4147.4.55.001 - Culture and Recreation News, Jan 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/02/2002   
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FEWER PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ORGANISING SPORT

One in ten Australians aged 15 or over (1.4 million people) were involved in a support role such as a coach, referee or committee member in an organised sport or physical activity in the year ended April 2001. The most common roles were committee member or administrator (595,000 people), coach, instructor or teacher (558,400), scorer or timekeeper (453,700) and referee or umpire (340,000).

These data indicate a fall in the number of persons involved in such roles from 12% in 1997 to 10% in 2001. In 2001, there were 69,900 fewer coaches and instructors, 116,800 fewer referees and umpires, and 134,400 fewer sport administrators and committee members than there had been in 1997.

Most of the people involved in organising and running sport and physical activities volunteered their time. In 2001, of the 2.1 million support roles undertaken, 11% of these roles attracted payment (either in dollars and/or goods and services). The survey also provides information about people who played or participated and the results indicate that 3.5 million people (24% of those aged 15 years and over) had played organised sport and physical activity in the previous 12 months. Of these people, 88,100 players (2.5%) received some payment.

Main features of Involvement in Organised Sport and Physical Activities, Australia, April 2001 (ABS Cat No. 6285.0) are available free of charge on this site.