The Future of Australian Sport
Sport is fundamental to Australia’s society, culture and economy. Participation in sport improves mental and physical health, enhances community well-being and contributes significantly to employment.
However, the role and nature of sport in Australian society continues to change with the emergence of new lifestyles, social values, technology and competitive advantage. Identifying these trends and their impact is vital if we wish to plan for sport’s future success.
The ASC has partnered with CSIRO to jointly conduct ‘The Future of Australian Sport’ – a project examining the multiple trends that may impact sport out to 2040. Looking across a range of social, economic, political, environmental and technology trends, the project will paint a vivid picture of what Australian sport will look like in ten, 20 and 30 years from now.
The project findings will be communicated to our audiences in government, industry and the wider community, enabling us to make wiser decisions, invest more effectively and better shape policy. With a 30-year scope and a sector-wide approach, this project is a first for the Australian sport sector and will enable us to increase our field of vision, capitalise on new opportunities and avoid the pitfalls.
What is a trend?
A trend is a pattern of activity that will change Australian sport over coming decades. Examples of sports-relevant trends might include:
- Australia's ageing population
- new migrant populations settling in Australia
- growth or decline of sports sponsorship
- increasing importance of physical and mental health
- greater uptake of non-organised sport (e.g. running alone with an iPod versus playing a weekly team game).
