EVIDENCE BASE FOR SPORT
HIGH PERFORMANCE SPORT
QUICK FACTS
Elite athletes and teams work to optimise technical and human performance, but high-performance sport also impacts how individuals feel about sport and us as a nation.
Pride 1, 2
Australians say Olympic, Paralympic, and Commonwealth Games athletes can make them feel proud (79%) and inspired (70%), especially through showing determination, working hard, and good sportsmanship.
Role models 3
More than 70% of Australians (18+) believe that Australia’s elite athletes are some of the best role models for themselves, and for children and young people to aspire to.
Community 3, 4, 5
Sport, especially the shared camaraderie of watching and cheering for high performance sport and athletes:
- has a positive impact on communities
- brings communites together
- develops community cohesion.
Investment 6
High performance sport investment occurs at all levels of government, (federal, state/territory, and local), as well as the significant investment of resources, time and money from sport and community organisations, commercial sponsors, parents, families, and volunteers.
Inspiration 3
Australians over 18 years say they have been inspired to participate in or seek information about sports/physical activity in the last year by:
- watching sport on TV or live
- an Australian athlete being a good role model
- Australians succeeding internationally
- seeing or hearing about Olympic, Paralympic, or Commonwealth Games sports or athletes.
Economic value 6
Sport creates an estimated $AU55 billion economic value for Australia each year, and approximately 30% of the value is attributable to high performance sport.
Participation 7
57% of Australians over 15 years, and 67% of children aged 14 years or younger participate in a sport or activity linked to Olympic, Paralympic, or Commonwealth Games events.
References +
- AusPlay focus: Australians' participation in Olympic and Paralympic sports, Australian Sports Commission, (May 2021).
- Community Perceptions Monitor (CPM) Summary Report: Impact of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the Australian community, Australian Sports Commission, (October 2021)
- Community Perceptions Monitor Annual Report 2022-2023, Australian Sports Commission, (September 2023).
- The trickle-down effect: what population groups benefit from hosting major sports events? Pamela Wicker & Popi Sotiriadou, International Journal of Event Management Research, Volume 8(2), (2013).
- The inspirational effects of three major sport events, Girish Ramchandani, Richard Coleman, International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Volume 3(3), pp.257-271, (2012).
- Intergenerational Review of Australian Sport, BCG Consulting for the Australian Sports Commission, (2017).
- AusPlay dataset, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 25 July 2023).
TOPICS
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FEATURED REPORTS
Impact of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on the Australian community
Community Perceptions Monitor, (2023)
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RESEARCH DATA
Research data from the Australian Sports Commission's national sport and physical activity survey – AusPlay.