Five ways that sport promotes health and well-being within the community

Sports are a common pastime that most Australians grow up enjoying.

Still, we may not have realised how these activities promoted the health and well-being of our communities.

Engaging in sports goes beyond exercising or the thrill of competing; it also catalyses improvements within communities on various levels.

No matter the sport in question, communities can be bolstered physically, mentally, and socially through the presence of organised or grassroots initiatives.

The positive impact of sport extends beyond the playing field, reaching the hearts and minds of surrounding suburbs and promoting a more connected society.

And connected communities breed resilience when times get tough.

That's why NRMA Insurance partnered with Cricket Australia, creating community grants for those clubs in need of support.

The insurance company has teamed up to provide substantial grants to local cricket clubs, encouraging overall community engagement with the nationally loved sport.

They have also worked alongside the McGrath Foundation to create events that raise awareness and money for breast cancer research and bolster community spirit for cricket.

Australia is known for loving sports, so getting our community engaged in our local clubs doesn't take much.

When a community initiative for a sport is created, it is bound to attract the attention of local residents, regardless of age.

From junior teams to casual pick-up games for working adults, community sports bring people together to collectively enjoy physically challenging themselves.

Over time, participants can find their physical health significantly improving as they return from regular training and/or games.

Unlike individual sports, which rely solely on the participant's motivation to engage in physical activities, community sport inspires people to return for multiple reasons.

Working hard alongside teammates can make training and games far more enjoyable, especially when on a team with friends.

The collaborative effort also often means you have access to more equipment and training methods that you would not be able to receive on your own.

This encouragement to continue playing on a community team can lead to enhanced physical health, such as:

Community sport is also built on working collaboratively towards the goal of victory.

This creates a strong foundation for inclusivity, which many participants notice as they experience a strong sense of belonging and pride within their team.

Feeling included can also build an individual's confidence.

When someone knows they have the full support of a team, they can feel confident in their identity and begin to express themselves fully without hesitation.

While this positive effect may not always be immediately noticeable, many team members are aware of the benefits of inclusivity in community sports, which is why they regularly return for multiple seasons.

Exercising your body does more than work the muscles, it also offers a chemical boost to the brain that uplifts your mood.

In fact, every time you engage in a community sport, your brain releases bursts of 'feel good' chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin.

These chemicals can contribute to happiness or contentment, directly linking exercise to better moods.

Playing community sports, rather than individual, has the added benefit of reducing feelings of loneliness or isolation.

Meeting new friends and regularly socialising alongside exercise creates a positive environment where many thrive.

Think about your mood before joining a community game versus how you feel afterwards; often, playing with friends leaves you feeling giddy and relaxed.

However, those who regularly engage in community sports gain more than just friendship through working alongside a team.

You can also enjoy mental health benefits such as:

When you are in a happier mindset and physically exhausted from exercising, you may also notice how much easier it is to fall asleep.

The mental health benefits of sports are far-reaching in almost every aspect of daily life.

Few things bring people together quite like sports games; cheering for your favourite team, watching your loved ones compete, and meeting up with old friends to commiserate over past matches.

Community spirit is created in bountiful amounts every time a local sports game is played, and these sporting clubs allow people from all walks of life to unite over a shared goal.

It connects the greater community by fostering friendships between players, parents, and spectators who are all invested in the sport.

Nowhere is this seen better than the continuous engagement in the performance of local teams by media institutions.

By regularly reporting on the success of local sporting clubs like the Port Stephens Pythons, the media can keep the community informed and interested in the progress of these clubs. Thus, strongly invoking community spirit.

Local sport matches also provide the perfect opportunity for other organisations in the community to generate more engagement.

It is common to see sporting club sponsors appear at games, interacting with spectators and offering their unique services in the future.

Partnerships often also get involved with the fun of sporting events, helping to generate change through the community's aid.

Regular exercise through sports is well-documented to help an individual's well-being on multiple levels.

However, sports also promote a broader culture of health and wellness in their communities by providing opportunities for residents to learn and grow.

Community-run workshops are a great means of educating people on a healthy lifestyle and how to achieve it.

Focusing on core areas such as health, nutrition, and fitness can give a community the tools to take charge of their well-being and improve their lifestyle.

These lessons and skills are best put into practice by joining organised sports.

This allows you to get in touch with others with similar goals to pursue a healthier lifestyle. It also lets you regularly work at the physical and cognitive levels needed to improve your health.

In Australia, organised sports play a significant role in the economy, providing numerous environmental benefits to even the smallest local businesses.

With around 2-3 per cent of Australia's GDP, translated to around $50 billion a year, generated in the economy by sports, it is undeniable that our economy thrives with every match played.

Bringing in plenty of job opportunities through the organisation of sports, as well as fulfilling careers as the athletes themselves, it is undeniable that Australia would not be as profitable as it is today without the prevalence of cricket, AFL, soccer, rugby, and other prominent sports.

However, the economic benefits don't just stop there.

Women benefit greatly from competitive sports, often finding themselves in highly sought-after executive positions through the life skills gained from being a player.

These necessary life skills are also evidently learned by children competing in sports, with many finding themselves at a greater advantage than their peers due to their history of competing.

Common examples of important life skills children learn through sports include:

There is no end to what sports can teach us and bring to our communities.

Although this article covers five core ways sport can promote health and well-being in communities, we can discover more multifaceted benefits.

Beyond individual benefits of greater physical and mental health, sport greatly benefits our communities.

It creates a sense of inclusivity and belonging that is hard to replicate anywhere else.

This collaborative nature allows sports to promote healthy lifestyles while still being a lucrative means of economic and environmental benefits.

As Australians continue to embrace sports at the grassroots and organised levels, the positive ripple effects are likely to endure, creating healthier, more connected, and thriving communities.