The current sporting landscape and approach to club development places added pressure on governing bodies, affecting their ability to support clubs effectively.
Limited Resources
One of the most significant challenges facing governing bodies and councils is the constraint of limited resources. Budgets are often stretched thin, making it difficult to allocate adequate funding to support club development initiatives fully. Many governing bodies receive funding from the Australian Sports Commission, other government grants, association fees, and sponsorships, amongst other sources; however, these funds are often limited and must be distributed across various programs and initiatives. For example, a governing body may need to allocate funds to support elite athlete development, participation growth programs, and administrative costs, which leaves limited resources for club development.
In some cases, there may be intense competition for funding and resources within the sports sector. Governing bodies may need to compete with other sports organisations, community groups, and educational institutions for limited funding opportunities. It’s a similar story with councils – community sports funding often competes with other community groups, leisure programs and initiatives.
As we mentioned in our previous blog, The Upside-Down Dilemma: Participation vs Club Development, through nobody’s fault, greater attention is placed on increasing participation numbers rather than on the holistic development of clubs, and their hands are often forced by funding priorities. Many funding models prioritise initiatives focusing on increasing participation numbers or achieving specific performance outcomes. While these initiatives are important, they may only sometimes align with the broader needs of clubs, and may increase workload and pressure, leading to burnout and volunteer turnover at the grassroots. Click here to read about this in more depth.