Give sport a chance: why we mustn't underestimate the power of physical activity to teach and inspire

This article was published in The Sydney Morning Herald 22 November 2009

There has been no shortage of people talking about the Independent Sport Report and its impact on major sports. What seems to have been missed by many is a notion that all sports would support encouraging more children to play sport. Any sport.

Whether children are swimming, playing tennis, golf, netball, hockey, cricket or any of the football codes, it doesn't matter. The main thing is that these sports are united in providing opportunities for young children to develop a life-long love of physical activity.

That's not only our responsibility as organisers of sport but also as a community.