Sportville the future of club sport in

Sportville – the future of club sport in NZ? Sarah Dunning Relationship Manager June 21 st 2012

Why Sportville? • Community-based sports clubs are the backbone of organised sport in New Zealand • Some are in good health – growing membership, modern facilities, plenty of volunteers • Many others are static or in a downward spiral of dwindling membership, resources, attractiveness, services for members, performance in competitions • Demographic and lifestyle changes mean these clubs need to change to survive

A metaphor – are sports clubs the corner dairies of the 1970 s? • The “hub” of the community • Where you went for your convenience products • There were no alternative outlets • The selection of goods on offer was limited • You chatted with people and socialised while you were there • You found out what was going on in your community

What happened to the dairies? • Many have now disappeared • Uneconomic – couldn’t compete on price or variety • Friendly, personal service wasn’t enough • The traditional way people did things has changed • A few remain and they provide a niche service to their local community • They co-exist with service stations and supermarkets

Clubs have been the community platform for NZ’s sporting success for more than a century? • Over 15, 000 sports clubs in New Zealand • Affordable & easily accessible wherever you live • Traditionally the place to go to play sport • The gateway to competitive and representative sport • Dependent on local community leaders – volunteers • Often based at tired clubrooms that require upgrading • Still of incalculable value – if they can adapt

What is the problem? • Lifestyles have changed but clubs haven’t • People can now participate without joining a club • Pay-for-play opportunities are an attractive option • Good quality coaching is available outside the club • Volunteer workload is falling on fewer & fewer people • Volunteering is challenging and no longer satisfying • Paid administrators have seen volunteers opt out • The number of stand-alone clubs is unsustainable

What is a sportville? • Since the mid 1990 s, the term “sportville” has been used to refer to a variety of partnership arrangements • The sportville concept is one where clubs and community groups combine resources, share costs, ideas and services and in some cases share the same facilities as well • In practice, the best results are being achieved when the focus is on collaboration rather than amalgamation.

Critical success factors • Good governance Sports club partnerships are complex arrangements that must satisfy multiple stakeholders. They require enlightened leadership and a clear separation of governance and sport delivery functions • Clarity of purpose The value proposition must be clear, simple, and compelling. The benefits of the partnership must be articulated in ways that everyone can understand • Formal amalgamations are not always necessary A new entity need not replace existing clubs but instead can umbrella constituent members

Critical success factor # 2 • Clustering of resources The close physical proximity of facilities (fields, courts, changing rooms, café etc) is important in the same way the kitchen is central to a home • Staged progression Building trust is essential as organisations feel their way toward new relationships. The influence of a respected “project champion” is critical, even where there are willing parties and conditions are favourable • Council support Partnerships appear to have a greater chance of success if local authorities have supportive policies and are prepared to invest

Community-driven Sportvilles • College Rifles – Auckland • Sharks Sports Trust – Auckland • Papatoetoe Sports Centre – Auckland • Westminster Sports Inc – Christchurch • Rawhiti Community Sports Inc – Christchurch • Moutere Hills Community Centre - Tasman • Alex Moore Park Sport & Community Inc – Wellington

Sport NZ investment • Sport Tasman – 5 projects • Sport Canterbury – 7 rural hubs • Hutt City Council – 4 sportvilles • Wellington City Council – Wellington Ocean Sports • Far North District Council – Kaikohe & District Sportville Inc • • Auckland Council – 4 sports partnerships Thames-Coromandel Council – Mercury Bay Multi-Sports Park Sport Gisborne – Kaiti Community Sport & Recreation Hub Waitaki District Council – Waitaki Community Sport Partnerships

What are they achieving? Critical mass • Improved credibility with funders & councils • Quality people attracted into governance roles • Doing more things – events, festivals, after-school & holiday programmes, camps • Employing managers & programmers Improved club capability • Club training – planning, governance, funding, Clubmark, coaching • Multi-club database – much greater reach

What are they achieving # 2 Innovation • • New sports leagues New programmes – in schools & after-school Stakeholder engagement • Improved advocacy – submissions to Councils • Enhanced visibility – sharper media profile • Feasibility studies – upgraded facilities • Plans and dreams

Key messages for clubs • A community champion is essential – find a good one for you – this can’t be the RST or the Council • Collaboration takes a lot of time – be patient • Size doesn’t matter – every club is equal in a Sportsville partnership • Facility projects can be a distraction – the goal is more than bricks and mortar • Don’t be a procrastinator club – engage fully in the process or get out

Key messages for a Sportville Board • Get networked – utilise the experience of other Sportville clubs – Skype • Put the time in with your member clubs up front – relying on club reps/delegates to do the communications is risky – everyone needs the same messages • COMMUNICATE – be open, transparent, inclusive – with clubs, council and funders • Initially your Board will operate as a committee – not as a governance Board • Recruit the best people with the appropriate skills and time for the Board

Key messages for a Sportville Board • Sport NZ resources are invaluable for establishing a Board framework • Appoint a paid manager asap • Develop a plan. Be accountable to the clubs – but be realistic about timeframes • Plan some quick wins to help keep up enthusiasm • Use the media – everyone needs to know what you are doing or rumours start

Key messages for RSTs • Develop in-house expertise to guide Sportvilles at little or no cost • Sportvilles need RST involvement over an extended period • Recruitment & training of Sportville Boards is a vital role for RSTs • Club capability is important but KISS re planning and data collection • Sportvilles align well with a targeted approach to sports, schools & communities • Sportvilles are well placed to support Kiwi. Sport goals • Some RSTs have already benefitted from Sport NZ investment so there is expertise and resources available within the network

Key messages for Councils • Councils have a crucial role to play in the survival of club sport • “Buy in” to the sportville concept by councillors & staff is critical • A supportive strategy & investment platform for Sportvilles is essential • Share Council’s priorities with other community funders • The best outcomes are achieved where Council and RST work together with clearly articulated, complementary roles • Sportvilles can be a great vehicle for delivering Community Outcomes

Key messages for investors • Investors have a critical role to play in the development of Sportvilles • You need to build organisational knowledge and buy-in to the Sportville concept (i. e. to give Sportvilles priority and say NO to others with less to offer) • Develop a supportive investment strategy for Sportvilles and communicate this to clubs • Share information with Councils and RSTs about Sportville applications • Be prepared to invest in paid people and club capability (the software) as well as in sportsville facilities (the hardware)

Is Sportville for you? First, do your homework!! • Check out the sportville club websites • Visit and/or talk to key people Read this Sportvilles case study www. sportnz. org. nz/en-nz/our-partners/Territorial-Authorities/Facilities/ Read The Burley Report www. sportnz. org. nz/en-nz/communities-and-clubs/Active-Communities/Sharing. Good-Practice/Sportville-Model-Review/ Read the presentations from the Sportville Conference 2012 www. sportnz. org. nz/en-nz/communities-and-clubs/Active-Communities/Sportsvilleconference-2012/

Sport New Zealand’s role? • Leading – providing research & information, challenging the sector, producing best practice tools, providing advice • Enabling – building the capability of our partners (RSTs, NSOs and TAs), bringing people together e. g. forums and seminars • Investing – investing for learnings and results, monitoring performance and use of taxpayer money