We will be collaborating with 12 public and private Sydney inner-west schools, the Cooks River Sporting Alliance and Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club to design an innovative program that will reverse the decline of youth participation in sports.

Designing in Youth will include new sports offerings, marketing materials, and redesigned facilities.

Research reveals that the best environmental design is achieved when multiple factors are considered. The first phase of the project will be a survey that will identify environmental and psychological barriers to youth participation in sport.

Barriers to participation

The sporting landscape in Australia is more restrictive than motivating for young people, and this has a negative impact. The World Health Organisation suggests 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Only 1 in 10 young Australian adults engage in this activity.

has had inconsistent results despite many programs designed to increase physical activity among youth. 

Youth report that, among other reasons, they play sports for enjoyment, the development of physical and mental skills, peer interaction, and self-esteem. We hypothesize that better interventions will emphasize the fun factor and include peer-led unstructured play. This should lead to long-lasting changes in attitudes towards physical activity.

The majority of organized sports are coach-led, and they do not promote the development of physical and motor skills. These barriers prevent youth from participating in sports.

This is partially due to the poorly designed facilities. Few facilities encourage both social and competitive involvement, emphasize peer leadership, or offer a variety of sports activities all in one location.

Neglecting grassroots sport

The divide between elite sports and grassroots sports in New South Wales is vast. The majority of youth sports participation occurs in grassroots sports, but funding is mostly directed to elite clubs.

Often, sports fields are built as a last-minute decision on leftover land. This can be seen in NSW along the Cooks River, near Hurlstone Park or Canterbury. In this area, sports events and practices are frequently canceled due to flooding.

Many fields are poorly maintained and not designed for sports. Uneven, pitted surfaces make it difficult to play.

Bathroom blocks are scarce, dirty, and, in many cases, falling apart. In most cases, there are no showers or changing rooms. There are few benches on many fields, and there is no food or drink vendor access.

Moreover, most facilities are designed exclusively for one sport. Parents or siblings are left with nothing to do as they wait.

In some countries, like the Netherlands, local sports clubs are also community centers. The fields of these clubs are designed to accommodate a variety of sporting activities. They also have nearby playgrounds and hospitality centers.

Why is participation important?

The decline in sports participation may have contributed to poor mental health. Self-harm, depression, and anxiety are on an upward trend in Australian youth despite a decrease in substance abuse, such as smoking or binge drinking.

Numerous studies have shown that regular sport is an effective way to improve mental well-being. The reduction of obesity and blood pressure is also a health benefit. In the 2010 report Australian Sport: Pathway to Success, it was acknowledged that boosting youth involvement in sport and supporting grassroots clubs were important for both improving population health and national sporting achievements.

Despite the many benefits of sport, there has been a global decline in participation from 11 to 16. The participation rate is especially low for older women.

Past studies have uncovered some barriers to participation. There are several barriers to participation, including reduced parental influence, boredom with the sports available, and increased time demands caused by an increase in academic workload.

The impact of other barriers, such as poorly maintained and designed public parks, has not been adequately studied. The lack of sports and non-sporting amenities and facilities in poor condition may also discourage participation.

Youth involvement: a new approach

In order to encourage youth participation in sports, it is important to involve their opinion in the redesigning process.

The majority of programs around the world have only focused on increasing physical activity. Regular and vigorous sport participation can have greater benefits over the long term, such as improvements in learning for children.

Designing in Youth is our hope to create a new sports landscape in Sydney’s Inner West. If Designing in Youth is successful, it will transform our communities and the way we use public outdoor spaces.

Youth should be seen outside more often. We could restore our reputation as a sporting nation.