INVOLVEMENT IN SUPPORT ROLES FOR ORGANISED SPORT
The success of organised sport in Australia depends not only on people who play organised sport but also on people in support roles such as coaches, referees, scorers, timekeepers, committee members and medical support personnel. The Involvement in Organised Sport and Physical Activity survey, which is undertaken every three or four years by the ABS, gives us some information about the people who support sport in this way.
In the year to April 2004, an estimated 3.7 million people played organised sport, while 1.5 million people were involved in support roles. Of the 1.5 million people involved in support roles, 60% also played organised sport.
The percentage of the population aged 15 years or more who were involved in support roles (9.6%) was similar to 2001 (9.5%).
Of the 1.5 million people in support roles:
- One-third (33%) had two or more different support roles, meaning that the 1.5 million people were involved in 2.2 million different non-playing roles, or "involvements".
- Just over one-third (34%) had a qualification relevant to their role. The highest percentage of people with qualifications relevant to their involvement were in a medical support role (93%).
- More than half (54%) were associated with school or junior sport.
Most people received no payment for their non-playing involvement. Overall, 12% of the 2.2 million non-playing involvements attracted some form of payment. Of these paid involvements, 56% earned less than $5,000 for the 12 months prior to April 2004 and a further 16% earned payment in goods or services only.
Further information is available in Involvement in Organised Sport and Physical Activity, Australia, April 2004 (cat. no. 6285.0).
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