SCP) on Indigenous adolescents’ life skills and physical activity levels within program sessions. A secondary aim was to determine the acceptability of the SCP. The objective of the SCP is to encourage improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students using sport. Such outcomes may include an increase in school attendance, strengthened engagement with school, improved attitudes to schooling and improved achievement in learning. A recent evaluation of these outcomes found that the SCP is meeting these objectives with girls reporting a 11.5% increase and boys reporting a 15.4% increase in attendance since joining the SCP, more than 90% reporting a positive attitude towards school, 90% of lower secondary students maintaining or improving literacy levels and 92% maintaining or improving numeracy understanding. This study highlights the need for partnerships between Indigenous community organisations and schools to design sport-based programs to promote Indigenous adolescents’ MVPA.
- Indigenous Secondary Education in the Northern Territory: Building for the Future, Jeannie Herbert, Dennis McInerney, Lyn Fasoli, et al., The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, Volume 43(2), pp.85-95, (2014). This article reports on the findings of an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded research project, ‘Building the future for Indigenous students’, an investigation of the hopes and dreams for the future of over 1,000 secondary students, 733 of whom were Indigenous, living in very remote, remote, and urban locations in the Northern Territory. Using both quantitative and qualitative research tools, researchers sought to understand what motivated the students at school and how they studied — critical elements in successful school achievement. The strongest motivations they provided for attending school were the opportunities that school provided to play sports and for enjoying the company of their peers. Despite their interest in sport where the competition to win is highly motivating, when asked about competition in school work, most of the students tended to endorse collaboration over competing with each other.
- Introducing Torres Strait Island dance to the Australian high school physical education curriculum, John Williams, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Volume 34(3), pp.305-318, (2014). This study was carried out within the context of a requirement for every Australian Capital Territory Education and Training Directorate (ACT ETD) high school to include Indigenous perspectives across all areas of the curriculum. For the first time ever in the case study school reported in this article, two Torres Strait Island dances were taught to students from Year 7 to Year 9. Traditionally dance within Physical Education (PE) in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has been informed by British and American influences. This paper seeks to problematize the inclusion of Indigenous dance into a Westernized PE curriculum and considers the challenges faced by non-Indigenous Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers in relation to this, as well as what support is available. It is argued from the findings of this study that it is possible for schools to move beyond traditional PE content and include Indigenous perspectives in a non-tokenistic way. However, it is also argued that such an approach requires Indigenous people to have a central role, and for non-Indigenous teachers to challenge taken for granted mainstream Westernized and racialized teaching practices and discourses.
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Sport—particularly team-based—can support resilience and mental health, social connectedness, and the likelihood of continuing physical activity long term.
Impact
Health and well-being
Increasing physical activity (PA) can reduce the risk of developing a range of non-communicable diseases and illness as well as improving physical fitness and enhancing cognitive, psychological, and social development. 43, 44, 45
Sport—particularly team-based sport—can provide outcomes including improved resilience and mental health, positive role models, social connectedness, and a higher likelihood of meeting PA guidelines and continuing PA long term. 43, 45, 46, 47, 62
Many First Nations people and communities have a strong connection to sport. Some of Australia's most popular sport role models, such as Patty Mills, Ashleigh Barty, Adam Goodes, and Cathy Freeman are also proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) ‘Physical activity across the life stages report’ highlighted that First Nations children aged 5-17 were more likely to meet the physical activity guideline for moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA) than children in the broader population. 48
The Footprints in Time longitudinal study of Indigenous children also found that children in the study who live in areas of high, moderate, or extreme isolation were more physically active, and more likely to be able to ride a bicycle or swim unassisted at younger ages than children living in areas of low isolation (i.e., urban areas). However, those in urban areas were more likely to participate in organised sports and dance, with older children and boys having higher participation rates in these activities. 45
Determinants of health
While acknowledging the strengths, resilience, and impact of First Nations people in sport, many also experience a greater and avoidable health gap compared with the rest of the population. 49, 50, 61
Social determinants of health, include access to education, employment, income, appropriate health services, and secure housing. These factors play a significant role in population health and wellbeing. 50
For First Nations peoples, the impacts of colonisation such as the introduction of infectious and chronic diseases and social/physical dislocation (loss of connection to family, community, and land) have contributed significantly to negative health outcomes when compared to the broader population. 50, 51, 52
Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) indicates that First Nations individuals experience a burden of disease that is 2.3 times the rate of the wider Australian community, although the absolute gap narrowed between 2003 and 2018. 49
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ‘National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey’ provides data on long-term health conditions, disability, lifestyle factors, physical harm, and use of health services. Some key findings include: 53
- 46% of people had at least one chronic condition, up from 40% in 2012–13.
- 17% of people two years and over had anxiety and 13% had depression.
- 37% of children 2–14 years were overweight/obese, up from 30% in 2012–13.
- 71% of people aged 15 years and over were overweight or obese — almost 29% were overweight and more than 43% were obese.
- 89% of people aged 15 years and over did not meet the physical activity guidelines for their age.
- More than 22% of people aged 15 years and over had done no physical activity at all in the last week.
Impact of physical inactivity
Physical inactivity has a significant impact on the likelihood of developing many diseases including type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer, dementia, coronary heart disease and stroke, as well as uterine and breast cancer in females. 43
In 2018, physical inactivity accounted for 2.4% of the total disease burden among First Nations people. These estimates reflect the percentage of disease burden that could be avoided if all First Nations people met the Australian physical activity guidelines, including: 54
- 24% of the total disease burden due to type 2 diabetes
- 21% of coronary heart disease burden
- 16% of uterine cancer burden
- 15% due to bowel cancer
- 13% of stroke burden
- 12% of dementia burden
- 5% of breast cancer
Health benefits of sport
Available evidence supports a positive impact of sport participation on the health and wellbeing of First Nations people. 55, 56, 57, 58, 61
- 'Footprints in Time: A longitudinal study of Indigenous children' that began in 2008 found that for children in the study participation in organised sport or dance was related to better social and emotional wellbeing. This relationship remained clear even after controlling for age, sex, general health, television watching, psychological distress, the number of major life events experienced by the family in the past year, and the relative disadvantage of the area. 45
- The 'What Works for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men?' systematic review identified interventions, programs, and activities that are successful in improving the wellbeing of First Nations men. It found that playing sport, especially group or team sports, contributed to social and community connection, and having a sense of belonging and identity. 47
- The study, 'Factors Associated with Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Presenting to Urban Primary Care' found that participating in sport or community activities was associated with decreased thoughts of self-harm or suicide. The authors suggest this reflects the cultural strength of these communities, and the social connectivity and cultural affirmation attained through community sporting activities. 59
- A 2015 evaluation of a sport and active recreation program in an Indigenous Men's Shed confirmed the importance of sport and active recreation programs in enhancing the social connectedness, health and wellbeing of an Indigenous community. 62
- Analysis of the 2012 Mission Australia Youth Survey (MAYS) found that among First Nations youth aged 15–19 years those who participated in sport were 3.5 times more likely to report good general health and 1.6 times more likely to have no serious mental illness. 60
- The ‘After the Siren’ report investigated First Nations participation in Australian rules football at a grass-roots level, and the associated individual and community level outcomes. Some key health and wellbeing findings included: 12
- Those playing AFL were twice as likely to rate their health as excellent, as those playing no sport.
- 56% of children who participated in football were assessed as being in excellent health compared to 48% of those who had not participated in any organised sport.
- Children who played football were 6 percentage points less likely to be assessed as having learning difficulties due to health issues.
- Mental health was estimated to be higher among adults who participate in organised sport, after controlling for an extensive range of other factors.
- Adults who played football in the previous 12 months reported higher life satisfaction than people who did not participate in sport.
- Adults who played football reported more frequent social contact and were more likely to feel they had support outside their immediate household [an important determinant of positive mental and social wellbeing].
- Indigenous Marathon Project runners shed light on health of First Nations people as they train for New York Marathon, Anthea Moodie, ABC, (13 May 2024). Yorta Yorta man Koolyn Briggs is training almost every day for the New York Marathon as part of the Indigenous Marathon Project. But his lifestyle hasn't always been this healthy. "Eight years ago, I was 130 kilos," he said. "I was drinking five, six times a week, I wasn't eating healthy, I wasn't working out." The Melbourne electrician said he had a lot of mental health problems that "led him astray". "I didn't really have many other good influences in my life, and I didn't have any platforms like this [Indigenous Marathon Project] to engage in," he said.
- MobMoves childhood exercise program tackles chronic disease to improve First Nations health, Brendan Mounter, ABC Far North, (12 June 2023). On a footy field in a Far North Queensland Aboriginal community, a group of excited children are hard at play. Little do they know, they're also learning valuable life skills and building a positive relationship with exercise.
- Cultural Choice Association. 'Boots for a Brighter Future' is just one of a number of initiatives run by the Cultural Choice Association, an organisation run by Connor Watson and his family with the goal of raising awareness and support around Indigenous youth suicide. It provides Indigenous youth with an opportunity to connect with their culture and identity through art, while partnering with NRL clubs in the fight against youth suicide.
- How Sydney Roosters star Connor Watson is helping lead the fight against Indigenous youth suicide, Nick Campton, ABC, (18 May 2023).
- Profile of First Nations people, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2 July 2024). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people are the first peoples of Australia. They are not one group, but rather comprise hundreds of groups that have their own distinct set of languages, histories and cultural traditions (AIHW 2015). The health and welfare of First Nations people living in the big cities are different to those living in the Torres Strait, which are different again to those living on the outskirts of Alice Springs or those living in remote communities. This page provides demographic information on the First Nations population, including information on their languages and cultures. Information is also included on the Closing the Gap targets.
- Determinants of health for First Nations people, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2 July 2024). Health is related to an individual’s environment and circumstances such as where they live, their education level, income and living conditions along with their access to and use of health services. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, factors such as cultural identity, family and kinship, country and caring for country, knowledge and beliefs, language and participation in cultural activities and access to traditional lands are also key determinants of health and wellbeing. These factors are interrelated and combine to affect the health of individuals and broader communities. An overview of determinants of health for First Nations people is provided on this page. AIHW analysis of ABS health survey data from 2017 to 2019 estimated that just under 3 in 10 (29%) First Nations adults aged 18–64 were in ‘good health’, using a composite measure based on a number of survey questions, compared with 51% of non-Indigenous Australians. After accounting for the differences in average age, sex, marital status, remoteness and state/territory between First Nations and non-Indigenous survey respondents, the health gap between First Nations and non-Indigenous was 24.0 percentage points – a decrease from 26.9 percentage points in 2011–13. Analysis of data for 2017–19 showed that an estimated 35% of the health gap was explained by social determinants, and a further 30% by selected health risk factors
- Health and wellbeing of First Nations people, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2 July 2024). For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people, good health is more than the absence of disease or illness; it is a holistic concept that includes physical, social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing, for both the individual and the community. This page highlights some of the key issues in First Nations health and includes links to more detailed information.
- Comparison of burden of disease results for First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians shows that, overall, First Nations people experience burden at 2.3 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians, but that the absolute gap narrowed between 2003 and 2018.
- The leading 5 disease groups contributing to burden in First Nations people in 2018 were: mental health & substance use disorders (such as anxiety, depression, and drug use), contributing 23% of total burden; injuries (such as falls, road traffic injuries, and suicide), 12%; cardiovascular diseases (such as coronary heart disease and rheumatic heart disease), 10%; cancer and other neoplasms (such as lung cancer and breast cancer), 9.9%; musculoskeletal conditions (such as back pain & problems and osteoarthritis), contributing 8.0% of total burden.
- Data from 2018–2022 show that the rate of suicide deaths among First Nations people was more than twice that for non‑Indigenous Australians, with the differences being greater for people aged under 45.
- First Nations males born in 2020–2022 could expect to live 71.9 years, and First Nations females 75.6 years. In general, life expectancy is lower in remote areas, with First Nations males and females living in Major cities expected to live around 5 years longer than those living in Remote and very remote areas.
- On average, First Nations people living in remote areas have higher rates of disease burden and lower life expectancy compared with those in non-remote areas. Key contributors to this include differences in educational and employment opportunities, in access to health services, in housing circumstances, and in other factors that support healthy behaviours (such as the availability and cost of fresh fruit and vegetables).
- Physical activity and the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations people, Macniven R, Tishler X, McKeon G, et al., Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, catalogue number IMH 021, (December 2023). Summarises existing evidence on the relationship between physical activity and First Nations SEWB. It describes the policy context and actions, as well as program approaches implemented with First Nations adults and children in Australia. It takes the form of a scoping review of academic research and grey literature, including governmental reports and policy documents. The article focuses on the strengths of First Nations people’s experiences and knowledge and concludes with a summary of the key messages from this report that are essential for understanding First Nations physical activity participation and SEWB. Includes summaries of several programs and initiatives that include sport as a vehicle for engagement in physical activity.
- What works * Culturally safe physical activity programs that are community-led and adopt First Nations values act as key facilitators of engagement in programs. * Enhancing cultural identity through engagement in physical activity that has a cultural focus, and that fosters connections with family and kinship, enriches SEWB outcomes. * Other facilitators of physical activity participation include support from family and friends, and opportunities to connect with community or culture. * First Nations community involvement increases program effectiveness, relevance and sustainability.
- What doesn’t work * Programs that do not centre First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing are unlikely to be well received or effective. Generally, these programs have barriers that impede program participation and subsequently hinder potential improvements in SEWB. * These barriers include insufficient transportation, time inefficiency, high program costs, and conflicting family and community commitments. * Racism can act as a deterrent for First Nations people to participate in available programs, services and initiatives that enhance SEWB.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework: Physical Activity, Australian Government, (accessed 11 May 2023). For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, physical inactivity is the fourth (6%) leading modifiable risk factor that contributes to the loss of healthy life (the disease burden), after tobacco use (12%), alcohol (8%) and high body mass (8%). 44% of the coronary heart disease burden and 36% of the diabetes burden were attributable to physical inactivity. Indigenous Australians experience a burden of disease that is 2.3 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians. In 2018–19, 12% of Indigenous adults in non-remote areas had undertaken a sufficient level of physical activity in the week prior. The rates of sufficient activity were slightly higher for Indigenous males than for Indigenous females (13% compared with 10%). Around one in five (20%) Indigenous adults did strength or toning activities on two or more days within the last week; this rate was higher for Indigenous males than for Indigenous females (24% compared with 15%). In 2012–13, Indigenous adults in non-remote areas who were sufficiently active were less likely to be obese (31%) than those who were inactive (56%). Indigenous adults with an educational qualification of Year 12 or above were 1.5 times as likely to have performed sufficient physical activity as those with below Year 10 (44% compared with 29%). Indigenous adults who described their health as excellent or very good were 1.7 times as likely to have performed sufficient physical activity as those with fair/poor self-assessed health (47% compared with 28%).
- The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (HPF), Australian Institute of Health and Welfare/National Indigenous Australians Agency, (accessed 11 May 2023). This website brings together information from numerous sources to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date view of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, health system performance, and the broader determinants of health. It is designed to inform policy, planning, program development, and research.
- Footprints in Time - The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), Australian Government Department of Social Services, (accessed 11 May 2023). The study includes two groups of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children who were aged 6 to 18 months (B cohort) and 3½ - 5 years (K cohort) when the study began in 2008. The study covers a variety of topics about children’s health, learning and development, their family and community, for example: children’s physical and mental health and social and cognitive development which may include relevant data on children's physical activity.
- Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status, 2020, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, (2021). Aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the most recent indicators of the health and current health status of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The initial sections of the Overview provide information about the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health; social determinants including education, employment and income; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population; measures of population health status including births, mortality, and hospitalisation. The remaining sections are about selected health conditions and risk and protective factors (including physical activity) that contribute to the overall health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Australian Burden of Disease Study 2018: Interactive data on risk factor burden among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (10 March 2022). In 2018, physical inactivity accounted for 2.4% of the total disease burden among Indigenous Australians. Disease burden due to physical inactivity was measured among Indigenous Australians aged 15 and over. Physical inactivity was causally linked to the burden from type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer, dementia, coronary heart disease and stroke, as well as uterine and breast cancer in females. In 2018 among Indigenous Australians, physical inactivity was responsible for 24% of the total disease burden due to type 2 diabetes, 21% of coronary heart disease burden, 16% of uterine cancer burden, 15% due to bowel cancer, 13% of stroke burden, 12% of dementia burden and 5% of breast cancer. The age-standardised rate of total burden attributable to physical inactivity (from all linked diseases) among Indigenous Australians decreased by 46% between 2003 and 2018 (from 24.5 to 13.3 DALY per 1,000 population).
- A Decade of Data: Findings from the first 10 years of Footprints in Time, Australian Government, Department of Social Services, (2020). Sport and physical activity are highlighted in the report (pp.85-89). Sport is an important part of Australian life. It contributes to keeping children fit and healthy. In addition to its physical health benefits, sport can improve children’s control over the symptoms of anxiety and depression and can assist in social development. Some key data includes:
- In Wave 7 (2014), P1s were asked how often the study children engaged in an hour or more of physical activity, such as running, dancing, bike riding, football or netball. Nearly half (49.8 per cent) of the P1s said their children engaged in this level of activity 5 days a week or more often, and only 4.1 per cent of P1s said their children never engaged in this much activity. There were no significant differences between the two cohorts. Thus, daily physical activity did not appear to decrease between children in early and middle primary school.
- Children who lived in the areas of moderate, high or extreme isolation were significantly more physically active than children who lived in urban areas or areas of low isolation. For example, 71.4 per cent of children in the more isolated areas engaged in prolonged physical activity (of more than one hour) at least five times a week, compared to 43.2 per cent of children in areas of no or low isolation. This is consistent with findings reported in the 2014 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Health Performance Framework Report.
- Children who lived in more isolated areas were more likely to be able to ride a bicycle and swim at a younger age than those who lived in urban areas.
- In Wave 6, P1s were asked if the study children had participated in organised sports or dance in the last month. Almost half of all Footprints in Time children (48.6 per cent) had participated in organised sports or dance in the month before the interview. Older children were more likely to participate in such activities (40.8 per cent of children in the younger cohort participated in sports or dance compared to 59.9 per cent of children in the older cohort). Boys were also more likely to participate in sports or dance than girls. Similarly, children who lived in urban areas were also more likely to participate in sports or dance than children who lived in more isolated areas.
- Among the younger cohort, the most commonly reported sports were individual sports, such as swimming, athletics and dance. Conversely, among the older cohort, the most commonly reported sports were team sports, such as soccer, netball and basketball. Notably, football was the firm favourite of both cohorts.
- Participation in organised sport or dance was related to better social and emotional wellbeing of the study children. This relationship was evident even after controlling for children’s age, sex, general health, television watching, P1s’ psychological distress, the number of major life events experienced by the family in the past year, and the relative disadvantage of the area. Participation in organised sports or dance was associated with lower social and emotional difficulties by approximately 0.8 points.
- First Nations People with Disability issues paper, Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, (9 June 2020). Data shows that a disproportionate number of First Nations people live with a disability or some form of long term health condition. First Nations people with disability are more likely to: have experienced threats of physical violence; have poorer health outcomes than other Australians with disability; have experienced problems accessing health services; have been removed and/or had relatives removed from their family; experience high or very high levels of psychological distress; be detained due to a cognitive disability, foetal alcohol syndrome or other impairment; be reliant on government pensions or allowances as their main source of personal income ; and less likely to be studying and in jobs.
- Drowning deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: A 10-year analysis 2008/09 to 2017/18, Royal Life Saving Australia, (2020). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are considered to be at higher risk of drowning. This report presents an analysis of fatal drowning among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia between 1st July 2008 and 30th June 2018. During this time, 152 people lost their lives to drowning.
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (11 December 2019). Statistics about long-term health conditions, disability, lifestyle factors, physical harm, and use of health services. Some key findings include:
- 46% of people had at least one chronic condition, up from 40% in 2012–13.
- 17% of people two years and over had anxiety and 13% had depression.
- 37% of children 2–14 years were overweight/obese, up from 30% in 2012–13.
- 71% of people aged 15 years and over were overweight or obese — almost 29% were overweight and more than 43% were obese. The proportion of people who were overweight or obese increased with age from 15–17 years (42%) until it steadied at around 80% for people aged 35 years and over.
- 89% of people aged 15 years and over did not meet the physical activity guidelines for their age.
- More than 22% of people aged 15 years and over had done no physical activity at all in the last week.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescent and youth health and wellbeing 2018, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (29 November 2018). Provides comprehensive data on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people aged 10–24. Information on health and wellbeing outcomes, health determinants, risk factors, and health and welfare service use. The report also examines differences between young Indigenous and non-Indigenous people on key health and wellbeing measures.
- Football's Indigenous Engagement: State of Play, Professional Footballers Australia on behalf of John Moriarty Football, (November 2018). Engagement between the major sporting codes and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians provides a significant opportunity for mutual benefit. This report benchmarks the progress being made by sporting codes to highlight football’s missed opportunity and to call for a reignition of football’s Indigenous engagement. Engagement between the major sports and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians provides a significant opportunity for mutual benefit. For sports, there is a pool of talent to be tapped, and a community of potential supporters to be embraced. For Indigenous communities, sport has the power to enhance social, education and health outcomes, and provide a pathway to rewarding professional careers, in turn developing inspirational role models.
- Physical activity across the life stages, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2018). This report presents information on the physical activity and sedentary participation rate of Australians across the life stages, reported against Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines. According to the available data, Indigenous children aged 5–12 and young people aged 13–17 were more likely to meet the physical activity guideline, compared with non-Indigenous children: 60% of Indigenous 5–12 year olds, compared with 45% of their non-Indigenous counterparts. 33% of Indigenous 13–17 year olds, compared with 19% of their non-Indigenous counterparts. Among young children aged 2–5, similar proportions of Indigenous (64%) and non-Indigenous (69%) children met the physical activity guideline. Indigenous adults aged 18–64 and Indigenous women aged 65 and over were less likely to meet the physical activity guideline, compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts: 38% of Indigenous adults aged 18–64, compared with 46% of non-Indigenous adults of this age; non-Indigenous women aged 65 and over (38%) were twice as likely to meet the physical activity guideline, compared with Indigenous women of this age (16%). However, the proportions were similar for: Indigenous men (41%) and non-Indigenous men (44%) aged 65 and over who met the physical activity guideline. Indigenous adults (9.4%) and non-Indigenous adults (10%) aged 65 and over who met the strength-based activity guideline.
- After the Siren: The community benefits of Indigenous participation in Australia Rules Football. Michael Dockery and Sean Gorman, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, (September 2017). This report is based on analyses of data from the 2014-2015 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS), supplemented by interviews with a number of stakeholders in West Australian communities. The community benefits of Indigenous participation in Australian Rules Football reveal the numerous benefits that participation in sport, and AFL in particular, bring to Indigenous Australians. Direct health benefits are apparent in both children and adults involved in AFL, with better mental and physical health outcomes compared to those who are not involved in sport. The report also highlights the broader role AFL can play in a community, by being the conduit through which community programs targeted at health and safety can be delivered, and the means through which communities can be brought together.
- Indigenous Australians’ participation in sports and physical activities: Part 1, Literature and AusPlay data review, ORC International prepared for the Australian Sports Commission, (May 2017). This report includes a summary of the key drivers and barriers of Indigenous participation explored in the AusPlay data, and summarised from the recent literature. For many Indigenous participants, the sports and physical activities they found most appealing were group activities that were culturally appropriate (for instance, having gender-specific groups), reinforcing family and community connectedness and collectiveness. When individuals had practical or emotional support or encouragement from family, friends, and even staff and other participants, they were more likely to be motivated to participate, and to keep participating. Having positive role models, in the form of older, more experienced participants from within the community, and professional Indigenous sportsmen and women, was also seen as motivating for young people and less experienced participants. A number of authors wrote that physical activity was perceived by some Indigenous Australians as an integral part of their day, inseparable from their lives with their families and communities, and not something to be chosen as an independent activity, in and of itself. Undertaking activities that were perceived as being for an individual’s own benefit, rather than for the benefit of the family or community made some Indigenous people feel shame, and there were often negative community perceptions of exercising alone. Feelings about what was culturally appropriate, or different cultural preferences for “the way physical activities are constructed and organised, the spaces they take place in and the times they occur,” meant that some Indigenous people did not want to do certain sports and physical activities.
- Supporting healthy communities through sports and recreation programs, Resource sheet no. 26, Vicki-Ann Ware and Veronica Meredith, produced for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, (December 2013). Healthy communities are communities in which people have the physical and mental health and wellbeing needed to conduct their daily lives. This paper reviewed the available evidence of a range of sports and recreation programs in relation to their effects on supporting and building healthy communities. There is some evidence, in the form of critical descriptions of programs and systematic reviews, on the benefits to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from participation in sport and recreational programs. These include some improvements in school retention, attitudes towards learning, social and cognitive skills, physical and mental health and wellbeing; increased social inclusion and cohesion; increased validation of and connection to culture; and crime reduction.
- What Works for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men? A Systematic Review of the Literature, Jack Menges, Marie Caltabiano, Alan Clough, Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, Volume 4(2), (2023). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men experience significantly higher rates of suicide, trauma, alcohol related deaths and unemployment than other Australian men. Despite significant levels of government intervention, rates of family violence, unemployment and incarceration continue to increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. As a subset of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, there has been a lesser focus on how to meaningfully improve the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. This systematic review seeks to understand what interventions, programs and activities are successful in improving the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and thereby the wellbeing of their communities. Analysis of the programs, activities and interventions evaluated in these studies indicated two prominent themes that were successful in improving the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men: strengthening identity and increasing social connection. Sport, especially playing group or team sports, was identified as contributing to social and community connection, having a sense of belonging and identity.
- Exploring the voices of health promotion stakeholders concerning the implementation of physical activity programs for the social and emotional wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls, Madeleine English, Lee Wallace, Cristina Caperchione, et al., Sport in Society, (1 September 2022). Physical activity and sport programs have been promoted as a strength-based way to enhance social and emotional wellbeing in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. However, there is limited evidence that describes how these programs may be tailored for girls. A need for culturally safe, youth-friendly services was emphasized, where physical activity and sport may play an influential role. Program development recommendations included focussing upon health literacy, utilizing co-design and creating culturally secure, fun environments.
- The impact of sport and physical activity programs on the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: A systematic review, Madeleine English, Lee Wallace, John Evans, et al., Preventive Medicine Reports, Volume 25, (February 2022). This review aimed to identify and assess existing evidence of the impact of sport and physical activity programs on mental health and social and emotional wellbeing outcomes within young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The review also aimed to highlight limitations of current practice within the research area. Studies were included if they described a sport and physical activity program for young (10–24 years) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and reported mental health or social and emotional wellbeing outcomes. Seventeen studies were selected for this review. Within these studies, the most commonly reported outcomes were related to psychosocial development (N = 12) and a sense of connectedness (N = 12). Mental illness related outcomes (N = 1) were rarely reported, as were substance use (N = 2) and social and emotional literacy (N = 1). Promising outcomes included increased connection to culture, self-esteem and confidence. Nonetheless, due to indirectness and suboptimal study design the precise impact on these outcomes could not be determined. A relevant evidence base is emerging on the impact sport and physical activity programs have on the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, further research that utilises robust, culturally appropriate methodologies and tools needs to be undertaken before the effects of sport and physical activity programs can reliably be discerned.
- Factors Associated with Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Presenting to Urban Primary Care: An Analysis of De-Identified Clinical Data, Neha Pandeya, Philip Schluter, Geoffrey Spurling, et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 19(1), (2022). Suicide amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a major cause of premature mortality and a significant contributor to the health and life expectancy gap. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of thoughts of self-harm or suicide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending an urban primary health care service and identify factors associated with these thoughts. Having children, participating in sport or community activities, or being employed full-time decreased the risk of such thoughts. Conversely, factors relating to social exclusion including homelessness, drug use, unemployment and job insecurity increased the risk of thoughts of self-harm or suicide. The authors highlight that “as many community organisations are already aware, interventions for encouraging participation in sport and community activities generally should be considered in any suicide prevention strategies adopted by health services.” They also suggest that the findings that participating in sport or community activities were associated with decreased thoughts of self-harm or suicide reflects the cultural strength of the Inala Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and the social connectivity and cultural affirmation attained through sporting activities in the community.
- Cultural determinants of health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – a narrative overview of reviews, Ebony Verbunt, Joanne Luke, Yin Paradies, et al., International Journal for Equity in Health, Volume 20, (August 2021). Family/community, Country and place, cultural identity and self-determination were strongly identified across reviews as having a positive impact on the health and wellbeing outcomes of Aboriginal peoples. Family/community and Country and place were found to be components of ‘culture’ that shaped cultural identity. Self-determination was outlined as a requirement for Aboriginal peoples to pursue their cultural, social, and economic rights. The determinants of family/community and Country and place were often associated with other elements, such as – connection across generations, and participation in community activities and events, sport, and arts-based cultural expression, with these determinants subsequently grouped under the term ‘culture’.
- How community sport facilitates the biopsychosocial health of Indigenous communities: a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis [thesis], Ella Mansell, University of Adelaide, (2021). This is the first meta-synthesis of qualitative research examining the sport and recreation experiences of Indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. The aim of this study was to explore Indigenous people’s experiences of engaging with community sport, examine how Indigenous people perceive community sport as it relates to biopsychosocial health, and assess the current state of Indigenous community sport and health research in regards to methodological rigor and cultural safety. The findings of this review indicate the importance of enabling sport and recreation opportunities and facilities available within Indigenous communities and urban centres where Indigenous people can connect with each other and their culture. This review identified multiple barriers and facilitators to engaging in sport and recreation for Indigenous communities that aligned with social, historical, and political determinants of health. By working to address these barriers and promoting facilitating factors, communities, clubs, local governments, and policy makers can strive to enrich the sport and recreation experiences of Indigenous communities worldwide. Sport and recreation clubs, local governments, and policy makers could do this by drawing upon the Social and Emotional Wellbeing model of Indigenous health (Gee et. al., 2014) to ensure that strategies to enhance sport and recreation experiences and opportunities are implemented within the various elements of Indigenous wellbeing.
- Indigenous Youth Development through Sport and Physical Activity: Sharing Voices, Stories, and Experiences, Mark Bruner, Robert Lovelace, Sean Hillier, et al., International Journal of Indigenous Health, Volume 14(2), (August 2019). The purpose of this research was to understand Indigenous youth development within the context of sport and physical activity through the voices, stories and experiences of Indigenous youth. Participants were 99 Indigenous youth (52 males and 47 females) between the ages of 15 and 25 years who took part in one of 13 sharing circles. Each of the sharing circles was facilitated by a trained Indigenous youth with guidance from an Elder/Traditional person. Results revealed that involvement in sport and physical activity impacted Indigenous youth physically, cognitively, and emotionally. The spiritual impact was not as evident. Findings from the research will inform the development of a measure of Indigenous youth development within sport and physical activity settings.
- The “ripple effect”: Health and community perceptions of the Indigenous Marathon Program on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, Australia, Rona Macniven, Suzanne Plater, Karla Canuto, et al., Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 29(3), pp.304-313, (2018). Physical inactivity is a key health risk among Indigenous Australians. We examined perceptions of the Indigenous Marathon Program (IMP) in a remote Torres Strait island community. Interviews revealed six main themes: community readiness, changing social norms to adopt healthy lifestyles, importance of social support, program appeal to hard‐to‐reach population groups, program sustainability and initiation of broader healthy lifestyle ripple effects beyond running. Barriers to running in the community were personal (cultural attitudes; shyness) and environmental (infrastructure; weather; dogs). Enablers reflected potential strategies to overcome described barriers. Indigenous questionnaire respondents were more likely to report being inspired to run by IMP runners than non‐Indigenous respondents. Positive “ripple” effects of the IMP on running and broader health were described to have occurred through local role modelling of healthy lifestyles by IMP runners that reduced levels of “shame” and embarrassment, a common barrier to physical activity among Indigenous Australians. A high initial level of community readiness for behaviour change was also reported.
- A snapshot of physical activity programs targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, Rona Macniven, Michelle Elwell, Kathy Ride, et al., Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 28(3), pp.185-206, (2017). A total of 110 programs were identified across urban, rural and remote locations within all states and territories. The programs aimed to influence physical activity for health or broader social outcomes. Sixty five took place in community settings and most involved multiple sectors such as sport, health and education. Almost all were free for participants and involved Indigenous stakeholders.
- A systematic review on research into the effectiveness of group-based sport and exercise programs designed for Indigenous adults, Elizabeth Pressick, Marion Gray, Rachel Cole, et al., Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 19(9), pp.726-732, (2016). This review aimed to evaluate research into the effectiveness of group-based sport and exercise programs targeting Indigenous adults on anthropometric, physiological and quality of life outcomes. Six articles were identified with critical appraisal scores ranging from 6 to 12 (from a possible 15 points), with a mean score of 9.6. Five articles were of moderate to good quality. Group-based programs that include nutrition, exercise and/or sport components are effective in producing short to intermediate term health outcomes among Indigenous adults.
- Do physical activity interventions in Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand improve activity levels and health outcomes? A systematic review, Ashleigh Sushames, Jannique G.Z. van Uffelen, Klaus Gebel, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Volume 13, Article 129, (2016). Indigenous Australians and New Zealanders have a significantly shorter life expectancy than non-Indigenous people, mainly due to differences in prevalence of chronic diseases. Physical activity helps in the prevention and management of chronic diseases, however, activity levels are lower in Indigenous than in non-Indigenous people. 407 records were screened and 13 studies included. Interventions included individual and group based exercise programs and community lifestyle interventions of four weeks to two years. While the authors conclude that there was no clear evidence for an effect of physical activity interventions on activity levels, however, there were positive effects on activity related fitness and health outcomes.
- A 12-week sports-based exercise programme for inactive Indigenous Australian men improved clinical risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Mendham AE, Duffield R, Marino F, et al., Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 18(4), pp.438-443, (2015). This study assessed the effect of a 12-week sports-based exercise intervention on glucose regulation, anthropometry and inflammatory markers associated with the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Indigenous Australian men. Training included ∼2-3 days/week for 12 weeks of sports and gym exercises in a group environment, whilst control participants maintained normal activity and dietary patterns. Findings indicate positive clinical outcomes in metabolic, anthropometric and aerobic fitness variables.
- Australian Indigenous youth's participation in sport and associated health outcomes: Empirical analysis and implications, Dalton B, Wilson R, Evans J and Cochrane S, Sport Management Review, Volume 18(1), pp.57-68, (2015). Analysis of the 2012 Mission Australia Youth Survey (MAYS) finds that among Indigenous youth aged 15–19 years there is a positive relationship between self-reported participation in sport and two health outcomes – rating of overall health and risk of mental health disorder. Indigenous youth who participate in sport are 3.5 times more likely to report good general health and 1.6 times more likely to have no probable serious mental illness. The significance of these findings may address the current gaps in preventive health service delivery to Indigenous communities, and for the development of grassroots, evidence-based, well resourced, culturally sensitive, inclusive and community-led programs.
- The Impact of Sport and Active Recreation Programs in an Indigenous Men’s Shed, Cavanagh, Jillian, Shaw, Amie, Bartram, Timothy, et al., Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, Volume 18(2), pp.17-33, (2015). This exploratory study examines Indigenous mens’ participation in a sport and active recreation program in an Indigenous Men’s Shed in partnership with local providers in a remote Australian township. The study employs a qualitative case study approach and considers the perspectives of the Shed coordinator, nine Shed members, two healthcare workers, two program delivery coordinators and one community sport and recreation coordinator. The research design includes semi-structured interviews and yarning circles (focus groups). This study has confirmed the importance of sport and active recreation programs in enhancing the social connectedness, health and wellbeing of an Indigenous community.
- Review of physical activity among Indigenous people, Gray C, Macniven R and Thomson N, Australian Indigenous Health Reviews, Number 13, (2013). For some Indigenous people, concepts of space, time and activities differ from those for most non-Indigenous people. Therefore, physical activity guidelines that specify regular frequency, duration and types of activity can be inappropriate for some Indigenous people. Culturally inclusive ways of incorporating physical activity (such as caring for country, and offering culturally inclusive school activities) developed in consultation with Indigenous communities could be more relevant and have increased likelihood of success as a preventive health measure. It is important to note that some components of the Indigenous population are relatively transient, which also makes regular and sustainable participation in programs more difficult. Many complex factors contribute to the high levels of physical inactivity and the associated chronic disease burden among Indigenous people.
- Aborigines, sport and suicide, Colin Tatz, Sport in Society, Volume 15(7), pp.922-935, (2012). Involvement in sport has shown to deflect, even deter, juvenile delinquency. Similarly, there is evidence (and reason) enough to show a strong connection between sport and suicide among the young. Sport is a major element in contemporary Aboriginal life: it provides meaning, a sense of purpose and belonging; it is inclusive and embracing in a world where most Aboriginal youth feel alienated, disempowered, rejected and excluded.
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- Closing the Gap Report Parliament House Canberra [speech], Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Australian Government, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, (26 February 2009).
- Sport’s important role in helping to Close the Gap. Dr Paul Oliver, Oliver and Thompson Consultancy, LinkedIn, (19 February 2016).
- Sport - More Than Just A Game: Contribution of sport to Indigenous wellbeing and mentoring, House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Commonwealth of Australia, (June 2013).
- What's the Score? A survey of Cultural Diversity and Racism in Australian Sport, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, (2007).
- Games changers, Domini Stuart, Australian Institute of Company Directors, (1 September 2022)
- Indigenous Australians' Participation in Sports and Physical Activities: Part 1, Literature and AusPlay data review, ORC International for the Australian Sports Commission, (March 2017).
- Supporting healthy communities through sports and recreation programs, Ware, V and Veronica Meredith, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2013).
- Expecting too much? Can Indigenous sport programmes in Australia deliver development and social outcomes? Tony Rossi, International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Volume 7(2), pp.181-195, (2015).
- What makes us different? The role of Rumbalara Football and Netball Club in promoting Indigenous wellbeing, Joyce Doyle, Bradley Firebrace, Rachel Reilly, et.al., The Australian Community Psychologist, Volume 25(2), pp.7-21, (2013).
- Are sports programs closing the gap in Indigenous communities? The evidence is limited, Rona Macniven, John Evans, Rachel Wilson, The Conversation, (18 July 2019).
- A new game. Stuart Rintoul, The Age, (17 May 2014).
- After the Siren: The community benefits of Indigenous participation in Australia Rules Football. Michael Dockery and Sean Gorman, Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, (September 2017).
- Football's Indigenous Engagement: State of Play, Professional Footballers Australia on behalf of John Moriarty Football, (November 2018).
- The Impact of Indigenous Community Sports Programs: The Case of Surfing, The University of Queensland, (June 2012).
- Evaluation of the AFL Remote Regional Development Program - Wadeye, Colmar Brunton for the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, (20 February 2012).
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- Decolonising qualitative research with respectful, reciprocal, and responsible research practice: a narrative review of the application of Yarning method in qualitative Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research Michelle Kennedy, Raglan Maddox, Kade Booth, et al., International Journal for Equity in Health, Volume 21, (September 2022).
- Community co-selection of measures to evaluate the health and wellbeing impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community running groups, Rona Macniven, Kim Delbaere, Ebony Lewis, et al., Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 34(1), pp.17-23, (January 2023).
- Indigenous Participation in Australian Sport: The Perils of the ‘Panacea’ Proposition, John Robert Evans, Rachel Wilson, Bronwen Dalton, et al., Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Volume 7(1), (2015).
- On and off the field: a Bourdieuian perspective on the significance of sport to urban Aboriginal Australians, Kathryn Browne-Yung, Anna Ziersch, Fran Baum, et al., Sport in Society, Volume 18(6), pp.717-733, (2015).
- The power of sport: Building social bridges and breaking down cultural barriers [thesis], Dr Paul Oliver, Curtin University, (September 2015).
- The numbers highlighting Indigenous players' immense impact on Australian rules football, Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson, ABC News, (20 August 2020).
- Do Better - Independent review into Collingwood Football Club’s responses to Incidents of Racism and Cultural Safety in the Workplace, UTS for Collingwood Football Club, (2021).
- Racial Equality Review of Basketball Australia, Australian Human Rights Commission, (2021).
- To play Papunya: the problematic interface between a remote Aboriginal community and the organization of Australian Football in Central Australia, Judd, Barry, Butcher, Tim, Sport in Society, Volume 18(5), pp.543-551, (2015).
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- Sport, Educational Engagement and Positive Youth Development: Reflections of Aboriginal Former Youth Sports Participants. Fitch, N., Ma'ayah, F., Harms, C., et al., The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, Volume 46(1), pp.23-33, (2017).
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- ‘ … if my family didn’t play football … we would literally have pretty much nothing’: how high school Aboriginal students continue culture through rugby league and Australian football, John Williams, Shane Pill, John Evans, et al., Sport, Education and Society, Volume 27(1), pp.57-71, (2022).
- Yarning with the Stars Project: An Indigenous evaluation protocol for a sport for development and peace program, Rose Whitau, Helen Ockerby, Journal of Sport for Development, Volume 7(13), pp.46-54, (September 2019).
- Indigenous Youth Sports Program - Widening participation for higher education, Macgregor, Campbell; Mann-Yasso, Melinda; Wallace, Stacey; et al., Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, Volume 17(1), pp.86-102, (2015).
- Indigenous Secondary Education in the Northern Territory: Building for the Future, Jeannie Herbert, Dennis McInerney, Lyn Fasoli, et al., The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, Volume 43(2), pp.85-95, (2014).
- Sport and academic performance in Australian Indigenous children, Dorothea Dumuid, Rachel Wilson, Timothy Olds, et al., Australian Journal of Education, Volume 65(1), pp.103-116, (2021).
- A Kickstart to Life: Australian Football League as a Medium for Promoting Lifeskills in Cape York Indigenous Communities, Maree Dinanthompson, Juanita Sellwood, Felicity Carless, The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, Volume 37(1), pp.152-164, (2015).
- The Effects of a Community and School Sport-Based Program on Urban Indigenous Adolescents’ Life Skills and Physical Activity Levels: The SCP Case Study, Louisa Peralta, Donna O’Connor, Wayne Cotton, et al., Health, Volume 6(18), (2014).
- Evaluation of the Sporting Chance Program, Lonsdale, M., Wilkinson, J., Armstrong, S., McClay, D., et.al., for the Australian Council for Educational Research, (2011).
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- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework: Physical Activity, Australian Government, (accessed 11 May 2023).
- A Decade of Data: Findings from the first 10 years of Footprints in Time, Australian Government, Department of Social Services, (2020).
- Value of Sport: Social and mental wellbeing, Clearinghouse for Sport, (accessed 11 May 2023).
- What Works for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men? A Systematic Review of the Literature, Jack Menges, Marie Caltabiano, Alan Clough, Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, Volume 4(2), (2023).
- Physical activity across the life stages, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (20 July 2018).
- Health and wellbeing of First Nations people, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2 July 2024).
- Determinants of health for First Nations people, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2 July 2024).
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- Review of physical activity among Indigenous people, Gray C, Macniven R and Thomson N, Australian Indigenous Health Reviews, Number 13, (2013).
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (11 December 2019).
- Australian Burden of Disease Study 2018: Interactive data on risk factor burden among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (March 2022).
- The impact of sport and physical activity programs on the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: A systematic review, Madeleine English, Lee Wallace, John Evans, et al., Preventive Medicine Reports, Volume 25, (February 2022).
- How community sport facilitates the biopsychosocial health of Indigenous communities: a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis [thesis], Ella Mansell, University of Adelaide, (2021).
- The “ripple effect”: Health and community perceptions of the Indigenous Marathon Program on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, Australia, Rona Macniven, Suzanne Plater, Karla Canuto, et al., Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 29(3), pp.304-313, (2018).
- A 12-week sports-based exercise programme for inactive Indigenous Australian men improved clinical risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Mendham AE, Duffield R, Marino F, et al., Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 18(4), pp.438-443, (2015).
- Factors Associated with Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Presenting to Urban Primary Care: An Analysis of De-Identified Clinical Data, Neha Pandeya, Philip Schluter, Geoffrey Spurling, et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 19(1), (2022).
- Australian Indigenous youth's participation in sport and associated health outcomes: Empirical analysis and implications, Dalton B, Wilson R, Evans J, and Cochrane S, Sport Management Review, Volume 18(1), pp.57-68, (2015).
- Physical activity and the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations people, Macniven R, Tishler X, McKeon G, et al., Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, catalogue number IMH 021, (December 2023).
- The Impact of Sport and Active Recreation Programs in an Indigenous Men’s Shed, Cavanagh, Jillian, Shaw, Amie, Bartram, Timothy, et al., Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, Volume 18(2), pp.17-33, (2015).
- The Indigenous Marathon Foundation Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis of the Indigenous Marathon Project, SVA for the Indigenous Marathon Foundation, (2018).
- The Social Value of an Aboriginal Run Sporting Club, La Trobe University, Centre for Sport and Social Impact, (2016).
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