Creating new sports opportunities for older Victorians

COTA Victoria is working together with sporting organisations to create new sports opportunities for older people.

COTA understands the key role physical activity plays in enabling older people to age well, and has a commitment to campaign for policies and programs that encourage and enable people to be active as they age.

Sport and recreation has great potential to offer a wide range of enjoyable activities for older people, that brings physical activity as well as social benefits.

While we typically see older people involved gentle, 'age-appropriate' activities, such as lawn bowls, swimming, golf, and walking, we need to broaden our view of what is suitable, beneficial and enjoyable for older people. It is important to provide a range of sport, fitness and recreational activities.

Opportunities for physical activity should not be limited by age.

Ageism is visible in most sports, in dancing studios, in fitness classes, in recreation centres, in stadiums, community fields and ball parks. What we typically see in these areas are children and younger adults in action. We do not typically see older people there. Older people do not see themselves there, and they are not expected to be active participants.
'Overcoming Ageism in Active Living', Report for the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults, 2005

About PICSAR

The COTA-PICSAR project is one of approximately 60 projects funded by VicHealth, through its PICSAR (Participation in Community Sport and Active Recreation) program, which aims to improve the health of Victorians through physical activity.

The primary goal is: To increase participation of older people in all aspects of sport and active recreation. (This includes direct participation, management and administration, officiating and volunteering.)

The COTA-PICSAR Project

Some sport and recreation clubs are already catering for older adults, however may sports are not reaching this group effectively.

The COTA-PICSAR model is designed to assist community sports clubs provide sport and recreational activities that will appeal to older people - and sports clubs. It offers practical suggestions for developing a form of sports participation that is successful with seniors. It is based on COTA's previous work with Keen-Agers (a table teniis program specifically tailored for older players), and our experience in developing and managing a strength-training program (Living Longer Living Stronger^TM) for older participants. Tennis Victoria has also helped shape the model with experience gained from their popular Seniors' Social Tennis program.

Sport is physical activity that is competitive, organised, involves rules and may be participated in either individually or as a team.

Active recreation is generally unstructured activity that individuals freely pursue in their uncommitted time (leisure time) for a personal sense of enjoyment that also benefits their physical, social or emotional wellbeing (VicHealth)

Introducing a seniors' section

Basically, the COTA-PICSAR model proposes a sports clubs introduces a new seniors' section (like a juniors' section) for older people. This involves setting up regular, weekly (usually off-peak) playing sessions. These sessions adopt an informal, recreational approach, with no competitions, set teams or game schedules to organise. The emphasis is on participation – encouraging a social atmosphere, promoting fun and friendship.

This seniors' section is encouraged to be largely self-reliant, with players coordinating their own activities. (The project is also focusing on ways to upskill older players to enable them to take on the role of coordinating the group and its activities, such as mentoring by club volunteers.)

Players in the seniors' section will become members of the club. With the sports club providing assistance such as use of its venue and equipment (in off-peak times), access to insurance cover, and mentoring (initial support and advice).

Key principles

The seniors' section is designed around guiding principles which address those recognised factors which encourage and discourage prospective participants:

a sports club introduces a new seniors' section (like a junior section)
a focus on non-competitive participation, with an informal approach - minimal rules and regulations
emphasis on social interaction - providing a fun and enjoyable experience
older people (from within the sports club and outside) are encouraged to be involved from the outset in the set-up of the seniors' section
the seniors' section to be (largely) self-reliant group – participants coordinate their own activities
players will be converted into members of the sports club

Other project strategies

A second, and equally important, aspect of this project is to raise awareness of these new sporting opportunities and to encourage older people to become involved.

Peer education is recognised by COTA as a valuable method for informing older people and the COTA-PICSAR project is also looking to adopt this approach. We want to encourage older people to be more active and believe that the best people to deliver this information are older people themselves. Peers are able to present information in a way that is more readily accepted, as they share characteristics and experiences with their audience.

We hope to recruit physically active older people who can act as role models / ambassadors, and can speak from their own experiences. They will understand what it takes to make a change and become more active, they can talk about the obstacles they face, and relate to the concerns of their peers.

We envisage seniors' sport ambassadors will deliver presentations to local groups of older people, such as active retirement villages, senior citizens groups and other community groups.

The Pilot Phase: 2008 to June 2009

The pilot phase is planned for 12 months, from September 2008 until June 2009.

The purpose of the COTA-PICSAR project is to develop an effective and replicable model that can be implemented by other sports. The pilot phase aims to test the effectiveness of the seniors' section model with various sports.

Initially this project will focus on the City of Greater Geelong and has the support of Leisure Networks, the local Regional Sports Assembly.

The project team

Leisure Networks

Leisure Networks is a community-based, not for profit organisation that promotes and strengthens community sport, recreation, and health across the Barwon Region.

COTA Victoria is working with Leisure Networks to expand the opportunities for older people to participate in local sports and active recreation in the Barwon region.

Tennis Victoria

Tennis Victoria is the central administrative body of tennis in Victoria, it is Tennis Victoria's role to manage, co-ordinate, promote, and unify the diverse facets of the sport.

Seniors' Social Tennis aims to provide those over 35 with the opportunity of playing tennis on a social basis. Participants play as much tennis as they wish and the emphasis is on playing fun, social tennis in a relaxed setting without the pressure of competition. The program is open to players of all standards, from beginners to advanced and also for those players who have previously played tennis and wish to get back into the sport.

[setting the scene]

For more information

Robyn Alexander

Physical Activity Officer

P: 9655 2113

E: physicalactivity@cotavic.org.au