This study investigates the challenges of returning to sport after a COVID-19 shutdown of sport from the perspective of community sport clubs (CSCs). We explore the relationship between the challen...

Interagency partnerships and collaborations underpin a settings-based approach to health promotion in all settings, including sport. This study used an online concept mapping approach to explore the challenges that Regional Sports Assemblies (RSAs) in Victoria, Australia experienced when working in partnerships to develop and deliver physical activity programs in a community sport context. Participants from nine RSAs brainstormed 46 unique partnership-related challenges that they then sorted into groups based on similarity of meaning and rated for importance and capacity to manage (6-point scale; 0 = least, 5 = most). A six cluster map (number of statements in cluster, mean cluster importance and capacity ratings)—Co-design for regional areas (4, 4.22, 2.51); Financial resources (3, 4.00, 2.32); Localised delivery challenges (4, 3.72, 2.33); Challenges implementing existing State Sporting Association (SSA) products (9, 3.58, 2.23); Working with clubs (8, 3.43, 2.99); and Partnership engagement (18, 3.23, 2.95)—was considered the most appropriate interpretation of the sorted data. The most important challenge was Lack of volunteer time (4.56). Partnerships to implement health promotion initiatives in sports settings involve multiple challenges, particularly for regional sport organisations working in partnership with community sport clubs with limited human and financial resources, to implement programs developed by national or state-based organisations.

To explore how injury, as a primary barrier, impacts physically inactive Australian women's engagement in sport and physical activity. Concept mapping. Participants used online concept mapping to brainstorm the meaning of injury, then sorted and rated statements for impact and importance (1 (low)-5 (high) scale). Multi-dimensional scaling, hierarchical cluster analysis and descriptive statistics were applied. Forty-five Australian women, aged 25-64, brainstormed 94 statements representing the meaning of an injury. Nine clusters emerged from analysis of the sorting data (highest to lowest mean cluster impact order): Fear and frustration; Physical implications of injury; Activity restrictions; Financial implications; Modification and management; Recovery; Mental and emotional wellbeing; Impact on daily life; and Social impact and engagement. A high correlation was found between rating scales (r = 0.92). A holistic approach is fundamental to understanding how the multi-dimensional impacts of injury and recovery affect physically inactive women. This approach should extend beyond the medical/physical aspects to other challenges and contextual factors (i.e. environmental and personal) impacting women's functioning. Understanding the diverse needs and experiences of physically inactive women is crucial for tailoring interventions that can effectively support recovery and sustained engagement, through person-centred strategies focused on injury prevention/management. Furthermore, this understanding is essential to fostering collaborative system-wide understanding and change, involving diverse stakeholders (e.g. health practitioners, those in delivery/practice settings, insurance) to improve long-term health and wellness outcomes, and promote greater participation in sport/physical activity.

Objectives: To explore the challenges that Victorian sporting organisations experience when developing, delivering or scaling non‐traditional social sport products to engage insufficiently active people. Methods: Online Concept Mapping was used to gather qualitative data and analyse it quantitatively. Results: A total of 68 participants (27 organisations) brainstormed 158 challenges. The research team synthesised these to 71 unique challenges for participants to sort into groups and rate for importance (0–5) and ease of overcoming (0–5). A nine‐cluster solution – Deliverers; Capacity to drive the product; Facilities and partnerships; Product development; Sustainable business model; Marketing to insufficiently active; Attracting the insufficiently active; Clubs and volunteers; and Shifting traditional sport culture – was considered most appropriate. Participants rated the Deliverers challenges as the most important (mean=3.52), and the Marketing to insufficiently active challenges as the easiest to overcome (2.72). Conclusions: Key ingredients to successfully developing and delivering non‐traditional sport opportunities for insufficiently active populations are: recruiting appropriate product deliverers; building the capacity of delivery organisations and systems; and developing products relevant to the delivery context that align with the needs and characteristics of the target population. Implications for public health: A system‐wide response is required to address the challenges associated with sport organisations developing, scaling and delivering innovative social sport products for insufficiently active populations.

This study evaluated the impact of a brief (20-min) nutrition education intervention embedded in an existing mandatory coach education course for coaches of junior (8–12 years old) Australian football teams. A total of 284 coaches (68% of 415 coaching course participants) completed a presession questionnaire, and 110 coaches (27% of coaching course participants) completed an identical postsession questionnaire. The responses to the pre- and postsession surveys were matched for 78 coaches. Coaches’ ratings of their own understanding of the nutritional needs of young athletes (6.81, 8.95; p < .001), the importance of young athletes adhering to a healthy diet (9.09, 9.67; p = .001), their confidence in their own nutrition knowledge (7.24, 8.64; p < .001), and their confidence in advising young athletes on nutrition and hydration practices (6.85, 8.62; p < .001), all significantly improved following the education session. Nearly all coaches (>95%) provided a correct response to six of the 15 nutrition and hydration knowledge questions included in the presession questionnaire. Even with this high level of presession knowledge, there was a significant improvement in the coaches’ nutrition and hydration knowledge after the education session across five of the 15 items, compared with before the education session. The results of this study suggest that a simple, short nutrition education intervention, embedded in an existing coach education course, can positively influence the nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy of community-level, volunteer coaches of junior sports participants.