Here’s what you need: The surge when AFLW and women’s cricket have seen a decline in netball participation
Ahead of the grand final of Australia’s Super Netball on Sunday, new research has shown support for netball among players has remained constant despite increasing attention to female Aussie rules football and cricket. However, experts warn that netball must respond to a changing landscape if it is to maintain strong participation in the future.
“In recent years we have seen a small but steady increase in young girls participating in sports of all types, and this has coincided with expanded opportunities in traditionally male sports such as Australian rules football and cricket,” says lead author of the study, Dr Sam Elliott of Flinders University’s SHAPE Research Center.
“There is concern that these expanded opportunities will come at the expense of other sports such as netball and the statistics show it, with Netball Australia reporting that its membership and participation rates fell by 20% between 2017 and 2020.
“However, we cannot assume that these are simply girls choosing to ‘drop out’ from traditionally female-dominated sports in favor of sports that are suddenly in the limelight. We need to fully investigate what is happening and why.”
The paper, published in the internationally respected journal Sport in Society, draws on data from a larger government-funded project that includes both a large-scale survey and interview data, examining how the promotion of contemporary sporting opportunities for girls and young women (aged 12 and under) -25 years) has impacted netball participation in Australia. This part of the study focused on in-depth interviews with 27 players, coaches and administrators in Australian netball.
“Our analysis showed that support for netball remains solid and stable among its participants, but there were a number of areas where participation could falter if not addressed,” says Dr. Elliott.
“One key theme we identified was the ‘cross-coders’ – those who play two or more sports, including netball. While many felt that playing multiple sports aided their netball performance and development, most felt fear of ultimately having to choose one sport from another.
“If sports codes, including netball, embraced and supported cross coders, many would probably stick with it. Of those leaving to explore another sport, encouraging that curiosity would likely lead them to return in the future.”
Another area identified as a struggle for netball was that the small composition of playgroups is unable to generate the kind of exciting team culture seen in other sports such as Australian Rules Football. The study recommended that sports, including netball, seek to renew and diversify their participation bases.
“Participants expressed that the diversification of netball, including the introduction of boys and male players, must come from the governing body as many believe the game has sat on its laurels as the number one sport for girls for too long. Instead, it should come out and promote the game to new players,” says Dr. Elliott.
“It even raises the question of whether the game needs to change to create a more dynamic and refreshing experience. We saw the introduction of the 2 Point Super Shot in the 2020 Super Netball Season, but it is unique to this competition and will not be used in community play.”
One of the biggest issues raised by attendees was the limited opportunities to play at the elite level as so few could make it to the national team or even super netball teams, many of which have multiple international players in their roster .
“There are significant policy implications that require attention if netball is to successfully steer talent development pathways into the future. Otherwise, netball risks becoming a pipeline to produce athletic and skilled young women who will eventually leave the sport for greater opportunities in competing codes like AFLW,” says Dr. Elliott.
“One possible strategy is to introduce a more transparent, consistent and regulated selection process for clubs and coaches, while articulating the other benefits and opportunities of playing netball at all levels.
“By refocusing on what the sport can be, rather than focusing on its shortcomings such as the limited opportunities to play at an elite level, netball can potentially differentiate itself in the market while maintaining its development paths.”
While the study focuses on netball, the authors say the overall results may provide useful insights across all sports codes to help manage changing attitudes and preferences regarding participation in sport among young women.
“The problem of losing players is not unique to netball and there will be numerous sports across the Australian landscape that will find themselves in a similar situation,” says Dr. Elliott.
“While support for netball appears to remain strong among its participants, it now competes in a crowded space with other contemporary sports and must find ways to remain relevant if it remains the premier sport for girls and young women target.”
Hear how dr. Advertiser’s Elliott and Ben Hook further unpack the study on Australia’s premier sports research communications podcast, Beyond the Club.
“The Promotion of Sport Opportunities for Girls and Young Women and the Impact on Traditional Women’s Sports: A Qualitatively Descriptive Study” by Sam Elliott, Murray Drummond, Ivanka Prichard, Lucy Lewis, Claire Drummond, Catherine Litchfield, Emilea Mysko, Kayleigh O’Donnell & Hayley Truskewykz is published in Sport in Society magazine. DOI: 10.1080/17430437.2022.2080059. This work was supported by the South Australian Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing.