Victorian Masters Sport Resource Kit - Australian Sports Commission

CASE STUDY 6:
South West Sports Assembly: 1997 Portland Aluminium
Glenelg Games
◗ These Games are an excellent example
of how a Regional Sport Assembly can
facilitate participation in Masters Sport
through the staging of a multi sport
event which caters for all age groups.
◗ The 1997 Portland Aluminium Glenelg
Games attracted over 6000 participants
in 66 sports, about a third of who were
of Masters age.
◗ Some regular sport participants may
wonder what the benefits are of playing
under the umbrella of a Games if the
individual sport event would run
regardless of the Games occurring. The
Glenelg Games manage this issue by
ensuring that each sport conducts a
unique event for the Games by altering
rules, gender mixes, formats, etc. to
ensure the games are seen as a unique
event.
◗ Apart from the economic benefit to the
community, the clubs and sport
providers receive significant financial
benefits with 94 per cent registering a
profit or breaking even in staging the
event.
◗ The Games were managed by a
voluntary committee of management
comprising members of the Glenelg
Shire, South West Regional Sports
Assembly, sport representatives and
local community members.
◗ The Assembly played a key role in
securing sponsorship, providing entry
forms on behalf of the clubs / sport
providers, and educating club / sport
representatives in areas such as event
management, planning and general
sports administration.
◗ A spin off from the Games is the ability
to stimulate the interest of non
competitors, many of whom inquire
about membership of local sport clubs.
In 1997, 41 per cent of sports involved
in the games attracted new enquiries.
◗ An important role for the assembly is to
liaise with the state and regional
associations to gather support for
people to participate in the particular
sport rather than rely on the clubs to
perform this role.
Source: 1997 Portland Aluminium Glenelg
Games, Final Report.
31
5. Role of Organisations