2019 Industry Survey Results Are Now Live!

In April 2019 the Australian Sports Professionals Association released their inaugural ‘State of the Sporting Industry’ survey.

The Survey was established to deliver a snapshot of key individual and organisational challenges as perceived by those volunteering or working in the industry. The intent was to develop a baseline that allows for trends to be measured over time. 

The four primary components of the survey included: 
•    An individual’s role as a professional/volunteer;
•    An individual’s perception of their organisation;
•    An individual’s perception of the industry; and
•    An individual’s perception of ASPA.

Close to 250 individuals from more than 51 different sports responded to the survey, with a respectably diverse representation of the industry, including:
•    42% from non-managerial roles
•    50.6% female respondents
•    29% aged 26-34
•    42% with 10+ years of experience in the industry

Interestingly, despite 47% of respondents stating they felt they were paid less than expected, 84% were likely or highly to remain in the industry in the next 3-5 years. This may be due to 90% believing they were offered flexible working hours/locations. 

However, when it came to assessing their own organisation’s capabilities and readiness in areas such as capital works, digital strategy, fan engagement and funding, only a few strongly agreed they were in favourable positions with the majority of ranking their organisations slightly above what they considered neutral.

In other areas, such as volunteer recruitment and retention, the majority expressed an adequate ability to approach and resolve challenges pertaining to volunteer retention, though some expressed concern over the societal drift away from organised sport, possibly leading to challenges in improving or even maintaining volunteer health within their organisations. 

More than half of respondents felt positive about the direction of the industry and listed the primary reason for this being trends and opportunities in grassroots participation. Almost a third of respondents believe that the single biggest threat to the Australian Sporting Industry in the next 3-5 years is funding.

This survey will be released annually to allow for further trend analysis. 

You can request access to the full summary here.

The Australian Sports Professionals Association was launched in February 2019 to further provide networking & collaboration opportunities for individuals within the sporting industry, regardless of their role or size of their organisation. 

The objective is to promote a culture of communication and collaboration between individuals and organisations leading to greater efficiencies and innovation within our industry.