Young people, parents, teachers and clubs

Parents, teachers and clubs are responsible for educating, supporting and influencing young people to participate in sport and recreation activities and the department has created a number of resources to achieve these outcomes.

Why you should be involved

Did you know that by participating in sport and recreation you are more likely to actually enjoy school? Not only will you do better academically, you can also improve your physical and mental well-being, increase your self-esteem, meet new people and help create stronger communities.

Sport and recreation isn’t just for elite athletes. Whether you participate in individual or social activities, volunteering, officiating or coaching, the industry can’t survive without your involvement. There’s also a wide variety of jobs available within the industry, so get involved today.

Sport and recreation is not about winning, it's about helping to build stronger, healthier, happier, and safer communities

Volunteering in your community

Whether you volunteer on your own or with family or friends, you'll have fun, make new friends and contribute to your community. There are literally hundreds of sport and recreation opportunities in WA available to people wanting to get involved in a club — but not necessarily by playing sport. Find out more by visiting the Volunteering WA website.

Supporting youth in the regions

If you are a young athlete living in regional WA and have been identified as having potential to reach state or national selection, you can apply for the Regional Athlete Support Program to assist with your development. This can support you to attend training sessions, state and national team selections, state and national competitions and special coaching sessions.

Financial assistance

KidSport enables Western Australian children aged 5 to 18 years to participate in community sport by offering them financial assistance towards club fees.

While the primary objective of KidSport is to ensure all Western Australian children can participate in sport and recreation clubs, its secondary objective is to engage these children and their families in the community.

Working in the industry

With a wide variety of jobs and career pathways available, the sport and recreation sector can be a fun, challenging and fulfilling environment to work and progress your career.

The below guide will introduce you to some of the disciplines within the sport and recreation sector and provide a glimpse into the roles and requirements that exist in these areas.

Parents

As a parent, you play a key role in creating healthy environments for your children, including the demonstration of positive and acceptable behaviours in sport and recreation.

Participation in sport and physical activity is key to the health and development of children and youth, and provides the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. However, without parental encouragement and your willingness to be involved at various levels, they may not receive enough exposure to activities that can enhance their lives, both in the short and long term.

Rule number 1: keep it fun

The Sport Australia website also has many resources available to help you encourage your children to adopt a more physically-active lifestyle.

Safe environments for our kids

A parent, coach or volunteers behaviour within a club and on the sporting sideline can determine whether a child feels safe and has a good time playing sport. 

Child Safeguarding

Visit the department's child safeguarding section for more information about child safe environments.

The organisations below can provide more information about ensuring all children are able to participate within a safe environment:

• Child Safe Sport
• Play by the Rules.

Clubs

Sport and recreation activities must be attractive to young people.

Encouraging young people to participate

Clubs and associations who deliver youth activities must fully understand why young people participate in and drop out of, sport.

A number of other resources, guidelines and checklists have also been developed to help national sporting organisations, state organisations and clubs to develop their own sport-specific youth oriented policies.

Teachers

Teachers play one of the most important roles in encouraging sport and recreation participation, by introducing young people to the benefits of physical activity.

Participating in school sport is fundamental to the health and development of our children and youth. It provides the foundation for a healthy lifestyle and is associated with a range of other benefits including social interaction, increased attentiveness, confidence, health and overall wellbeing.

Recreation camps

Our four metropolitan camps each offer unique recreation and accommodation. From the tranquil bush of Bickley, a river retreat at Point Walter to our coastal camps at Woodman Point and Ern Halliday, you'll discover the perfect location for your school, community or corporate group.

Our regional camp, Camp Quaranup, offers many opportunities to explore Albany and the Great Southern. Situated on the harbour, this historic location is a popular regional destination.