Sporting clubs benefit from population growth
Wed 01 June 2011
Bek Porter, Bachelor of Journalism
As the population of the Sunshine Coast rapidly increases, local sporting clubs are overwhelmed with the influx of children keen to be involved in sport.
Sunshine Coast Netball Association (SCNA) assistant administrator Shelly Burchell said that over the nine years she had been with the association, the increase in children wanting to play netball was extraordinary.
“We have grown by 4-5 teams every year,” Ms Burchell said.
SCNA started a netball competition in Buderim using only eight hard courts, and are now at a 26 court government funded facility in Maroochydore with over 1500 players.
“Compared to what it was in Buderim, [the competition] is huge,” Ms Burchell said.
Ms Burchell felt that the increase in player numbers was mainly due to the influx of people moving to the Sunshine Coast.
“We would constantly get phone calls saying ‘I’ve just moved from New Zealand, or I have just moved from South Australia, which club do I go to?'.” Ms Burchell said.
With the Caloundra South development expected to attract a further 50,000 people to the Sunshine Coast, SCNA are relying on government grants and corporate partnerships to fund the increased need.
The money gained from Channel 7 and McDonald’s as two of the four corporate partners with the netball association will go straight into development and not into staff income.
“There is a 10 year plan for the complex which aims to enclose two courts into a stadium,” Ms Burchell said.
“There are also plans to build more schools out this way as well...because of growth.”
“The facilities, obviously sponsored by the government and council, has attracted kids here.
“People who see this facility say this is the only place to play netball.”
With 126 teams at the Maroochydore complex on saturday mornings, and 26 ladies teams on Tuesday nights, Ms Burchell said the volunteers and umpires that the organization needs to run the competitions are hard to come by.
“We have struggled for years because of the number of players,” Ms Burchell said.
“We can’t get enough volunteers, especially in the canteen.”
However, despite the challenges involved in running big competitions, Ms Burchell said she was glad more kids are playing sport which means less are playing video games.
“The more kids that we can have out there playing anything is a good thing.... and I think parents are starting to realise it,” Ms Burchell said.
In a similar situation, the Sunshine Coast Futsal Association (SCFA) is struggling to meet demand after the region was dubbed by the Sunshine Coast Daily as the "new futsal capital of Queensland".
Sunshine Coast Futsal regional development officer Trevor Edwards said futsal as a sport had grown exponentially over the years and gained recognition for talented Sunshine Coast players.
At last year’s national titles in Canberra, 57 out of the 150 Queensland teams were from the Sunshine Coast.
In order to accommodate for the increase in players, the Sunshine Coast Futsal Association has expanded The Football Shop in Maroochydore.
“Futsal has grown by ten per cent each year for the past three years,” Mr Edwards said.
“We have 71 Sunshine Coast teams in this winter season, with over 1500 registered players.”
When asked why the sport has become so popular, Mr Edwards said it was not necessarily people moving into the Sunshine Coast, but more likely existing Sunshine Coast residents.
“The sport hasn’t really 
gained popularity because of new people coming into the Sunshine Coast, it’s probably got more to do with the attributes of the sport,” Mr Edwards said.
“Futsal is indoors, so it isn’t affected by the weather,” he said.
“It has really taken off.”
Sunshine Coast Football Association has gained so much recognition that it is now involved in an international push for futsal to be included in the 2016 Olympics.
Previous attempts, focusing on the London 2012 Olympics, were denied because there was not a women’s world cup.
However, Mr Edwards said that because of the growing interest in the sport, especially on a local level, there is potential for a women’s world cup.
“In the Olympics there is a men’s and women’s competition for every sport” Mr Edwards said.
“So, because there is no international women’s competition, like the men’s one, [futsal] can’t be included.
“But that will change.”
Unlike futsal, the local netball competitions were greatly affected by the torrential January rain.
“The courts were under water for three days,” Ms Burchell said.
“[The weather] really affected the beginning of the season.”
Ms Burchell said that the SCNA is holding the Queensland Netball State Age Championship next year, which will attract more than 6000 people.
Image(s) designed by Bek Porter