Given that 49.1 % of Victorians were born overseas or have a parent born overseas, there is clear opportunity to increase diversity of the sport leaders, including employees, coaches and volunteers. Current leaders may need to be educated about the benefits of this, especially if your organisation does not currently have any diversity champions who are leading the way.
People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds already operate as effective leaders in sport settings. There are lots of benefits, including:
- People who are part of a specific community often have a lived experience which helps them relate to other members of that community. They will have expert knowledge which they can use in a leadership role that champions diversity programs.
- Engaging leaders from diverse communities can also assist your organisation to communicate effectively with the local community. These leaders can engage with the community and educate others about appropriate forms of communication.
- Community leaders can help your organisation understand the interests of their community, which helps you build on existing strengths as you create unique participation opportunities.
There are multiple programs in Victoria which aim to develop the leadership skills of young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. These programs benefit the individuals through increased confidence, social connections and skills that prepare them for leadership positions within and outside of sport.
Case Study: I Speak Football
The Melbourne City Football Club uses football as a vehicle to bring together young leaders from diverse backgrounds to address isolation and loneliness. The program has been very successful to date in training 15 new leaders to engage over 400 participants. I Speak Football was the winner of the ‘Sport Development Initiative of the Year’ award at the 2017 Victorian Sport Awards.
The Centre for Multicultural Youth manages a range of youth leadership programs that assist young people from diverse backgrounds to develop leadership skills and become influential in Australian society. Click here to find out more.
Your sport organisation can take an active role to identify and support leaders who have the passion, skills and experience to make your sport more diverse. This includes leaders at all levels of the sport: administrators, volunteers, coaches and committee members. You need to consider a clear strategy to engage and retain leaders in your sport.
Vicsport has consulted with Victorian sport organisations that have successfully created welcoming and inclusive environments to support greater participation by our diverse community.
Consult with local community organisations, including their leaders, to identify potential sport leaders from within the community. This could include people from community support organisations, local council outreach staff, religious leaders or other individuals within each community.
- Prioritise the recruitment of young people and their families from diverse backgrounds.
- Talk to your members – face to face – to identify people who are interested in leadership roles.
- Conduct cultural awareness training to ensure you provide an environment of acceptance and respect to encourage the retention of diverse leaders.
- Australian Human Rights Commission – Cultural diversity in leadership
- The Centre for Multicultural Youth has a range of resources useful for sport leaders.
Aim to support multiple leaders in your organisation to ensure continuity if a key individual is no longer involved in your organisation.
For more information about diversity in leadership, visit:
- Australian Human Rights Commission – Cultural diversity in leadership
- The Centre for Multicultural Youth has a range of resources useful for sport leaders.