DEVELOPING MORE WOMEN LEADERS IN SPORT

March 27, 2008

The Member for Eden-Monaro Dr Mike Kelly is encouraging local women to
apply for Federal Government grants to improve leadership opportunities
for women in sport.

Dr Kelly said the grants, totalling $400,000, would help women undertake
accredited training and development in coaching, officiating, governance
and sports management.

“Participation by women in sport management and coaching is well below
that of men and we’re keen to change this situation,” Dr Kelly said.

“This program is encouraging women to play a more active role in sports
leadership - whether in a paid or voluntary capacity.”

Dr Kelly said since its inception, the Sports Leadership Grants program
had helped some 15,500 women from around Australia to develop high-level
skills in their sport.

The Australian Government has awarded grants of more than $2 million
over the seven years that the program has been operating.

“Australian sport stands to benefit from having a greater number of
women in leadership and decision-making roles,” Dr Kelly said. “It
contributes to the depth and diversity of Australian sport.

“Women sporting leaders become role models who encourage and inspire
other women to make their mark in Australian sport.”

Dr Kelly said the grants had been applied by women in many different
ways, including:

• boosting Hockey Australia’s female coaching apprenticeship
  program to enable six women each year gain national and international
  experience in coaching at the elite level.
• supporting Jo Sanders of Belfield, NSW, to further her
  professional development in sports management with an executive
  management course that will give her the leadership skills to take on
  higher roles in her career with the Football Federation of Australia,
  and
• assisting Amanda Frost of Sunrise Beach, Queensland, to pursue
  training and development to work as a swimming instructor for young
  people who have a disability.

The grants are available in five areas - high-performance coaching and
officiating; Indigenous women; women in disability sport; women from
culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; and women in general
sport leadership.
Funding of up to $5,000 is available to successful individual
applicants, and up to $10,000 for approved organisations. Applications
close on Thursday, 15 May 2008.
For more details about the grants go to:
www.ausport.gov.au/participating/all/women