10 tips for a welcoming sporting club

How can you make your sports club feel truly welcoming?

Inclusion isn’t always about making big changes. Often, genuine inclusion is a result of the small, everyday habits and practices a club has put in place.

In this video, we’ll provide you with 10 practical things sports clubs should consider when starting – or continuing – their inclusion journey.

View video transcript

Video transcript: 10 Tips for a Welcoming Club

Narrator: Do you want to make your sports club truly welcoming? Inclusion isn’t always about making big changes. It’s about everyday practices. Here are 10 practical tips to get started.

1. Get the fundamentals in place. A code of conduct, an inclusion policy, and a clear conflict resolution process that encourages understanding over blame. These create the foundation for everything else.

2. Check your physical space. Clear paths, accessible equipment, uncluttered accessible toilets, and a quiet zone for breaks. You might not have the perfect setup, but you can always make improvements. And remember, you can seek additional support from your local government or state sporting association.

3. Provide clear and detailed information online. Where, when, what, how, and who. Explain key terms. Being clear is being kind. It helps people to know if your club is the right fit and arrive feeling prepared.

4. Think about how you welcome people. Take time to chat with new members. Learn their goals. Introduce them to a buddy. First impressions matter, especially for people with disability.

5. Equip your coaches and volunteers. Invest in training. Encourage them to ask questions. Learn from each other. Stay curious and create an environment where everyone can thrive at their own pace.

6. Welcome feedback actively. Make it easy and accessible. Most importantly, take action on what you hear. That’s how you create a safe, responsive environment.

7. Connect people across all your programs. Don’t let anyone feel left out or separated. Create opportunities for everyone to socialise, mingle, and belong to the whole club, not just one program.

8. Attract diverse members by being proactive. Connect with the broader community. Don’t wait for people to find you. Reach out and build partnerships.

9. Offer financial and participation flexibility. Not everyone can commit to a full season or afford full membership. Provide options such as training-only participation, casual play, term-based commitments, or reduced fees for volunteers. Make involvement possible.

10. Display your values every single day. You can tick every box on paper, but inclusion is everyone’s business. It’s the daily practices—how you speak, who you include, and how you respond—that create a truly welcoming club.

Narrator: That’s how you retain members and attract new ones. Really, it comes down to this: stay curious, create community, and make inclusion everyone’s responsibility.

Download transcript

Guidebook: Building welcoming and connected clubs

A guidebook to support sporting clubs build community, visibility and connections in their local community.

An adult in a hat and orange vest talks to a child wearing a race bib on a grassy field. Other children in matching sportswear are in the background, preparing for a race or event.

Guidebook: Strategies to foster an inclusive club culture

Inclusion starts and thrives with people. This guidebook helps your sports club’s strategies to embed disability inclusion in your club.

An older man wearing glasses and a Safety Bay Tennis Club shirt smiles while standing in front of outdoor tennis courts on a sunny day.

Guidebook: Tools to embed inclusion in strategies, policies and guidelines

Download this guide to learn more about the foundation of inclusive governance.

A young man wearing a red basketball jersey and holding a basketball looks up while standing outdoors on a basketball court, with a gym bag slung over his shoulder.

Guidebook: How to address barriers and boost participation in your sports club

How can you effectively address barriers to participation in your sports club and ensure all athletes with disability can actively engage? Download our guide and discover our 5-step pathway.

A large group of students in matching red and black uniforms gather and walk across a green sports field, with trees and a blue sky in the background.

How to create inclusive event posters

Looking to learn how to make your posters more inclusive? Download our resource and learn with these straightforward steps!

A young woman wearing headphones and a white t-shirt smiles while looking at her smartphone, standing in front of empty stadium seats outdoors.

How to create clear and inclusive social media posts

Writing inclusive social media posts doesn’t need to be hard. Download this resource and discover how to write clear and easy-to-read social media posts that are accessible for everyone.

The NDIS and sport

Learn more about the NDIS and how sporting clubs can make the most out of their collaboration with members who are NDIS participants.

Two smiling women wearing red jerseys with numbers 4 and 5 and black eye masks stand arm in arm, appearing happy and close, in an indoor sports setting.

Coaching tips: Supporting athletes with diverse participatory needs

Learn more about athletes’ different participatory needs and how you, as a coach, can better support your club members to get the most out of their sport.

A person with long brown hair sits outdoors reading a book titled Community Development. Trees and a building are visible in the background.

Inclusive language guide

Start incorporating inclusive language in your sports club with our language guide.

A person with glasses and a ponytail smiles while looking to the side. They wear a red shirt, a patterned blue overshirt, and a button badge, standing outdoors in front of a building with steps and large windows.

Where to promote volunteer opportunities

Learn more about the different platforms you can use to reach potential volunteers.

A coach holds a tactic board while giving instructions to four young boys in blue soccer uniforms, each holding a soccer ball, on a field with orange cones.

Inclusive coaching with the TREE Model

Learn more about the TREE model and explore how this useful framework supports coaches to adapt sporting sessions to become more inclusive for everyone.

A coach uses a clipboard with a basketball court diagram to discuss strategy with players gathered around on a gym floor.

Attracting, supporting, and retaining members and volunteers

Learn practical steps to ensure members feel supported and welcomed in your sports club.

A woman with blonde hair tied back, wearing a white and blue Safety Bay t-shirt and a black skirt, stands smiling in front of a tennis court with players in the background.

Head, heart, hands: Uncover the skills and passions of club members

Discover the experience, skills, interests, and passions of your members. Download this resource and distribute it among new or current members to find out what makes them tick!

Four young girls in red basketball uniforms and medals gather closely, smiling and holding a golden trophy together, celebrating their achievement with a coach or adult nearby. Sunlight streams through windows behind them.

Inclusive conflict resolution in your club

Conflict happens in every club, and how you respond to it makes the biggest difference. Pausing, staying curious, and involving support networks can help resolve issues effectively. Discover the best practices and pitfalls of inclusive conflict resolution.

Two field hockey players, one in a red uniform and the other in yellow, compete for the ball on an outdoor field. Only their lower bodies and hockey sticks are visible.

Resources to strengthen your governance

Seeking further guidance on how to take steps toward improved inclusive governance? Explore these websites.

A person in a wheelchair outdoors holds the leash of a white service dog wearing a red vest that says Service Dog. The sun is setting in the background, casting a warm light.

Working together: clubs, people with disability and their support workers

Support workers play an important role in helping people with disability participate fully and confidently. Learn more about the support worker’s role and how to lay the foundation for strong relationships and smooth communication.

A teenage girl in a red basketball uniform holding a basketball stands in a gymnasium, looking at the camera. Other players in red uniforms are visible in the blurred background.

The Inclusion Spectrum

The Inclusion Spectrum is a five-stage model developed by Ken Black and Pam Stevenson (1996) to help coaches include participants with disability in sport. This resource gives you a brief introduction to the Inclusion Spectrum as well as how it applies to different sports.

Smiling young woman in a red shirt gets her cheek painted with a red stripe while celebrating outdoors with friends.

Inclusive event checklist

If you’re planning an event or sports day for your members, our Inclusive event checklist is a perfect tool to support and guide you in making your event as inclusive, accessible and welcoming as possible.

A basketball rests on a polished gym floor near colorful training cones, with a person wearing blue and black athletic shoes standing nearby.

Inclusive communication and digital accessibility checklist

Improve digital and physical accessibility as well as inclusive communication with our checklist.

Disability inclusion in practice: Inglewood Little Athletics

Disability inclusion in practice: Safety Bay Tennis Club

The Inclusion Spectrum – video

Discover the Inclusion Spectrum and how to apply it in your sports club.

A blue sign with a white wheelchair symbol and a right-pointing arrow, indicating accessible access or parking for people with disabilities. The sign is in front of green bushes and a blurred background.

Guidebook: Improve accessibility in your sports club

A guidebook to help sporting clubs on how to improve their physical and digital accessibility.