Sport Development Strategies For Volleyball Victoria To Increase Women And Girls Participation

Develop a critical and integrated understanding of the concepts and theories of sport development and their application to sport organisations.

To evaluate sport development policies, practices, systems and pathways and their potential to accommodate participation and excellence in sport.

Devise a case study to analyse sport development in action.

Sports Development Process in Australia

Sports development can be defined as the process of developing sport and participation in sport. This implies that sports development include developing sport and those involved in sport especially participation in sport. Sports development also consider the system that is in place this has a direct impact on the development of talented athletes that show future success potential. Some of the benefits of sports development include health, personal development, wellbeing, peace, and social justice.

The sports development process within Australia indicates that sport requires human and financial resources input that is derived from a various stakeholder for proper development. There are many different theories that have been advanced to explain the sports development process. According to Donnelly and Coakley (2013), there are four levels of the sports continuum level that an individual may move through and these include foundation, participation, performance, and excellence. In addition to the four levels, sports development can also be explained through the three frameworks and these include attraction, transition/retention and nurturing process. This three-sport development framework is important in developing strategies that aim to improve the volleyball within the state of Victoria. Moreover, the ATRN framework sets the scope for improving the various aspect of the sport such as participation, target groups, sporting programs and personal development of athletes (Eekeren, Horst & Danielle 2013).

The purpose of this assignment is to develop sport development strategies that work with the Volleyball Victoria to improve the participation of the women and girls. The level of participation of women and girls remain low as it currently stands within the state of Victoria and Australia as a whole. Furthermore, women and girls have not been targeted for excelling in volleyball. Most of the volleyball sport has been focusing on both men and women without considering the number of women and girls participating in the volleyball sporting activities. Therefore, there is a need to develop strategies that will help in improving the women and girls participation in the volleyball sporting activities (Nanayakkara 2012).

Volleyball Victoria is the state sports organization (SSO) that is administered volleyball within the state of Victoria. Sports development is based on the principle of high participation, personal development, health, and excellent performance. This implies that women and girls being a key target of both the state and federal government target require articulation of Volleyball Victoria to ensure that there is high women participation (Nandal 2014). In addition, the Volleyball Victoria is mandated to ensures that the volleyball produces excellent performance both at the state level and in the international level. The organization is therefore relevant in sports development since it has all the necessary capability and mandate to improve or better women and girls performance in volleyball sports. This assignment develops strategies to increase women and girls participation in volleyball through the Volleyball Victoria (Volleyball Victoria 2013a).

According to the Change our Game, despite the far that women have moved in the sporting activities within Australia there is more that needs to be done as the journey is still far. The strategy is in line with the vision of the government of Victoria that aims to increase the number of women and girls in sport. The journey to increase women participating in sporting activity began in 2015 when the government through inquiry recommended the need to increase the number of women in sport and recreation activities throughout the state of Victoria. Some sports such as volleyball has received little attention as compared to other sports. This is even worst when looked through the gender wise approach where a huge number of those participating are majorly men and boys (Kari, Trond & Diane 2014).

Purpose and Target of the Assignment

The volleyball Victoria has various sporting programs that are meant to bring together various participants. Some of these programs include VicHealth State Sporting Association participation program, Brimbank social volleyball competition, North Melbourne ‘The Huddle’ Women Volleyball Program, Dig, Set, Spike Program and many other programs. Firstly, the VicHealth State Sporting Association participation program is a volleyball Victoria program that provides funding for various volleyball programs within the state of Victoria since 2011. Secondly, Brimbank social volleyball competition is a volleyball Victoria sporting program that focuses on increasing the women and men participating in the volleyball sporting activities within the state. Thirdly, North Melbourne ‘The Huddle’ Women Volleyball Program is another sporting program that is undertaken by the volleyball Victoria that target only women participation in the volleyball within the state. Lastly, Dig, Set, Spike Program arrange for the training of the community or group association in the volleyball as this also ensures that regular weekly training is successful (Santosh & Nagma 2015).

Volleyball Victoria as a sports organization has various core functions that are engraved within the slogan of one sport two disciplines. Some of the specific core functions of the volleyball Victoria include enhance the volleyball; enable various Victorians to achieve their aspiration in volleyball sporting activities. To ensure that these core functions are achieved the organization promotes accessibility and sustainability opportunity to encourage healthy volleyball sporting activities. In addition, the organization also creates pathways that lead to the excellent performance of the community in the sport (Volleyball Victoria 2013).

Volleyball Victoria has many different sport competition programs that bring together many Victorians with aspiration in volleyball. Some of the competitions that are currently within the organization’s sports calendar include Dandenong (Indoor) night competitions, Maribyrnong Volleyball Competitions, Republica- St Kilda Beach Night Competition and school competition programs. Firstly, the Dandenong (indoor) night competitions run across the week within three days of the week and these are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays. Secondly, Maribyrnong Volleyball Competitions is another competition that brings together both men and women held Fridays within Maribyrnong Sports Academy Beach Volleyball Centre. Thirdly, Republica- St Kilda Beach Night Competition is a competition that is normally held on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays at Republica- St Kilda Sea Bath. Lastly, school competition is another avenue through which the volleyball Victoria organizes competitions to reach its objectives within the state (Volleyball Victoria 2013a). Some of the programs that are currently offered by the volleyball Victoria has focused on women and girls though little has been done to increase the participation of these target group.

As an organization, Volleyball Victoria has several strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as well (Volleyball Victoria 2017).

The key aspect to the strategic plan for sports development is embedded in the attraction process of women and girls towards sport. To increase the participation of women and girls in volleyball there are some strategies that are required to be in place. The sports development strategy aims to focus on participants and hence reach through participant focus programs (Type I), modified or targeted sports programs, facilities, promotions/awareness, events/competitions, admin/management. In order to realize the required success in the development of the volleyball sport within the state, there are some goals and objectives that are proposed.

1. To make volleyball accessible to women and girls throughout the state of Victoria so as to increase the number of participants
2. To apply sustainability practices to volleyball sport in order to increase sportswomen and girls participation
3. To develop sustainable and viable volleyball sporting programs and events characterized by better public relation activities
4. A multicultural approach to improve volleyball participation with the main focus on women who are a culturally diversified society

Volleyball Victoria's Sporting Programs

Participation

The organization will increase the sustainable and accessibility of the sporting activities within the interior parts of the state to ensure high participation. In addition, increasing recruitment and support for participants, coaches and other volleyball officials have the prospect of increasing those enrolled in volleyball throughout the state of Victoria (Coalter 2013).

Target group program

To focus on women and girls is another objective of the organization has this will increase participants that are a specific group. The organization has to create a program that specifically targets women and girls ranging from school to senior citizens that has passion and aspiration in volleyball sport (Rock, Valle & Grabman 2013).

Awareness creation

To create awareness and accessibility of the sporting activities to locals and remote places within the state that target women and girls. Creation of awareness through campaigns and events has a high chance of bringing more participants and this will focus on the specifically women and girls (Boston 2012).

Diversified sporting competitions

To create a more diversified and multicultural volleyball sports events within the state that targets women and girls. Within a cultural diversified state of Victoria, involving women and girls require a deeper understanding of various cultural factors and the position of the female gender in sport. This will assist the organization to organized women target event at different places within the state (Cooky, Messner & Musto 2015).

Effective management

The organization requires the restructuring of the management to ensure that women are properly represented within the leadership of the organization. The organization currently require effective management that include dealing with issues such as ethical issues, event management problems that has been affecting the organization recently (Mwaanga 2013).

Design a detailed action plan

In order to realize the proposed strategies, there are some activities that are undertaken in line with the objectives. Some of the actions that can serve to better the performance of the Volleyball Victoria include revision of the sports calendar that is currently used by the organization, sports promotion and campaigns, restructuring organization’s programs and organizational management changes.

Sports campaigns create awareness in areas that have limited accessibility to participants and this will also increase recruitment of participants. Conducting volleyball sport awareness events will target to reach women and girls within local and remote areas of the Victoria state. In addition, the promotion campaigns also serve to motivate those people that have limited information on the recruitment process of the participants. Training is also enhanced during campaigns as organization officials and coaches also forms part of the promotion team. Some of the activities and actions that are conducted during the sport awareness campaigns include the creation of volleyball adverts, roadshow events, and public relation activities (Kamp, Sperlinch & Holmberg 2014). Firstly, advertisements are currently done through social media, printed media, broadcast, and billboard. These adverts should bear the target people and this should be women or girls so that it can appeal to those people. Secondly, public relation events are also organized with the main focus on women and girls and this message should be properly portrayed in the event. For instance, organizing a sports event for female gender where the public is trained in volleyball and the motivation of those willing to participate. Thirdly, roadshow promotions are also necessary and this also requires famous athletes especially women participating in national or state Victoria (Right to Play International 2013).

Core Functions of Volleyball Victoria

Changing the sports calendar to include the sports competition that is hosted for women and girls is another area that the organization focuses on to increase the number of women or girls participating in the event. Review of the sports calendar to slate in those sport that has a high attendance of ladies is important for achieving a high result. Most of the events that are within the calendar of the organization focus on men and women through this has always had high men attendance and participants as compared to the number of women or girls. Changes in the sports calendar should bear various days that are currently booked and this can also include considering other months that are currently not booked for events (Kay & Dudfield 2013).

Development of various women and girls target programs is important for reaching the organization’s goal of reaching more women and girls (Van Eekeren & Vermeulen 2013). Despite the calendar of events that target women and girls participating in the sport, the organization should come up with sustainable or public relation activities that aim at recruiting more women and girls into the sport. Some of these activities include women sports day that is mainly used for volleyball so as to get more participants and this will ensure that many people are enrolled into the volleyball sport (Karin & Fenton 2016).

Restructuring administration is another area that needs consideration since the organization has been in the spotlight over harassment, lack of respect and other ethical issues that has highly affected the administration (O’Reilly & Micay 2015). In addition, the structure of the administration also put into consideration women in the running of organization especially coaches and other officials. Increasing women in the leadership of the organization have a high possibility of reaching more women and girls since they feel motivated. The role of women in sports leadership plays a critical role in ensuring there are many women and girls participants (CBC News 2015).

It is important to note that Australia is a multicultural society with varied perception about women and girls. Multicultural sporting activities that encourage the female gender participation in the volleyball sport are important. Though the multicultural theme is one aspect of volleyball Victoria, the organization has a broader approach and scope that focus on the diversified sports activities as compared specific women multicultural sports activities (Godoy-Pressland 2015).

Sports facilities are one area that has a high attraction for participants as this motivates those willing to register for the sport. Improving sports facilities within the state will ensure that women and girls being the target group has an attractive court that they use for both training and competition. The organization will renovate sports facilities, or possibly increase the number of sports facilities across the state as this will enable accessibility to participants. Moreover, good sports facilities promote good health and sustainable personal development in sport (Schulenkorf 2013).

Despite the efforts to improve the Volleyball Victoria, there is a need to evaluate and monitor the strategy to ensure that they are achieved. To do this there are some activities and management actions that will assist in ensuring that progress is monitored. Some of these include management reporting, feedback pathways, valuation of the output.

Volleyball Victoria's Sports Competitions

Management especially those officials that are in charge of various departments that are directly or indirectly involved in the strategy has to periodically give a report. Reporting on the progress of the organizational strategy is important for monitoring and evaluation of the far the project has reached. This is also directly done to those officials that form part of the campaign or promotion team as they can give a report of those new participants that have been recruited during campaigns. Moreover, it is the mandate of every official to give progress report over a period of time to aid in the evaluation of the organization's performance (Popi & Shilbury 2013).

There are many different avenues that are used currently to give feedback on the organization’s progress and performance. Firstly, the organization will use its social networks to receive feedback from members of the public about the performance of the organization. Social media that currently are used by the organization to communicate with the public allow clients and participants to express themselves on the level of performance of the organization. This also can be used to conduct an opinion poll where people of specifically women and girls are given chance to show how the organization has reached or influence their perception of the volleyball sport.  Secondly, during events such as sport games participants and the public, in general, can be allowed to show their level of participation and satisfaction. This will also give the public an opportunity to interact with the management that is important for reporting (Primary Research 2015).

Data from the recruitment department gives the direct outcome of the initiative that is used for monitoring and evaluation for the far the strategy has reached. During the recruitment excise, the statistics in terms of number registered, those under training and those participating in events gives the progress of the organization. Furthermore, during the registration one of the major focus is based on the gender as those recruiting will indicate the gender clearly to show the total number of female gender recruited or are participating in the sporting activities and events (Schulenkorf 2013).

Conclusion

In conclusion, sports development remains one of the most important human and social development approaches. Volleyball Victoria is a state sports organization that has been mandated with the role of administering sport and recreation activities within the state. Sports development can take the form of improving the attraction process so as to improve both participants and the overall outcome of the sporting activities. This strategy considers ways through which volleyball Victoria can increase women and girls participating in the sport within the state and nationally. This report, therefore, examined the avenues through which the organization can improve or better engagement of women and girls in volleyball sport. 

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