4147.4.55.001 - Culture and Recreation News, Mar 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 17/03/2011   
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INVOLVEMENT IN ORGANISED SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY


A quarter of the population are involved in organised sport

Data released in November 2010 following the most recent ABS survey of Involvement in Organised Sport and Physical Activity showed that a total of 4.5 million people (26%) were involved in organised sport or physical activity during the 12 months prior to April 2010.

The survey collects information about people aged 15 years and over who were involved in organised sport and physical activity as players, participants or competitors, or in non-playing roles. Non-playing roles include: coach, instructor or teacher; referee or umpire; committee member or administrator; scorer or timekeeper; medical support; and other roles such as fundraising or providing transport.

In the 12 months prior to interview in April 2010, an estimated 3.8 million people were involved in playing roles (22%), and 1.6 million people were involved in non-playing roles (9%). Of the 1.6 million people with a non-playing role, over half (56%) also had a playing role.

Men were more likely to have participated in both playing roles (24%) and non-playing roles (10%) than women (20% and 8% respectively). People aged between 15 to 24 years had the highest overall participation rate as players (38%) while people aged 35 to 44 years had the highest participation rate in non-playing roles (15%).

Over half of the people who were involved in non-playing roles (60%) were involved with school or junior sport, with women more likely to be involved (65%) than men (55%).

Further results from the survey, including information about whether people were paid or unpaid for their role, the time spent in the role and also whether people had a qualification, can be found in the ABS publication Involvement in Organised Sport and Physical Activity, Australia, April 2010 (cat. no. 6285.0). The survey was also conducted in 2001, 2004 and 2007.