A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 FINAL DRAFT

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1 A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 FINAL DRAFT

2 Contents Foreword 3 Glossary 4 Executive Summary 5 Consolidated list of recommendations 12 The case for a new approach to sport and recreation 16 Though surf sport now has a smaller role, it is fundamental to our strategy Surf sport is not fulfilling that role, and will become less likely to do so A new recreational offer is the best way to change Methodology 24 Reset surf sport as our competitive edge 27 Reconnect with our sportspeople and surf sport enthusiasts Strengthen the surf sport pathway from nippers to the elite Launch recreational memberships in SLS 35 Sustain and expand SLS with recreational membership Develop surf lifesaving recreation programs for members and others Overcome concerns Modernise our digital media and information platforms 41 Make the most of Digital Media Drive better IT platforms to serve our core and new activities Develop and reinforce a unified SLSA purpose and culture 45 Reinforce the mutual benefits of the humanitarian, sport and learning & development siblings Bridge the humanitarian-sport divide Include mutual benefit in representing the surf lifesaving movement to the public Implementation Plan 49 Out of Scope Findings for Further Investigation 55 References 56 Acknowledgements 57 Appendices 58 A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 2 of 58

3 Foreword Surf Sport. A series of physical activities that generates enjoyment, passion and emotion. A connection to something bigger than yourself. It s about friendships, comradery and belonging. A channel to set and achieve goals both individually and as a team. An opportunity to strive for excellence. But sport and recreation is so much more than this. It s about growing leaders as role models and inspiring the next generation. It helps people overcome the obstacles in their lives, whether they be physical, mental, social, or other problems, knowing they can set goals and overcome challenges. In a time of sedentary lifestyles where physical activity in the general population wains, surf sport and surf lifesaving recreation activities offer the community a means to stay healthy and active. Sport and recreation helps save lives, builds better communities and creates great Australians. This statement synthesises our member views from the past three months. It captures what sport and recreation is about. But what is its role in modern surf lifesaving? We set out to answer this question through an in-depth study. This has not been a review focussed on the delivery of the annual Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, rather, a much more holistic review of sport and recreation with clearly articulated requirements and scope outlined in the project terms of reference as endorsed by SLSA s Board of Directors (appendix A). We set out to answer questions such as what are the drivers and barriers to sport and recreation in surf lifesaving? Are we realising its potential for our organisation, and surf lifesaving s potential in the sport and recreation space? Is surf lifesaving staying relevant to members and to the public? How can we engineer a membership pipeline that engages both existing lifesavers, new lifesavers, and nurtures them into outstanding lifesavers? This report presents our answers. We need to act if sport and recreation is to motivate and excite people in the surf lifesaving community. New dimensions are required if it is to develop capable lifesavers for the long term. A contemporary role for sport and recreation in surf lifesaving will not appear overnight. It will take our concerted and aligned effort at club, branch, state and national levels. This report challenges us to consider what it will take to be successful in the 21 st century, and to make the changes needed. We recognise that a balance is required between creating a cultural shift that is radical enough to modernise our organisation yet incremental enough to avoid alienating our long standing members We know you will engage with its ideas and evidence, and help us make this family more powerful, enjoyable and relevant than ever. National Sport and Recreation Review Project Team: Dr Dean Dudley Peter Sciberras Nigel Taylor Craig Smith-Gander Andrew Buhk Merrilee Barnes Nathan Hight A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 3 of 58

4 Glossary Coastal Death: A fatality arising from various circumstances (e.g. heart attack, boat collision, fall, shark attack) occurring where the location of the death is coastal. Coastal Lifestyler: A market segmentation term used to describe individuals (either existing members of SLS or potential members) who enjoy undertaking physical activities and recreation in the coastal environment. Drowning: The process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/ immersion in liquid. Drowning death A fatality arising from respiratory impairment as a result of submersion/immersion in liquid. Elite Athlete: A world class level surf sports athlete who may generate income from the proceeds of their surf sports participation through sponsorship, endorsements and/or prize money. Humanitarian Organisation: a non-government agency with the core objective of protecting the loss of human life. Lifeguard: Typically a paid employee at a beach or another aquatic environment whose role is to rescue people in danger of drowning or prevent them getting into that situation. Lifesaver: An unpaid employee at a beach or another aquatic environment whose role is to rescue people in danger of drowning or prevent them getting into that situation. Lifesaving service: A service that exists to provide aquatic safety services to the public. Patrolled location: Where intervention by a lifesaving resource prevents a person/s from getting into a potentially life threatening situation. Recreation: A term used to describe non-competitive organised or unorganised physical activity Rescue: Where intervention by a lifesaving resource removes a person/s from a life threatening or potentially life threatening situation. Sport: A term used to describe organised competitive physical activity. Surf Sports: A term used to describe surf life saving competition disciplines and events. Total service plan: An assessment of current and future lifesaving resources, national blackspots, hotspots and trends. LIST OF ACRONYMS: ASC: Australian Sports Commission EMG: Executive Management Group ILS: International Life Saving Federation IRB: Inflatable Rescue Boat LSC: Lifesaving Standing Committee (now Lifesaving Member Advisory Committee) NSC: National Sport Committee (consisting of national sport advisors, state sport directors and managers, national sport managers). NHP: National High Performance Program RTO: Registered Training Organisation SLS: Surf Life Saving (the movement) SLSA: Surf Life Saving Australia (the parent body) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 4 of 58

5 Executive Summary The case for a new approach to sport and recreation in Surf Life Saving Since the first surf belt and reel appeared on Sydney beaches in 1907, surf sports and Surf Life Saving (SLS) have been respected across the nation. They are irreplaceable and indivisible siblings in the one Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) family, each with proud traditions, cultures and actions. That family has never been stronger, drawing on over 169,000 1 Australian adults and children to enrich our coastal communities and, most importantly, save lives. While saving lives has always been the primary objective of SLSA, throughout its history, it s focus on how it effectively achieves that objective has evolved to take advantage of the opportunities and mitigate the risks of the day. Over the last 20 years, SLSA has re-positioned its focus away from being a sporting organisation that delivered beach safety, to a more humanitarian focussed organisation that holds sporting events. The shift in focus has met the need to protect a population with great access and poor preparation for coastline risks. Over the same 20-year period, the proportion of life savers who participate in surf sport has fallen by 60%. In 2014/2015, there were 8,606 2 rescues by volunteer surf life savers on Australian beaches. Of these, only 21% involved motorised equipment such as a RWC or IRB, and 79% were made by lifesavers with no gear, or with just a board or a rescue tube. Almost 6,800 3 people were saved by the physical surf competence of our life savers. The possibility or even the perception that surf life savers are not surf competent is incompatible with our organisational identity. The strategic link In its most recent strategic plan, SLSA therefore saw surf sport as one element among many within Goal 2: Develop our People : Provide and promote the opportunities and pathways in SLS to motivate our members Develop our participation initiatives including surf sports Provide opportunities for our members to participate in activities through ILS Surf sport must stay as a strong part of the SLSA mix. The question for this review has been: How can we develop and leverage surf sport and surf lifesaving recreation to help Surf Life Saving (SLS) save lives on our coasts? Methodology In 2014 SLSA undertook initial investigations to consider member attitudes and perceptions of surf sports and recreational activities in SLS. Over 1,000 surf lifesaving members and a general public sample size of 1,500 responded to research in As a result of these initial investigations and having received a discussion paper summing up the findings of this initial study at its meeting in February 2015, the Board of Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) authorised a national review of sport and 1 Source: 2014/14 SLSA Annual Report 2 Source: 2014/14 SLSA Annual Report 3 Source: 2014/15 SLSA Annual Report A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 5 of 58

6 recreation in surf lifesaving to be undertaken with the following objectives confirmed in the project terms of reference: 1. Understand the impacts of recent society level studies (ASC Mega-Trends and Market Segmentation) on SLSA s approach to provision of such products and services 2. Understand the attitudes, perceptions and requirements of SLSA s members and the public in terms of SLSA s sport and recreation pathways and products, and 3. To propose recommended reforms to the SLSA sport and recreation system that will position SLSA as a sustainable organisation, capable of saving lives and delivering member satisfaction in sport and recreation for the foreseeable future. Following workshops with state sport directors, state and national management and national sport advisors, we designed a mix of quantitative and qualitative research, drawing data and insights from: 1. a survey of 2,276 SLSA members and non-members interviews with members and external stakeholders of SLS sport and recreation workshops across the country to gather input from members, and 4. a written submission process. The SLSA team delivered a workshop in each state/territory except Tasmania (cancelled due to a lack of participant registrations), to present the SLSA research, present the operational concepts, seek new ideas and concepts, and gain feedback on their priorities. Our proposed recommendations and model for surf sport were then presented to 60 Surf Life Saving leaders from across Australia at the SLSA National Sport Summit on 21/22 November 2015, and summit participants offered their feedback over a two-day series of workshops. The research, independent thinking and multi-level feedback underpin the themes and priorities reflected in this report. A game plan for change As a result of our investigation, we propose there are four components to enabling both sport and recreational participants to flourish as members of SLSA and therefore strengthen the physical competence of surf life savers around Australia: A. Reset surf sports as the competitive edge of SLS as being a sporting community that raises the SLSA profile, inspires young athletes to achieve, and is supported by the broader SLS community as a pinnacle of surf based athleticism. B. Launch recreational memberships to attract less competitive coastal lifestylers 4 and families, with supporting professional programs for primary and secondary schools and for fitness programs of all communities and ages, and a range of potential coastline activities. C. Re-package, re-energise and present surf sport and recreation to members and the public with user driven and engaging modern digital media and information technology platforms. D. Develop and reinforce the SLSA culture as one that celebrates the diverse capacities, ambitions and skills that make for strong surf communities and safe beaches. 4 Coastal Lifestylers is a market segmentation term used to describe individuals (either existing members of SLS or potential members) who enjoy undertaking physical activities in the coastal environment. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 6 of 58

7 This report sets out how our review came to these conclusions: the reasons for our sport and recreational game plan, details of its four components, and suggested plans for getting these initiatives under way. A. Reset surf sport as our competitive edge Reconnect with our sportspeople Most SLS clubs have members that participate in surf sport, and nationally between 20 and 25% of our 42,956 patrolling surf lifesavers 5 do so. However, as surf sport participants progress to the elite levels, as a result of a fragmented delivery model, they become more disconnected from the SLS community base. New initiatives have been well received by members, including the Summer of Surf of consistent TVquality club-level racing for 24+ weeks, and the recently reformed Interstate Championship, a shortcourse, high-impact racing format, streamed live on the internet. These initiatives also align with findings of sport and recreation market and mega-trends studies commissioned recently by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC). There is a strong perception among the competitive surf sports participants that others see surf sports as a reward for past SLS efforts, rather than a strategic enabler for the broader objectives of SLS. There is a strong perception 6 that the range of pre-requisites in order to participate is too extensive and one of the central reasons for reduction in surf sport participation rates (see Figure 2, page 19). Many surf sport participants also feel the broader SLS community doesn t value the role of sport in SLS, and so does not leverage its potential. They are aware that any surplus generated through SLS surf sports programs are treated as SLS general revenue and not retained within the surf sport system. The fragmented administration of surf sport, both within and beyond SLSA, also reduces the available investment to grow the game and the capacity of each state entity to deliver surf sport products. There is a significant opportunity cost of each component of the existing surf sports pathway operating in isolation when compared against other major sporting models, such as National Rugby League or Australian Rugby, who effectively leverage currently fragmented broadcast properties to build awareness of their respective game at a grassroots level, connecting all levels of the pathway. At the core of the opportunity cost outlined above is the lack of commercialisation of surf sport as a means of financing the growth of the sport in Australia. Where there are loyal and committed long term commercial partners involved, such as Kellogg s Nutri-Grain, such partnerships appear isolated into only the specific product being sponsored, rather than working with partners to leverage their investment across SLSA s cradle to grave suite of products. Build an interconnected surf sport pathway from nippers to the elite Enormous numbers of children start in our nippers and juniors programs. Many metropolitan clubs are at capacity and are turning potential nippers away. Yet there is also a large drop-out from SLS in the teenage years. To overcome these issue, there is as yet no real national, strategic, cohesive model to attract, retain and motivate people in surf sports. A model is needed that allows easier access to surf sport, retains members in the breakthrough age of years, offers meaningful weekly 5 Source: 2014/2015 SLSA Annual Report 6 Source: Stakeholder interviews carried out between August 2015 October 2015 A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 7 of 58

8 competition, and inspires young athletes to strive for excellence across the spectrum of surf sport disciplines. B. Sustain and expand SLS with recreational membership Launch recreational memberships in SLS Currently, many people are active in coastal recreation pursuits, but do not have access to the community and facilities that SLS offers. For every person interested in becoming a patrolling member of our SLS clubs, there are almost three who are interested in being a recreational member, and another three interested in being a social or associate member 7. A coherent approach to capturing the coastal recreation space would attract many willing, non-traditional members to the SLS fold. Their ocean activities are very similar to those already involved in the SLS community, but not (or no longer) in surf sport 8. For example, many clubs already organise ocean swims, though very few effectively leverage the opportunity to capture participant information, conduct ocean swim clinics, and convert participants into members. There are many paddlers (stand-up, ocean ski etc) who are former lifesavers, unable to commit to being full members but having a wealth of knowledge that they could contribute if SLS could cater for their needs. Alternative national sporting organisations such as Canoe Racing Australia and Surfing Australia are actively competing for the attention of the coastal recreation consumer, a domain once held by SLS. It is important for SLS to compete for this consumer because of the level of inherent physical competence and environmental knowledge they bring to the lifesaving workforce. There is also no systematic way of giving the nipper parent access to beach or ocean skills programs, other than for them to become full members. Finally, a host of new coastal activities such as coasteering may, over time, also join the offers of recreational membership to meet the contemporary needs of existing and potential members. All of these activities involve surf expertise that may be as relevant to developing surf lifesaving skills and participation as is surf sport, and very few see surf sport as the best option for being surf fit for lifesaving purposes 9. Develop surf lifesaving recreation programs for members and others A strong program of surf lifesaving recreation for existing and new members could be developed, and then be tailored and offered to non-member groups, in part to attract them into membership. The review recognised that we offer no structured program for SLS members who want to enjoy physical activity in or at the surf, but not in the traditional surf-sport sense. Many SLS members are active in the surf, though not in traditional surf sports: see Figure 8. Many of these members still want a sense of structure, challenge and community in their surf activities. In particular, we have no structured programs for members over 65 years, despite this baby boomer age group being the largest in the general population forecasts both now and over the next 20 years Source: Developing Surf Sports. Repucom (2015) 8 Source: Developing Surf Sports. Repucom (2015) 9 Source: Developing Surf Sports. Repucom (2015) 10 Source: Population Projections Australian Bureau of Statistics A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 8 of 58

9 Currently there are no nationally-packaged, locally-delivered programs for primary or secondary schools. Here is a clear opportunity to build upon nippers, with the second highest levels of junior sport participation public awareness, and use surf sports athletes to help deliver the programs and increase the profile for SLS as occurs in Australia s winter football codes. Some surf lifesaving clubs have developed local programs that can be offered through or in concert with other fitness groups (gyms, running groups etc) to give their stakeholders some variety in their training. Overcome concerns While many clubs see the attraction of recreational members and programs, they are unsure it is a direction they should be heading. Clubs that offer local beach fitness sessions feel they have to keep under the radar, as they are not sure if they are permitted to cater for these groups under SLSA or their state SLS entity existing policy and regulation structures. Others are concerned that recreational members and programs will be a burden on existing volunteers. How also, will existing members respond to this new membership group? In the absence of a clear strategy for identifying and targeting the desired recreational market, these concerns will continue. But a clear strategy to get involved with SLS would address such concerns and allow clubs to make their own informed decisions with regard to how they can stay relevant in the eyes of their members and community. C. Modernise our digital media and information platforms Make the most of digital media Through digital media, organisations can use apps like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on as well as central websites to engage with members and the public through their smartphones, tablets, computers and televisions. Though there are risks involved in using digital media with young audiences, these risks are managed more and more effectively, as the public accepts that this is just the way young people now communicate. SLSA is not yet using digital media effectively. One strong reason to do so is that it experiences its highest rate of membership drop-out between 12 and 17 years and these are the very people who most consume and engage with their sport through digital means. National sporting bodies such as Cricket Australia, Australian Football League, National Rugby League and Australian Rugby Union are all using the digital space well, and are winning the battle for youth attention. There is no reason to think that the use of digital media to engage with both lifesavers and surf sport participants would diminish SLSA s market position as a humanitarian organisation and charity. Indeed, the use of surf sport personalities may help drive home this message to the public. Drive better IT platforms to serve our core and new activities A modern technology backbone is needed to run any contemporary member organisation. The SLSA Board has recently commissioned a national review of its IT strategy. Decisions flowing from that review must support effective IT support for: the national member database member communication on-beach event delivery (finish line technologies, automated marshalling and result recording) member and public events, including promotions, entries, results and participant engagement financial transactions relating to sport and recreation sport and recreation education and training courses A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 9 of 58

10 D. Develop and reinforce a unified SLSA purpose and culture Reinforce the mutual benefits of the humanitarian, sport and learning & development siblings, internally and externally Most members understand and support that the SLSA is a humanitarian organisation with the goal of reducing coastal drowning. However, that is not why most members have joined: they have done so for fun, a sense of belonging, personal challenge, and fitness. Members therefore believe that their governing bodies could engage with them more on these drivers rather than on the public messaging on saving lives and making donations. This lack of alignment has developed for many years, so that SLS s operational areas of coastal safety, sport and learning & development have seemingly competed against each other to be the most popular sibling in an unruly family. A modern community organisation with that level of internal competition and confusion about their roles in the organisational strategy is unlikely to serve its members well, or to attract public support and sponsorship. There is a clear case for a unified SLS family with strong siblings who help each other, and who acknowledge that mutual benefit. Bridge the humanitarian-sport divide A cohesive and agile organisation needs its purpose and strategy to be agreed and pursued by all of its members. While there is tension across all the operational arms of SLS, of the relationships between the humanitarian, sporting and educational siblings in the SLS family, the division between the humanitarian and sporting arms most risks our capacity to set and pursue our purpose and strategy. This thinking is in contrast to the ideals of values-based sport promoted by the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee which places sport at the service of humanity 11. Specific actions must be taken to help bridge that divide, and to reinforce our unified purpose and strategy. As shown above, there is more mutual ground that is typically celebrated, and this mutual ground should be exploited to bridge the humanitarian-sport divide. Surf sport has a strategically critical role in developing the physical competence and confidence needed for saving lives in an inherently dangerous environment. However, there is a perception 12 among those engaged through this review who believe that the risks of surf sport distracts and detracts from SLS s drowning prevention purpose. A balance must be reached, with sport safety prioritised so that the risks are as low as reasonably practicable (noting there will always be risks), and surf skills are extended by exposure to different surf conditions. Without this balance, a critical mass of surf lifesavers will be unable to perform rescues in the very surf conditions they are most needed, threatening the long-term relevance of SLS in the community. 11 Source: United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (2015). International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport. UNESCO Press: Paris, and; International Olympic Committee (2015). Olympic Charter in force as from 2 August 2015 Fundamentals Principles of Olympism. IOC Press: Lausanne 12 Source: Stakeholder interviews carried out between August 2015 October 2015 and in the report Developing Surf Sports Final Report compiled by Repucom (2015). A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 10 of 58

11 The humanitarian-sport divide exists because the mind-sets and behaviours of the SLS community do not yet adequately reflect their mutual benefits, and a balanced approach to SLS. These mind-sets and behaviours some call it the culture of our movement must change. Include mutual benefit in representing the surf lifesaving movement to the public Currently, the presentation of surf lifesaving to the public focuses heavily on its life saving. For example, the page on What we do on our website highlights our role in saving, protecting and promoting life, but does not mention surf sport or recreation. The page Who we are similarly states that we are Australia s major water safety, drowning prevention and rescue authority and continues into our patrol, education, safety campaign and community activities, with no mention of surf sport. However, we believe that the public would readily recognise and appreciate the significant role of sport and recreation in enabling surf life-saving. SLS could better present the role of surf sport in saving lives, building better communities and creating great Australians. The benefits that surf sport brings to life saving competence is presented above. To these should be added the physical and mental health benefits of surf sport and recreation. Participation provides a platform to set and attain goals, to a sense of identify and belonging, to the values of team work, respect, discipline and dedication. All these are associated with surf lifesavers, and can be promoted in both surf sport and surf lifesaving as siblings in the one family. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 11 of 58

12 Consolidated list of recommendations Game Plan A Reset surf sports as the competitive edge of SLS, a sporting community that raises the SLSA profile, inspires young athletes and supports and is supported by the broader SLS community. To reconnect our surf sport athletes to the broader SLS community, to help inspire young athletes, stimulate greater surf sport participation and raise the SLSA profile, we should: 1. Review SLSA policy 5.04 to simplify access to surf sport competition, with lifesaving qualifications (i.e. bronze medallion) retained but the definition of service commitment be broadened to allow clubs and athletes flexibility in what arrangements suit them best to promote surf sport participation whilst maintaining the compliancy of club lifesaving agreements. 2. Develop a surf sport commercialisation model that effectively leverages SLSA s cradle to grave surf sport properties, including nippers and school programs, to attract a family of commercial partners willing to invest in surf sports nationally. 3. Work with existing partners to reconnect the existing Ironman / Ironwoman series into Surf Life Saving s mainstream, through partnering with platforms such as Summer of Surf that deliver a stronger broadcast proposition, higher profile for the sport and connect elite ironman racing directly with the surf sport pathway. 4. Implement a promotional program through surf sport television and digital media platforms to reinforce the role the surf environment and surf sport plays in developing surf lifesavers and use such channels to promote SLSA s suite of surf sport partners and products publicly. This may be an extension to existing elite pathways such as the professional Ironman and Ironwoman series. To build a surf sport pathway to bring young athletes through from nippers to elite performance and to increase the number of lifesavers with strong water skills, we should: 5. Develop a strategic, cohesive model (complimented by recommendation 2) to attract, retain and motivate people in surf sports, particularly through the breakout age of years, with components that include: a. Recruit high profile surf sports athletes centrally to support the grassroots organisation as ambassadors and delivery agents for nipper clinics and public promotion of surf sports and surf lifesaving. b. A national coach development program which develops leadership and capability of club coaches, with support from SLS administration, performance coaches and elite athletes. c. Develop a modified sport product Super Surf Events for use by clubs, branches and state entities which provide a range of surf sport event formats between 2-3 hours. This includes full development of event brand, operating model, detailed templates, budgets, planning tools that will support maximum alignment across Australia. d. Extending partnerships with private providers to deliver components of the surf sport pathway, for example by expanding the Summer of Surf Sport initiative, to present surf sports in a modern format and provide an enhanced performance pathway for surf sport athletes. e. Retaining capable people in the surf sport system by targeting and investing in retiring surf sport athletes to take on coaching, management, administration and officiating roles in surf sport. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 12 of 58

13 Drive the implementation of that model with: 6. A surf sport review implementation steering group of appropriately skilled people (surf sport, sport management and business acumen) to flesh out, test and implement the model, while business-as-usual activities continue under the existing system of advisors and staff; and 7. A role responsible for participation in SLSA senior management, with the expertise to oversee and implement participation programs (schools, nippers, recreation pathways). Game Plan B Launch recreational memberships to attract less competitive coastal lifestylers and families, with supporting professional programs for primary and secondary schools and for over 65 years and fitness groups, and a range of potential coastline activities. To sustain and expand SLS with recreational membership and create a long term targeted approach to attracting coastal lifestylers to Surf Life Saving, we should: 8. Formally recognise recreational membership within the SLSA membership structure to provide clubs with a clear framework to leverage recreation opportunities if they wish to. 9. Target individuals and likely groups as potential recreational members, including: a. Nipper parents (a greater level of parent commitment may also support longer tenure of children and youth members). b. Entrants in ocean swim and paddling events entry process. c. Existing surf lifesavers who don t participate in surf sport. To develop surf recreation programs for both members and the pubic, we should: 10. Develop a series of nationally-constructed but locally-delivered programs/products for SLS entities to offer to their local markets, including the business models, promotional plans, and workforce training: a. a surf recreation program for non-competitive existing members b. a (one beach, one pool) nipper program for primary schools c. event products for secondary schools, to give youths surf sport experience d. a group fitness product for adults in existing fitness communities e. a group fitness product for over 65 s with a focus on mobility outcomes f. explore a role for SLS in offering emerging activities such as coasteering To overcome concerns and provide support to clubs to adopt recreation members SLSA should: 11. Provide differentiated insurance for recreational members so that they can participate in craft activities and have a go carnivals without a lifesaving qualification. The insurance offer would be benchmarked against a standard sports participation insurance package and would not extend to championship surf sport events or work-cover unless appropriate for the individual. 12. Publish a suite of case studies available to all clubs which champion existing recreational programs SLS clubs are delivering in the recreational space with good success. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 13 of 58

14 Game Plan C Re-package, re-energise and present surf sport and recreation to members and the public with user driven use of modern digital media and information technology platforms. To make better use of digital media for the SLS movement, we should: 13. Develop a digital strategy to promote surf lifesaving and sport to relevant audiences as an attractive, exciting and rewarding sport to participate in. The strategy should: a. Launch a Surf Sports Australia website with engaging multimedia content, and over time extend across other digital platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Instagram, and later a digital TV channel that can stream surf events live and broadcast archive footage 24/7/365. b. Use national team members and other surf sport athletes with interesting and inspirational stories on those digital platforms to communicate the values, culture and attractiveness of SLS. c. Incorporate a commercialisation strategy (linked to recommendation 2) to leverage revenue from all digital assets to support expenses associated with implementation of these review recommendations. d. Determine whether sports marketing expertise should become a core part of the SLSA management structure and workforce, and whether the development and maintenance of the digital assets should be contracted out to a specialist third party. To develop better IT platforms to serve our core and new activities, we should: 14. Continue testing the new event management system, which may be used for public recreational events that does not have to link participant data to SurfGuard 15. Pursue the outcomes of the SLSA IT review. Game Plan D Develop and reinforce the SLSA culture as one that celebrates the diverse capacities, ambitions and skills that make for strong surf communities and safe beaches. Reinforce the mutual benefits of the humanitarian, sport and learning and development arms of SLS by: 16. Redrafting the SLS strategy to make each arm an explicit and indispensable arm of the SLS movement, with mutually-supporting roles that together support the SLS purpose 17. Assign to a sub-committee of the SLSA Board the task of restoring and reinforcing the unified SLS purpose and culture 18. Develop a communications strategy that reinforces the SLS strategy and the mutual reliance of its three arms, including for example drawing on the profile and organisational expertise of athlete ambassadors, prominent lifesavers, volunteer leaders and respected administrators. To bridge the humanitarian-sport divide, we should: 19. Take explicit actions for both lifesaving and surf sport participants to acknowledge and support each other s role in the SLS community: a. SLSA clearly articulating the existence and nature of that mutual benefit, the risks to it, and how those risks should be managed b. Leaders within SLS reinforcing that mutual benefit through both the organisational messaging and their own behaviour, and being selected to official roles for their ability to do so A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 14 of 58

15 c. Support SLSA members with programs that help ensure they are aware of how mutual benefit operates and how it translates into specific roles and operations d. SLSA establishing metrics to track the understanding and commitment of members to the culture and purpose of mutual benefit, and review the member recognition scheme to consider how its criteria may recognise people who demonstrate the culture and purpose of mutual benefit To take explicit actions to effectively communicate our identity publicly, we should: 20. Audit existing public messaging to identify where there may be gaps in the representation of SLS. 21. Integrate sport and recreation, and learning and development messaging into public safety and fundraising campaigns (for example, using surf sports personalities to deliver safety messaging). A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 15 of 58

16 The case for a new approach to sport and recreation Throughout history, SLSA has had public safety as its core purpose. However, its focus at any point in history has been adapted to ensure it remains relevant and sustainable to the community and society needs of the day and is able to both take advantage of opportunities to advance its objectives and mitigate against risks that compromise those objectives. Throughout the 1980 s and 1990 s, SLSA had a major focus on surf sport as a means of attracting physically capable members, growing the profile of SLS s role in the community through high profiled sport events and sporting personalities, and using sport as a vehicle to generate revenue to advance SLS s purpose. During the mid 1990 s this focus was significantly shifted in response to opportunities to attract federal government revenue to support SLSA s lifesaving services across Australia, generate recognition of training for members and a commercial revenue stream as an RTO and lastly to position SLS as an emergency service organisation and therefore access resources available to such organisations. Despite the refocus of SLSA over the past 20 years, surf sport maintains a vital and unchallenged role as part of the SLS movement in ensuring our surf lifesavers are always rescue ready. However, this review does not believe surf sport is currently fulfilling its roles, and continuing change in the social and economic drivers of sport and recreation will make it ever harder to do so. A new, more inclusive approach to surf sport and recreation is our best option. Though surf sport 13 now has a smaller role, it is fundamental to our strategy As described above, over the last 20 years, Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) has repositioned itself from being a sporting focussed organisation that delivered beach safety, to a more holistic humanitarian focussed organisation that holds sporting events. In 1995, surf sport and its sportspeople were dominant in our public persona; now it is saving lives. Despite that shift, surf sport maintains three critical and unchallenged roles in our organisation: to ensure the surf competency of our lifesavers, to celebrate the best of our traditions, culture and sport, and otherwise to help develop our people 14. The shift from a sporting focus to a humanitarian focus does risk de-emphasising the fundamental importance of physical fitness and surf competence in the duties performed by surf lifesavers. However, SLSA requires its lifesaving workforce to be highly capable in the water to deliver on SLSA s core business of saving lives. To highlight this critical link, in 2014/2015, there were 8, rescues by volunteer surf life savers on Australian beaches. Of these, only 21% involved motorised equipment such as a jet-ski or IRB, and 79% were made by lifesavers with no gear, or with just a board or a rescue tube: see Figure 1. About 6,800 people 16 were saved by the applied physical surf competence of our surf lifesavers in emergency situations. 13 Also known as surf lifesaving or sport participation 14 The SLSA 2020 Strategic Plan includes developing surf sport under the develop our people pillar. 15 Source: 2014/15 SLSA Annual Report 16 Source: 2014/15 SLSA Annual Report A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 16 of 58

17 Figure 1 - Lifesaver / Lifeguard rescues 2014/2015 No motorised craft No Gear Rescue Tube % of all rescues - Australian Lifeguard Service % of all rescues - volunteer lifesavers Board 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: SLSA Annual Report 2014/2015 There is nonetheless some discomfort in the SLS community about this coexistence of a dangerous sport with the organisational mission of surf safety. Despite all the safety measures we have, surf based sports contain some inherent risks. As succinctly put by one member in this study: There is a natural conflict between saving lives and running organised sport. However, most in the community believe that this conflict can and must be reconciled. The element common to both is the surf itself: an inherently dangerous environment that carries risks to both the sporting and non-sporting user. There is general community affirmation that surf lifesavers will be able to help them in difficult surf. No approach will be perfect, but our belief is that the best preparation for our surf lifesavers to do so is to be active in that surf. Their exposure to the surf environment underpins each surf lifesaver s capability and confidence to enter a challenging environment while patrolling or off duty, and save a person who is in distress. That is the very purpose of surf sport, which is defined as a series of ocean and beach based competitions and activities designed to keep lifesavers rescue-ready through the application of lifesaving-related skills and fitness and use of lifesaving equipment. This tension between the humanitarian and sporting elements of surf lifesaving was brought to a head recently with tragic deaths of a surf lifesaver competing at the 2010 and then the 2012 Australian SLS Championships. In its review of those Championships, the SLSA Board confirmed in 2013 that: The purpose of the Aussies is to bring our national movement and the community together in a spirited celebration of the best of our traditions, culture and sport. The Aussies are the competitive peak of our movement, and it would lose all purpose if there was no pathway of surf sport competition leading up to it. In its most recent strategic plan, SLSA therefore saw surf sport as one element among many within Goal 2: Develop our People : Provide and promote the opportunities and pathways in SLS to motivate our members Develop our participation initiatives including surf sports Provide opportunities for our members to participate in activities through ILS Surf sport must stay as a strong part of the SLSA mix. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 17 of 58

18 Surf sport is not fulfilling that role, and will become less likely to do so Though surf sport is essential to a healthy surf lifesaving movement, our review confirmed that it is not currently fulfilling the roles assigned to it, and continuing change in the social and economic drivers of sport and recreation will make it ever harder to do so. Though major championships are strongly supported, the sport of surf lifesaving is declining The success of junior or nipper programs and SLSA s growing membership suggests that surf sport should be growing in interest and numbers. Instead, it is in decline. At the very age when juniors are becoming newly qualified surf lifesavers, they are dropping out of surf sport. SLSA membership across all levels has more than doubled from 78,000 in 1994 to over 169,000 in Much of this growth has been driven by the success of junior or nipper and competitions at the local or intra-club level, which are thriving for those aged 5 to 14 years. Surf Life Saving appears to be meeting demand for younger age groups, but then loses support from youths aged 12 to 14. While this is consistent with other sporting endeavours at this age, surf sports places additional burden on adolescent youth with lifesaving service and education commitments before they are eligible to participate. Further to this argument are the decline in traditional club and regional surf carnivals multi-discipline events conducted on a single beach over a whole day or whole weekend. With major exceptions such as Manly and Freshwater on the Australia Day weekend, clubs have simply stopped hosting the club carnival due to lack of demand, preferring specialised surf sports events if they host any sports events at all. These specialised, often single discipline events, especially for surf boats and surf skis, are meeting some members demands. Yet only 42% of all surf clubs conducted a Sunday surf race in , and the weekly handicap surf swim is a thing of the past. With the strength of the Aussies, SLSA faces the situation that it has a successful series of traditional championship events for all comers at the top of the surf sports pyramid, but the baseline of participation is struggling. While the juniors provide a big nursery for senior membership, our attrition rates continue to rise, in line with other sports in Australia. As surf sports decline, so too does its contribution to the number and skills of the surf lifesavers needed on our coastline. Over the past 20 years, the proportion of life savers who participate in surf sport has fallen from approximately 1 in 2 to 1 in 5 (see Figure 2 as an example). The possibility or even the perception that surf life savers are not surf competent is incompatible with our organisational identity. 17 Source: 1993/ /15 SLSA Annual Report 18 Source: Unpublished data from 2007 Club Survey conducted by Dick Bignold, SLSA Chair Surf Sports A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 18 of 58

19 # of members Figure 2 - Case Study: SLSNSW Patrolling Membership vs State Championships Entries ( ) Patrolling Members NSW Championships Entries : Excludes Masters/Nippers 2007: SLS Centenary Year Source: SLSNSW Annual Reports In the face of far more competition, surf sport has not changed with the times Back in 1945, the general public loved the appeal of surf life savers challenging the surf, 20,000 spectators attended surf carnivals at Manly, and amateur clubbies held down full-time jobs and trained hard to compete for their club. Likely candidates capable of this commitment for surf sports now have less time available, more leisure options to fill it, a more individualistic approach to those options, greater commercial expectations for those who commit themselves to a nationallycompetitive extent, and reduced commercial opportunities for those expectations. Surf sports is no different to other sports in Australia: people are time poor and will only devote so much time to organised sports competition. Sports options have diversified away from the team based sports with a lot of rules and time demands to more individualised, flexible and on demand offerings of a shorter duration. The explosion of fitness clubs in every suburb in Australia exemplifies the change. Traditional sports have had to re-position their product for television and entertainment appeal and change their traditional delivery model to attract mass market participation and deliver what the market is demanding: shorter events relevant to modern lifestyles, easy to enter and easy to access. 19 More and more water and other sports are competing for this limited time. Close to home there are biathlons, hydrothons and triathlons, distance paddling, open water swimming and stand up board paddling in which many members compete in events organised by a host of private and non- 19 The ASC has fully documented these changing expectations in its recent studies The Future of Australian Sport and Market Segmentation for Sports Participation (both available on A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 19 of 58

20 government entities. Add to that the gentrification of surfing, the addition of wind and kite surfing, and other water sports. With all these options, despite ranking second among all sports for the public s awareness of SLSA s junior participation program, Nippers, the profile of surf sports has fallen dramatically to a lowly 37 th in (see Figure 3). Figure 3. Comparison of public awareness of Nippers (children) vs Surf Sport (youth/adult) From 1915 to about 1990, club competitions were reported in the mainstream media on a regular basis. Surf carnivals were amongst the first sports to receive free-to-air coverage on the ABC in the 1950s and 60s, one of the many traditional sports that were seasonal and of short duration: football codes in winter, cricket and surf sports in summer. However, with a mixture of increased media access to more semi- and then fully-professional sports, overseas and Olympic sports across all seasons and a steady reduction of total investment into surf sports, surf lifesaving has been steadily losing its appeal to broadcasters. The Iron Man series of the 1980s temporarily broke this decline by catching the public s imagination in the pre-professional era of sport in Australia. For a brief period the Iron Man series was a fresh new product for television broadcasters, cereal sponsors and consumers alike. The male athletes became some of the highest paid and endorsed sportsmen in the country. Viewing numbers were strong and the cereal companies sold product, but the general public did not go to the events in large numbers. For our membership, only a few men and women could ever hope to compete in such elite company. Now, even the Iron Man concept appears dated against a cavalcade of new millennial extreme sports, from mountain biking, adventure racing, course completion challenge events to ultimate fighting (UFC), big wave surfing and big air snowboarding made for both participation and television entertainment. In fact, surf sports has not really changed for nearly 70 years. The surf carnival model started back in 1907 and, although many novelty events have gone, the array of water and beach-based events evolved to the current model by the start of World War 2. Since then, SLSA has kept the one-size-fitsall surf carnival. While our social, sport, commercial and entertainment models have changed, the SLSA surf carnival has not. 20 Source: Data from Repucom SponsorLink (August 2015) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 20 of 58

21 Predicted mega-trends in sport and recreation will further challenge traditional surf sport Nobody would question the qualities that make traditional surf sport great. The spirits of community, competition, respect and discipline flow richly through those who participate in it. But the gaps between the traditional surf sport model and the world in which it sits will continue to widen. Our research has identified six mega-trends that sport and recreation experts expect to drive the big picture of sport and recreation in Australia for the next 30 years (Figure 4). Two of these mega-trends are pulling elite athletes away from surf sport, three see more being asked of surf sport and recreation, and the last will insist on a high-participation solution for surf sport and recreation. Flowing from strengthening digitisation, commercialisation and globalisation, they are: A Perfect Fit: A one-size-fits-all approach to sport is no longer succeeding. As with any other part of life, consumers are looking for the activity that suits them exactly, not just suits them best. Cricket, rugby union, soccer, golf and Australian Rules football are just some of the sports that now offer a range of versions of their core sport to better suit different age groups and interests. From Extreme to Mainstream: As we have already seen, lifestyle, adventure and alternative sports are becoming popular with young Australians, with widespread exposure through digital media. Youths with outdoor, competitive talents who in past decades may have been attracted to surf sport now have these options as well. New Wealth for New Talent: As the markets for sport content become more global and more digital, money will flow to those sports that appeal to the larger international populations, particularly in Asian and developing countries. As these markets are developed, there will be more income for those sports flowing from television, social media, sports equipment, services and events. Athletes may find participating in those international-appeal sports more and more financially attractive than traditional sports with lower income on offer, such as surf lifesaving. More than Sport: There is an increased appreciation of the broader personal and community benefits of sport participation: for example, physical and mental benefits, crime prevention and social inclusion. That means that families, governments and sponsors are looking to support sports and activities that everyone can take part in, not just elite athletes. Everybody s Game: For those very benefits, a much broader demographic is looking to participate in sport and recreation. Older Australians and women are embracing sport as never before, as are second-generation people from non-english speaking backgrounds, where sport held little attraction for the first generation. Different lines of sport and recreation must offer options to these broader demographics. Tracksuits to Business Suits: The administration of sport will continue to transition from community-based organisations to corporate structures. Facing increased competition, accountability and financial expectations, these structures will seek business models that integrate broad participation and marketable elite sport. These mega-trends are not necessarily bad for the surf lifesaving community, but they do suggest that traditional surf sport will become an increasingly small part of Australian sport, recreation and culture. SLSA memberships continue to grow, yet people are joining surf clubs for reasons other than competitive sport: for social and personal goals and outcomes, community service, family and friends A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 21 of 58

22 and overall fitness. 21 It is hard to ignore that surf sport is losing its broad-based appeal, even for SLSA members. Figure 4: Mega-trends that will shape Australian sport over the next 30 years Source: The Future of Australian Sport. CSIRO (2013) 21 Source: Attitudes & perceptions of SLSA members to participation in surf lifesaving sport and recreation. Unpublished SLSA survey (2014) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 22 of 58

23 A new recreational offer is the best way to change If the need for change is accepted, there are three options: change surf sport, maintain surf sport as an elite activity and add surf recreation as a more inclusive path to membership, or both. We do not recommend fundamentally changing surf sport itself other than making surf sport more accessible to more members, aligning the pathway from nippers through to elite competition, strengthening the career opportunities for elite athletes and using commercial partnerships and key personalities as a vehicle to stimulate growth of the surf sport system. We do however see a strong set of arguments to add recreational participation as a complementary set of activities. A holistic approach to surf sport and recreation may attract a much greater number and cross-section of media, sponsors and, most important of all, target participants who have an attraction to coastal recreation and sport: both existing members that are not participating in surf sport programs now as a priority and downstream, new members to SLS. That approach would encompass the activities, the culture and the digital platforms of SLSA. The rest of this report now turns to the four components of our game plan that would allow both sport and recreational participants to flourish as members as SLSA: A. Reset surf sports as the competitive edge of SLS as being a sporting community that raises the SLSA profile, inspires young athletes to achieve, and is supported by the broader SLS community as a pinnacle of surf based athleticism. B. Launch recreational memberships to attract less competitive coastal lifestylers and families, with supporting professional programs for primary and secondary schools and for fitness programs of all communities and ages, and a range of potential coastline activities. C. Re-package, re-energise and present surf sport and recreation to members and the public with user driven and engaging modern digital media and information technology platforms. D. Develop and reinforce the SLSA culture as one that celebrates the diverse capacities, ambitions and skills that make for strong surf communities and safe beaches. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 23 of 58

24 Methodology Building the case for change In 2014 SLSA undertook initial investigations to consider member attitudes and perceptions of surf sports and recreational activities in SLS. Over 1,000 surf lifesaving members and a general public sample size of 1,300 responded to research in As a result of these initial investigations and following representations from prominent members regarding the apparent decline in surf sports participation, the then SLSA CEO Mr Greg Nance authored a paper entitled Sport in Surf Life Saving which used initial data and environmental analysis to present the case for change. Having received the above mentioned paper at its meeting in February 2015, the Board of Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) authorised a national review of sport and recreation in surf lifesaving to be undertaken. In April 2015 the SLSA Executive Management Group (EMG) set the initial parameters and focuses for the proposed review. Draft terms of reference were prepared, circulated, refined and ultimately authorised by the SLSA Board at its May meeting. The terms of reference for the review (appendix A) outlined the purpose of the review was to: 1. Understand the impacts of recent society level studies (ASC Mega-Trends and Market Segmentation) on SLSA s approach to provision of such products and services 2. Understand the attitudes, perceptions and requirements of SLSA s members and the public in terms of SLSA s sport and recreation pathways and products, and 3. To propose recommended reforms to the SLSA sport and recreation system that will position SLSA as a sustainable organisation, capable of saving lives and delivering member satisfaction in sport and recreation for the foreseeable future. Confirming process and engaging sport and recreation leaders With the terms of reference endorsed by the SLSA Board, we approached McKinsey & Co to seek access to their expertise on a pro-bono basis to provide process support throughout the review phases. Our initial consultations assisted us with forming a problem statement and component issues (appendix B). These insights were shared at a national sport workshop in June 2015 with member and management representatives and SLSA sport advisors, which finalised the project design. On the basis of our engagement of key sport and recreation stakeholders in June 2015, we designed a mix of quantitative and qualitative research, drawing data and insights from: 1. a survey of 2,276 SLSA members and non-members interviews with members and external stakeholders of SLS sport and recreation workshops across the country to gather input from members, and 4. a written submission process. Survey of members and the public SLSA approached three well-regarded Australian sports research agencies for a proposal to address our research themes and subsequently appointed Repucom to undertake the survey component of this project. Repucom, in consultation with the project team, prepared a minute online survey for members and non-members, taken between 18 September and 19 October SLSA members were invited to participate by and other SLSA channels and social media platforms. Nonparticipants from a national population research panel were defined as those living within 15km of the coast who would be open to beach and/or ocean-based activities: equating to 15% of the national population. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 24 of 58

25 In total 2,276 people responded to the survey: 420 current surf sport participants 388 lapsed surf sport participants 176 SLSA-involved people who have never participated in surf sport, and 1,292 other coastal people who may be interested in participating. The full research report from the survey is attached as appendix C. Significant member engagement to gather insights SLSA conducted a range of face-to-face and phone engagements with its members to explore the research themes more deeply: see the interview guide in appendix D. Written submissions were also sought through our review website hub, with relevant review content to assist ( Figure 5 provides a summary of key stakeholder engagement metrics. Each state entity was invited to nominate people whom they thought could offer meaningful insights. The project team also sought the views of SLSA s commercial and community partners. In total, 118 stakeholder interviews were completed from August to November 2015, including with prominent members of the SLS operations spectrum (sport, lifesaving, development, education, executive management). Each local state office hosted insight workshops, delivered jointly by SLSA and the state sport manager, with a series of practical exercises to explore the barriers to participation in surf sport, the motivations to participate, and the possibilities to enhance surf sport. The views of randomly selected members on these themes were also captured on video at the 2015 NutriGrain Ironman/Ironwoman trials at Alexandra Headlands in September, and in Sydney during an early weekend in the new patrol season. Developing solutions from the wide range of insights Armed with all these insights, the project team convened in early October 2015 to identify the key findings and a series of operational concepts which had a critical mass of support. Again we took to the road to develop those findings (appendix E). The SLSA team delivered a solutions workshop in each state/territory except Tasmania (cancelled due to a lack of participant registrations), to present the SLSA research, present the operational concepts, and gain feedback on their priorities. Our proposed recommendations and model for surf sport were then presented to 60 Surf Life Saving leaders from across Australia at the SLSA national sport summit on 21/22 November 2015, and summit participants offered their feedback over a two-day series of workshops. The research, independent thinking and multi-level feedback underpin the themes and priorities reflected in this report. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 25 of 58

26 Figure 5: Summary of stakeholder engagement during 2015 national sport and recreation review. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 26 of 58

27 A. Reset surf sport as our competitive edge Surf sport events are the pinnacle of competition for active surf lifesavers, and for the reasons advanced on page 14 (above) should continue. Indeed, we should reset surf sports as the competitive edge of surf lifesaving, a sporting community that raises the SLS profile, inspires young athletes and supports and is supported by the broader surf lifesaving community. However, to do so will mean understanding the participation motivators and barriers to surf sport and make changes to reconnect our competitive focused surf sportsmen and sportswomen to the SLS community, and better managing the surf sport pathways between nippers and the elite. Game Plan A Reset surf sports as the competitive edge of SLS as being a sporting community that raises the SLSA profile, inspires young athletes to achieve, and is supported by the broader SLS community as a pinnacle of surf based athleticism. Reconnect with our sportspeople and surf sport enthusiasts To reconnect our surf sport athletes to the broader SLS community, to help inspire young surf lifesavers, stimulate greater surf sport participation and raise the SLSA profile, we should: 1. Review SLSA policy 5.04 to simplify access to surf sport competition, with lifesaving qualifications (i.e. bronze medallion) retained but the definition of service commitment be broadened to allow clubs and members flexibility in what arrangements suit them best to promote surf sport participation whilst maintaining the compliancy of club lifesaving agreements. 2. Develop a surf sport commercialisation model that effectively leverages SLSA s cradle to grave surf sport properties, including nippers and school programs, to attract a family of commercial partners willing to invest in surf sports nationally. 3. Work with existing partners to reconnect the existing Ironman / Ironwoman series into Surf Life Saving s mainstream, through partnering with platforms such as Summer of Surf that deliver a stronger broadcast proposition, higher profile for the sport and connect elite ironman racing directly with the surf sport pathway. 4. Implement a promotional program through surf sport television and digital media platforms to reinforce the role the surf environment and surf sport plays in developing surf lifesavers and use such channels to promote SLSA s suite of surf sport partners and products publicly. This may be an extension to existing elite pathways such as the professional IronMan and IronWoman series. We need to change our overall attitude towards members and competitors. From, you are LUCKY to be here and you WILL do these things or you will be PENALISED, to, WELCOME to surf lifesaving. Once you have paid your membership and satisfied our minimum SAFETY requirements, we appreciate anything you can do to be more involved Source: Member response. Developing Surf Sports Repucom (2015) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 27 of 58

28 Most SLS clubs have members that participate in surf sport, and nationally between 20 and 25% of our 42,956 patrolling surf lifesavers 23 do so for various reasons (see Figure 6). This is a strong competitive base, although 20 years ago this ratio, based on participation rates at state championship events, sat at over 40% (8,500 participants from 19,000 patrolling surf lifesavers). However, as members progress to the performance levels, they become more disconnected from the SLS community. There is a perception 24 among the surf sport participants that others within SLS see semi-professional surf sports as a reward for patrol service, rather than a strategic enabler for the broader objectives of SLS 25. To participate in surf sport, a member must first a) join a surf life saving club and pay their membership fee, b) enrol and obtain a surf rescue certificate (SRC) at age 13 and/or a bronze medallion at age 15 years, c) complete annual lifesaving proficiencies each year, d) complete a minimum of 25 hours (NSW/QLD) or 16 hours (SA, VIC, WA, NT, TAS) of patrol hours and e) meet any additional club, branch, state or national requirements. Many feel the existing competition eligibility policy (SLSA policy 5.04) is too prescriptive in requiring all surf sport participants to complete the five requirements above (see Figure 6). Each affiliated surf life saving club in Australia enters into a lifesaving service level agreement (SLA) with their state body which governs the level of lifesaving service a club provides. For a club to deliver on their SLA they require a membership base of willing participants to, not only provide lifesaving expertise, but also coach, teach, assess, fundraise, repair, govern, administrate and ensure the significant infrastructure that supports frontline surf lifesavers is sufficient and sustained. Currently any volunteer services that a member provides outside of a formal volunteer beach patrol are not recognised by the competition eligibility policy as service. This situation does not allow clubs to effectively make use of their willing volunteer members because those seeking participation in surf sports are focussed on obtaining their minimum patrol hour quota in order to be eligible for competition. With many surf sports participants highly capable in passing on their skills to young lifesavers and many possessing expertise that could support the broader club approach to achieving their SLA each year, reforms to competition eligibility are in critical need. A lack of commercialisation of surf sport as a means of financing the growth of the sport in Australia is a significant challenge that must be addressed in the short term. Currently surplus funds generated through SLSA surf sports programs (sport events, sport development and sport high performance) are treated as SLS general revenue and not retained within the surf sport system. Surf sports, like all internal departments of SLSA, contribute towards the overall operating costs of the head office operation. Having met these costs, there is generally a trading surplus as a result of SLSA s major event activities. With increasing pressure on federal government funding of sport, particularly high performance sport in Australia, a change in policy internally within SLSA to allow these resources to be reinvested in enhancing the surf sport proposition nationally would be a significant positive step forward in realising the implementation of this review. A step in this direction would require other areas of the SLSA business to be rebalanced although in the long run, this is likely to ensure SLSA s various operations are sustainable. 23 Source: 2014/2015 SLSA Annual Report 24 Source: Stakeholder interviews carried out between August 2015 October Source: Developing Surf Sports Final Report compiled by Repucom (2015). A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 28 of 58

29 Where there are loyal and committed long term commercial partners involved, such as Kellogg s Nutri- Grain, such partnerships appear isolated into only the specific product being sponsored, rather than working with partners to leverage their investment across SLSA s cradle to grave suite of products. A cohesive, commercially savvy surf sports pathway which allows SLSA to leverage the elite pathway to support the growth of the sport at a grassroots level through use of high profiled athletes, alignment of broadcast properties and integration of digital assets could offer significantly more value to existing and potential commercial partners. In return for increasing the value proposition to commercial partners, SLSA could invest additional revenue into a cohesive, aligned surf sport model that re-connects elite sport back into the grassroots of the sport. Figure 6: Existing surf sport participant motivators and barriers for participation The fragmented administration of surf sport, both within and beyond SLSA, also reduces the available investment to grow the game and the capacity of each state entity to deliver surf sport products. The professional ironman/ironwoman series and surf boat series are both delivered by private companies with limited connectivity back into SLS. Currently, across all surf lifesaving broadcast products there is a lack of cohesion and alignment that delivers value for commercial partners and minimal use of high profile broadcast to profile the role of organisation in the community (for example, through promotion of junior sports participation programs such as nippers or school programs). There is a significant opportunity cost of each component of the existing surf sports pathway operating in isolation when compared against other major sporting models, such as National Rugby League or Australian Rugby, who effectively leverage broadcast properties to build awareness of their respective game at a grassroots level, connecting all levels of the pathway. SLS has a reasonable presence on television through channels 9, 10, 7 and Fox Sports, but until recently has been perhaps too diversified with rights holders not working collaboratively in the best interests of the sport. This has diluted the promotional capability of televised surf life saving products. With rights holders driven to deliver to their sources of revenue, the altruistic opportunities to promote the surf lifesaving movement and the role of surf in surf lifesaving through the sporting lens is rarely achieved. Recent new initiatives have been well received by members, including the Summer of Surf of consistent TV-quality club-level racing for 24+ weeks, and the recently reformed Interstate Championship, a short-course, high-impact racing format with good surf, streamed live on the internet. These initiatives also align with findings of sport and recreation market and mega-trends studies commissioned recently by the Australian Sports Commission. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 29 of 58

30 Despite these recent initiatives, the SLS community feel a disconnect with the elite competitors of our sport as they are increasingly seen as athletes first and life savers second. Equally the elite athletes of our sport and many other surf sport competitors also feel a disconnect to the broader SLS community as these members feel the broader SLS community doesn t value the role of sport in it, and so does not leverage its potential. There is significant opportunity to work with our competitively focussed lifesavers to showcase their skills in challenging surf and use the digital domain to communicate to members and the public how important these skills are in surf lifesaving delivering its vital role in the community. Surf sport competition is delivered by club, branch, state, national and private entities, with some events targeting the same audience clashing (e.g. the Ocean Thunder surf boat series and ASRL surf boat events). SLSA currently conducts a series of national events: the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships (incorporating the Masters and known as the Aussies ) as well as the new Australian Youth Championships, the Coolangatta Gold, the Australian Pool Rescue Championships, Australian IRB Championships, the Australian Interstate Championships, elite ironman and ironwoman competitions and the Clash of the Paddles for distance surf ski competitors. State Championships are held on a similar model to the Aussies. Despite various logistical concerns and a decline in some disciplines, the Aussies and State Championships are meeting member demand and participation numbers are generally holding well. The health of surf sport nationally is not helped by the reality of having two separate season windows (North Australia vs Central and Southern Australia) which makes it challenging for North Australian athletes to achieve excellence while residing in their home state. One area to be examined further is surf boat racing. Surf boat rowing flourished in the 1990s with new female participation, but is now falling away at all levels and is one of the few events with significantly reducing numbers of Open Mens A crews at the Australian Championships. If there are any changes to surf sports, they must address the challenges of surf boat competition. People are becoming more time poor. Clubs are becoming negative about patrol hours and causing agitation from VOLUNTEERS who pay to be members then require them to do make ups and penalty patrols. I believe the biggest thing stopping more participation is the mandatory patrol hours you need to do to compete and also the mandatory requirement to have your bronze and then to be a patrolling member. I believe if those rules were relaxed then more people would join and participate and just by being in a club they would end up doing patrols. Too many rules and a carnival is very slow and poorly run. Too many events that take up too much time. Focus is on elite events but historically they aren't the events with the largest participation. Surf Sports needs to be inclusive and encourage participation as well as competition for the elite 26 Strengthen the surf sport pathway from nippers to the elite Enormous numbers of children start in our nippers and juniors programs, more than we have ever experienced before, and many metropolitan clubs are at capacity and are turning potential nippers away. Yet there is also a large drop-out from SLS in the teenage years. While the demands of the sport will always mean numbers will fall, our attrition rate is too high and we need a more concerted, national model to retain and motivate people in surf sports. 26 Source: Member response. Developing Surf Sports Repucom (2015) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 30 of 58

31 To build a surf sport pathway to bring young athletes through from nippers to elite performance and to increase the number of lifesavers with strong water skills, we should: 5. Develop a strategic, cohesive model (complimented by recommendation 2) to attract, retain and motivate people in surf sports, particularly through the breakout age of years, with components that include: a. Recruit high profile surf sports athletes centrally to support the grassroots organisation as ambassadors and delivery agents for nipper clinics and public promotion of surf sports and surf lifesaving. b. A national coach development program which develops leadership and capability of club coaches, with support from SLS administration, performance coaches and elite athletes. c. Develop a modified sport product Super Surf Events for use by clubs, branches and state entities which provide a range of surf sport event formats between 2-3 hours. This includes full development of event brand, operating model, detailed templates, budgets, planning tools that will support maximum alignment across Australia. d. Extending partnerships with private providers to deliver components of the surf sport pathway, for example by expanding the Summer of Surf Sport initiative, to present surf sports in a modern format and provide an enhanced performance pathway for surf sport athletes. e. Retaining capable people in the surf sport system by targeting and investing in retiring surf sport athletes to take on coaching, management, administration and officiating roles in surf sport. Drive the implementation of that model with: 6. A surf sport review implementation steering group of appropriately skilled people (surf sport, sport management and business acumen) to flesh out, test and implement the model, while business-as-usual activities continue under the existing system of advisors and staff; and 7. A role responsible for participation in SLSA senior management, with the expertise to oversee and implement participation programs (schools, nippers, recreation pathways). Nippers have been one of the success stories of Australian sport, comprising of over 63,000 members in However up to 20,000 nippers drop out from the sport each year. These are often replaced by those initially joining the organisation and may give the impression that membership numbers for these activities are stable when in fact they contain a large degree of volatility. This allows the causality of attrition to be overlooked. While most of the families joining nippers have a high awareness of it as a children s sport participation program 27, it is not supported nationally within SLSA s structure with dedicated children s sports participation expertise. In addition, many surf lifesaving events are delivered over a full day or weekend, presenting challenges for families, working adults and youths who participate in multiple sports. The additional service commitments (described above) may also 27 Source: Developing Surf Sports Final Report, Repucom (2015) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 31 of 58

32 weigh against talented individuals choosing SLS ahead of a range of sporting options with lower demands. To overcome these barriers, there is as yet no real national, strategic, cohesive model to attract, retain and motivate people in surf sports. A model is needed that allows easier access to surf sport, retains members in the breakthrough age of years, offers meaningful weekly competition, and inspires athletes to strive for excellence across the spectrum of surf sport disciplines and more broadly as surf lifesavers. All clubs have attainable role models for children and youth aged members to interact with and be inspired by on a daily basis. As yet there is no nationally coordinated use of our elite sportsmen and sportswomen who could play a significant role in promoting surf sport to both members and the public. At the inaugural Australian Youth Championships in 2015 at North Kirra Beach, QLD all members of the Australian Life Saving Team and all athletes in the NutriGrain Ironman and Ironwoman series were invited to support delivery of the event by acting as officials and interacting with the young participants. The feedback from clubs following this initiative was exceptional. More programs that connect our elite and high profiled athletes with young aspirational members should be explored. Quality coaching will be an essential element of any such model. To date, other than the formal national coach accreditation system, there is very little investment in coach development, facilitated coach networking, profiling of best practice coaching systems within surf clubs, and other coach support structures across the movement. Experienced surf sport stakeholders we engaged with believe that a focus on coaching capability is a key element to retaining youths in the movement for longer. Over time SLSA has conducted national coaching conferences and used leadership programs to allow coaches to explore personal development formally. There are now experienced coaches offering their services on tap around Australia rather than being attached to only one club as is the traditional model. Recent developments in South Australia with the development of a surf sports academy using the services of experienced coach Phil Clayton (QLD) are a positive example of leveraging the coaching talent pool across the country. Creating a platform for coaches to connect and share their practices to support collective enhancement of national coaching capability must be a priority. Lots of kids do surf sports in nippers, but when they move into Seniors the activities organized by the youth leaders don't involve any surf sports. It is almost discouraged. The Youth leaders seem to have little or no surf sport skills, but we have club coaches who know a lot. The youth leaders need to engage Surf Sports and ask the Surf Sports coaches to run sessions as these people will be able to teach the Youth something and improve their skills. The barrier to entry for the Club itself is high. The requirements for being a patrolling member are onerous and stifle interest in the sport before the participant is able to have a go. Lack of focus at the club level on sport especially at the U15 age groups and over. If the Age Group Manager in Juniors does not embrace Surf Sports, then we get very low participation rates when they move into Youth. The focus in our club goes to social activities and the Youth group get isolated from senior club members. Those who want to do Surf Sports get isolated. For example a Youth Camp has been organised for State Champs weekend for 2 seasons in a row, meaning those interested in Surf Sports get isolated from the group Source: Member response. Developing Surf Sports Repucom (2015) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 32 of 58

33 With the second largest barrier to surf sport participation being a lack of time (Figure 6, above) also reinforced at almost every insight workshop (see schedule in appendix E) it is essential that the week in, week out surf sport event proposition is reconsidered. We encountered workshop participants who held the view that members would not see value if events were delivered in a short time period yet the evidence from the members themselves is compelling. The local surf sport proposition needs to be more accessible to busy people living busy lives. The quality of the experience will generate the value for the participant, not the length of the experience. This includes increased engagement (less down time), increased variability of the races offered and a more optimised competitive experience through graded competition models. The attraction to competitive sport for many people is the notion of winning and losing. However, unless having attained a performance level of athleticism, with the current model of qualifying rounds in local surf sport events, an entry level surf sport participant will seldom experience the excitement of having a chance of winning (or even the sense of winning itself). A professionally packaged set of short, modified event concepts, put together by leading surf sport practitioners and made available nationally, would provide significant support at the club and branch level as it has in other sporting organisations who have recognised the needs to repackage the sport offer (other sports that now provide shorter more accessible participation products include but are not limited to Golf, Tennis, Cricket, Rugby Union, Bowls and Rugby League. In addition, where there is existing best practice, such as the Summer of Surf concept (see case study below) SLSA should partner with such initiatives to connect them into the national surf sport model to compliment the other components of the surf sport pathway. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 33 of 58

34 With coaching already highlighted above and an aging workforce of dedicated technical officials, SLS entities must consider where its future coaches and technical officials will come from to sustain the delivery of the grassroots sport. Prior to formal master s competition commencing in the 1990 s coaching and officiating was the outlet for retiring surf sport participants to retain an involvement in the sport. Although data is not available to quantify the impact, there are currently no systematic programs in place to attract retiring athletes back into the sport in new roles such as coaching, officiating, administration/management and promotion. A more focussed approach in promoting these pathways to senior surf sport competitors may increase the conversion rate and keep great servants of the sport as athletes in it for much longer in their life after performing in competition. With a number of significant changes to surf sport proposed, SLSA faces the reality that it must deliver its annual business cycle while in parallel undertaking transformational change. With existing management and advisory resources at extremely high utilisation there will be a need to source additional expertise. A failure to allocate sufficient resources to implement the recommendations in this review will almost certainly result in the SLS movement not achieving the change it may seek. Equally, those engaged by SLSA to implement the recommendations in this review must be given a degree of autonomy to execute the required action. This will take governance expertise of a group of people with a balance of sports management, sport and entertainment commercial acumen and knowledge of surf lifesaving supported by capable and effective management with strong project management skills and contemporary experience in the sports participation environment. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 34 of 58

35 B. Launch recreational memberships in SLS The review recognised that there were strong opportunities to build coastal recreation programs that attract new members, better serve the desires of existing members, and can be offered to nonmember groups on a commercial basis. Doing so would help create more sustainable revenue and membership pipelines for SLS entities, attracting people who may become great lifesavers. The concerns raised about a potential recreation offer were less about the programs themselves, and more about what offering them would mean to the surf lifesaving culture and community, and the difficulties in making those changes. Game Plan B Launch recreational memberships to attract less-competitive coastal lifestylers and families, with supporting professional programs for primary and secondary schools and for over 65 years and fitness groups, and a range of potential coastline activities. Sustain and expand SLS with recreational membership To expand SLS with recreational membership and create a long term targeted approach to attracting coastal lifestylers to Surf Life Saving, we should: 8. Formally recognise recreational membership within the SLSA membership structure to provide clubs with a clear framework to leverage recreation opportunities if they wish to. 9. Target individuals and likely groups as potential recreational members, including: a. Nipper parents (a greater level of parent commitment may also support longer tenure of children and youth members). b. Entrants in ocean swim and paddling events entry process. c. Existing surf lifesavers who don t participate in surf sport. It is hard to get involved in if you don't have a background in it. Can sometimes have an elite feel if you are not wanting to participate at a high level. At our club the group involved in sports, once you are 13 and older, is elite and exclusive and timeconsuming. There's no avenue to just participate for fun and fitness. It s either 12 sessions a week, or none. That scares a lot of people off. More information and support in the transition from Nipper parent to active member. There seems to be nothing between nipper parent (as in supporting Nippers in knee deep water) and full bronze medallion sign up, which requires significant proficiency in swimming. Therefore it is left to the individual to train and motivate themselves to even try out for entering the Bronze program. If there was a "group" for parents wanting to do more I think it would encourage more family involvement and that in turn supports medium aged Nippers to continue to come back season after season. 29 Currently, many people are active in coastal recreation pursuits, but do not have access to the community and facilities that SLS offers. 15% of the Australian population (approx. 3.6M people) live within 15km of the coast and are interested in participating in beach and/or ocean based activities 30. For every one of the 10% of people in this segment interested in becoming a patrolling member of our SLS clubs, there are almost three who are interested in being a recreational member, and another three interested in being a social or associate member: see Figure 7. A coherent approach to capturing 29 Source: Member response. Developing Surf Sports Repucom (2015) 30 Source: Developing Surf Sports Final Report. Repucom (2015) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 35 of 58

36 the coastal recreation space would attract many willing, non-traditional members to the SLS fold and, in doing so; unlock long term membership and financial sustainability for surf clubs in Australia. Their ocean activities are very similar to those already involved in the SLS community, but not (or no longer) in surf sport: see Figure 8. Figure 7 - What are the coastal public interested in? Figure 8 - What are the SLS community's surf activities? A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 36 of 58

37 As an example of such ocean activities, many clubs already organise ocean swims, though very few effectively leverage the opportunity to capture participant information, conduct ocean swim clinics, and convert participants into members. There are many paddlers (stand-up, ocean ski etc) who are former lifesavers, unable to commit to being full members but have a wealth of surf lifesaving and coastal safety knowledge. Alternative national sporting organisations such as Canoe Racing Australia and Surfing Australia are actively competing for the attention of the coastal recreation consumer, a domain once held by SLS. There is also no systematic way of giving the nipper parent access to beach or ocean skills programs, other than for them to become full members. Finally, while not an immediate priority, a host of new and emerging coastal activities such as coasteering 31 may also join the offers of recreational membership over time: see case study below. All of these activities involve surf expertise that may be as relevant to developing surf lifesaving skills and participation as is surf sport, and very few see surf sport as the best option for being surf fit for lifesaving purposes: see Figure 9. These activities may be of interest for nippers as they enjoy a structured participation program in SLS from age 7 to 14 years. At age 15 they are required to attain the bronze medallion before entering a generally unstructured life in their surf club thereafter unless they are competitively oriented and gain continuity of structure through a club surf sports program. Recreational programs could service the needs of these developing lifesavers where existing pathways and programs do not. Figure 9 Does surf sport keep lifesavers rescue ready? 31 A case study on coasteering is provided on page 37 as an example of new emerging coastal recreation activities. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 37 of 58

38 Case Study: A new form of coastal recreation introducing Coasteering Description: Coasteering is a physical activity that encompasses movement along the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline on foot or by swimming, without the aid of boats, surf boards or other craft. What s involved? A. Swimming or Adventure Swimming: in calm water; rough or white water; and/ or tidal currents. B. Climbing, scrambling, canyoning, sea level traversing: the very nature of the coastline that is needed for coasteering demands aspects of these activities. Ropes, as security on rock, are not used. Any climbing activity usually takes place above deep water, with safety spotters used where appropriate. Coasteering is never a dry, climbing activity. C. Jumping and Diving: are often seen as an appealing and exciting part of coasteering. Origins: There are many private providers offering coasteering activities which have become a popular adventure tourism activity in the United Kingdom. As yet organised Coasteering is at its infancy in Australia. Relevance to Surf Life Saving: Conducted in the inshore coastline environment, non-competitive recreational format, swimming, beach running, rock entries/exits, team format, decision making, environmental awareness. Strong cross over of fitness, skill and knowledge requirements for lifesaving tasks. Certain coasteering groups in Wales are now working closely with the RNLI in providing coastal surveillance and rescue support services. More information: Photo Source: saltair.co.uk A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 38 of 58

39 Develop surf lifesaving recreation programs for members and others If they (organised physical activities) could be offered in a more fun, less competitive way. Boot camp or beach training or fitness classes that incorporated lifesaving skills at a local level that did not involve the expense of travel, accommodation, time off work and was more skills and fitness based rather than competition based. I am a strong swimmer but have not really had the opportunity to get involved with surf lifesaving other than to donate money regularly 32 To meet the evolving demands for access to organised physical activity in surf lifesaving, we should: 10. Develop a series of nationally-constructed but locally-delivered programs/products for SLS entities to offer to their local markets, including the business models, promotional plans, and workforce training: a. a surf recreation program for non-competitive existing members b. a (one beach, one pool) nipper program for primary schools c. event products for secondary schools, to give youths surf sport experience d. a group fitness product for adults in existing fitness communities e. a group fitness product for over 65 s with a focus on mobility outcomes f. explore a role for SLS in offering emerging activities such as coasteering A strong program of surf lifesaving recreation for existing and new members could be developed, and then be tailored and offered to non-member groups, in part to attract them into membership. The review recognised that we offer no structured program for SLS members who want to enjoy physical activity in or at the surf, but not in the traditional surf-sport sense. Many SLS members are active in the surf, though not in traditional surf sports: see Figure 8. Many of these members still want a sense of structure, challenge and community in their surf activities. In particular, we have no structured programs for members over 65 years, despite this baby boomer 33 age group being the largest in the general population forecasts both now and over the next 20 years. 34 Currently there is no nationally-packaged, locally-delivered programs for primary or secondary schools. Here is a clear opportunity to build on nippers, with the second highest levels of junior sport participation public awareness, and use surf sports to increase the profile for SLS. Some surf lifesaving clubs have developed local programs that can be offered through or in concert with other fitness groups (gyms, running groups etc) to give their stakeholders some variety in their training. These programs could be consolidated and shared with other SLS clubs across Australia. 32 Source: Member response. Developing Surf Sports Repucom (2015) 33 Source: Population Projections Australian Bureau of Statistics 34 Source: Population Projections Australian Bureau of Statistics A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 39 of 58

40 Overcome concerns To overcome concerns of introducing recreational membership into Surf Life Saving, we should: 11. Provide differentiated insurance for recreational members so that they can participate in craft activities and have a go carnivals without a lifesaving qualification. The insurance offer would be benchmarked against a standard sports participation insurance package and would not extend to championship surf sport events or work-cover unless appropriate for the individual. 12. Publish a suite of case studies available to all clubs which champion existing recreational programs SLS clubs are delivering in the recreational space with good success. While many clubs see the attraction of recreational members and programs, they are unsure it is a direction they should be heading. Clubs that offer local beach fitness sessions feel they have to do so quietly, as they are not sure if they are permitted to cater for these groups under SLSA or their state SLS entity existing policy and regulation structures. The ability to offer a differentiated level of insurance to the recreational member, with the costs met by those members, could assist with overcoming concerns raised about stressing the existing national insurance program with the new proposed recreational membership category. One of the entry challenges Surf Life Saving currently has is that all active members are covered by insurance policies which allow members to access workers compensation benefits should they get injured undertaking authorised SLS activities 35. This is an exceptional benefit and thus must be carefully protected as it gives members peace of mind in performing actions in surf lifesaving. SLSA should actively engage with its insurance brokers to consider options for optimising its insurance offering for members which a) protects existing benefits for members and b) allows SLS to compete on a similar level with other sporting organisation. Other members are concerned that recreational members and programs will be a burden on existing volunteers and they wonder how existing members will respond to this new membership group. In the absence of a clear strategy for identifying and targeting the desired recreational market, these concerns will continue. However, a clear strategy to get involved with SLS would address such concerns and allow clubs to make their own informed decisions with regard to how they can stay relevant in the eyes of their members and community. Given the significant level of interest among the general public that reside within 15km of the coast in getting involved with surf lifesaving, there are likely to be options available to clubs to generate significant revenue from recreational programs that can support the club operation and reduce the workload on volunteers. 35 Workers compensation insurance varies from state to state. Where a specific State government does not provide a Work Cover program this cover is held within the national SLS insurance program. See: for more information. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 40 of 58

41 C. Modernise our digital media and information platforms The opportunities for modern digital media and information technology platforms to support community organisations have exploded over recent years. As yet, SLSA has not yet taken advantage of those opportunities. There is a strong sense that SLSA is significantly behind its competitors in sport and recreation (though that sense is probably exaggerated most sporting communities fear the same lag). The costs of digital media and information software have fallen at the same time as the expectations of members and the public to use it has risen. Those two trends have now met; the time has come to modernise our digital media and technology infrastructure. Game Plan C - Re-package, re-energise and present surf sport and recreation to members and the public with user driven and engaging modern digital media and information technology platforms. Make the most of Digital Media To make better use of digital media for the SLS movement, we should: 13. Develop a digital strategy to promote surf lifesaving and sport to relevant audiences as an attractive, exciting and rewarding sport to participate in. The strategy should: a. Launch a Surf Sports Australia website with engaging multimedia content, and over time extend across other digital platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, Instagram, and later a digital TV channel that can stream surf events live and broadcast archive footage 24/7/365. b. Use national team members and other surf sport athletes with interesting and inspirational stories on those digital platforms to communicate the values, culture and attractiveness of surf life saving c. Incorporate a commercialisation strategy (linked to recommendation 2) to leverage revenue from all digital assets to support expenses associated with implementation of these review recommendations. d. Determine whether sports marketing expertise should become a core part of the SLSA management structure and workforce, and whether the development and maintenance of the digital assets should be contracted out to a specialist third party. Through digital media, organisations can use apps like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on as well as central websites to engage with members and the public through their smartphones, tablets, computers and televisions. The use of digital media is accelerating, more and more to share live and recorded video. In the year to August 2015, 14,000,000 Australians used a Facebook account, 13,700,000 accessed YouTube content, 5,000,000 held Instagram accounts and 2,790,000 used twitter accounts to post and share content. 36 Though there are risks involved in using digital media with young 36 Source: Social Media Statistics Australia August Social Media News (socialmedianews.com.au). A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 41 of 58

42 audiences, these risks are managed more and more effectively, as the public accepts that this is just the way young people now communicate. SLSA is not yet using digital media effectively. One strong reason to do so is that it experiences its highest rate of membership drop-out between 12 and 17 years and these are the very people who most consume and engage with their sport through digital means. National sporting bodies such as Cricket Australia, Australian Football League, National Rugby League and Australian Rugby Union are all using the digital space well, and are winning the battle for youth attention (see case study of ARU on page 42). The flow on of this attention is increased broadcast viewership, event attendance, merchandise sales and a critical mass that can be leveraged with partners. The opportunities to use digital media with youth and other members are many. Digital media can tell the stories of surf lifesaving and sport much more engagingly than static web text. A single surf sport star can engage with thousands of young surf lifesavers at the same time. Nippers and youths can share their own essential information and create their own excitement around surf sport events. Entrants in ocean swims and other events might be attracted to a 10-week program with or at the host clubs, building revenue and relationships. With a significant potential viewing audience consisting of lifesavers, nippers, school program participants and avid surf sport fans, the digital platforms will offer additional exposure for our sponsors and select commercial advertising. Digital tools can provide a compelling link between grassroots participants and our elite national representative athletes and other higher profile personalities. There is a significant opportunity to recruit coaches, athletes and other prominent SLS people to contribute regular content to a digital home for surf sports. Over time, the reliability of regularly uploaded and engaging content across the age and gender spectrum will generate a significant viewership. This in turn further grows the profile of our athletes and coaches which allows them to provide a stronger value proposition to their own personal sponsors. With a significant volume of file footage available of various national championships, surf boat events, surf league events and ironman series events SLSA could consider exploring the opportunity to keep that content in peoples living rooms through digital television channels. A similar example in rugby mad New Zealand is the rugby channel. A 24/7 channel which simply plays archive footage interspersed with the current content of the day. Given the strong following surf sports enjoyed through the 1980 s and 1990 s and with digital, on demand TV likely to outlast traditional TV network broadcast in the future, developing a digital TV channel as described could be an innovative way to reengage with the public and provide another commercial platform for commercial partners. There is no reason to think that the use of digital media to engage with both lifesavers and surf sport participants would diminish SLSA s market position as a humanitarian organisation and charity. Indeed, the use of surf sport personalities may help drive home this message to the public. Given SLSA does not currently have a matured digital strategy and digital operation, particularly in surf sport, consideration should be given as to the expertise of current personnel and what skills are required to develop and execute a digital strategy that compliments the policy, product and program recommendations outlined in this report. There are numerous digital agencies in the market, one of whom, Telstra, has been a major national partner and a potential first port of call. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 42 of 58

43 Drive better IT platforms to serve our core and new activities To develop better IT platforms to serve our core and new activities, we should: 14. Continue testing the new event management system, which may be used for public recreational events that does not have to link participant data to SurfGuard 15. Pursue the outcomes of the SLSA IT review. A modern technology backbone is needed to run any contemporary member organisation. Within surf sport there is a new event management system (EMS) which is currently in testing phase. The purpose of the system is to provide a more seamless event and event management process. The new system will provide SLS entities with the ability to run events for the general public (such as ocean swims) which current and previous systems did not allow. With many surf clubs accessing (and paying for) third party entry system providers this will be a welcome opportunity for surf clubs, increasing the profitability of their ocean swims. The added benefit of surf life saving entities using the new system for non-member events is the ability to capture and retain the information of participants rather than the third party provider retaining this information. Having simple access to the recreational audience will allow clubs to better tell their stakeholders about what they offer in their unique community. Our review did not provide a significant focus on information technology as the SLSA Board has recently commissioned a national review of its IT strategy. However, through the course of our engagement, there was sentiment that the decisions flowing from that review must support effective IT support for: the national member database member communication on-beach event delivery (finish line technologies, automated marshalling and result recording) member and public events, including promotions, entries, results and participant engagement financial transactions relating to sport and recreation sport and recreation training courses A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 43 of 58

44 Digital Case Study: Australian Rugby Union effective leverage of digital platforms A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 44 of 58

45 D. Develop and reinforce a unified SLSA purpose and culture The review encountered a range of opinions across the SLS movement on the role of sport and recreation. At the extremes, some individuals believe that surf sport should have no relationship with lifesaving, and others believe that SLSA should not be in the business of sport and recreation at all. However, the majority see the mutual benefits for the three siblings in the SLS family (lifesaving, surf sport and learning & development) to be part of a strong unified family. The strength of that family cannot always be assumed, and its unified purpose and culture needs reinforcement from time to time including now. Game Plan D Develop and reinforce the SLSA culture as one that celebrates the diverse capacities, ambitions and skills that make for strong surf communities and safe beaches. Reinforce the mutual benefits of the humanitarian, sport and learning & development siblings, internally and externally The sport died after The organisation is petrified of holding any event in 'surf'. Surf Sports exists to train lifesavers, except surf sports no longer accepts racing in challenging conditions as acceptable and therefore is not training lifesavers to be able to perform in challenging conditions required of them whilst patrolling. The focus in my club is getting awards (bronze etc) instead of participation in things like surf sports. There is a natural conflict between saving lives and running organised sport. As a trainer, the bronze puts little weight on surf skills. Most can't bodysurf - this isn't even a competency. Most emphasis in SLS is placed on CPR & first aid not preventing, reading the conditions & being able to rescue in any real sense. Many patrols are IRB & fair weather dependent. Surf sports are therefore seen as irrelevant. 37 Reinforce the mutual benefits of the humanitarian, sport and learning and development arms of SLS by: 16. Redrafting the SLS strategy to make each arm an explicit and indispensable arm of the SLS movement, with mutually-supporting roles that together support the SLS purpose 17. Assign to a sub-committee of the SLSA Board the task of restoring and reinforcing the unified SLS purpose and culture 18. Develop a communications strategy that reinforces the SLS strategy and the mutual reliance of its three arms, including for example drawing on the profile and organisational expertise of athlete ambassadors, prominent lifesavers, volunteer leaders and respected administrators. Most members understand and support that the SLSA is a humanitarian organisation with the goal of reducing coastal drowning. However, that is not why many of SLS s members have joined: they have 37 Source: Member response. Developing Surf Sports Repucom (2015) A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 45 of 58

46 done so for fun, a sense of belonging, personal challenge, and fitness 38. Members therefore believe that their governing bodies could engage with them more on these drivers rather than on the public messaging of saving lives and making donations. This temporary depreciation in SLS s sense of mutual dependency has developed for many years, so that SLS s operational areas of coastal safety, sport and learning & development have seemingly competed against each other to be the most popular sibling in an unruly family. A modern community organisation with that level of internal competition and confusion about their roles in the organisational strategy is unlikely to serve its members well, or to attract public support and sponsorship. Despite the current status outlined above there is a clear case for a unified SLS family with strong siblings who help each other, and who acknowledge that mutual benefit: see Figure 10. As covered in our case for a new approach, sport and recreation has a clear role to play in building the water competence of our volunteer lifesaving workforce, a role that has diminished over 20 years as the number of lifesavers participating in surf sport falls. A strong surf sport community also provides a pipeline of surf lifesavers with experience in surf conditions. Surf sport and coastal recreation is an enabler for developing our people, not a reward for service as is perceived by some existing surf sport competitors. The SLS nipper program attracts young Australians who want to be physically active on our beaches. Similarly, lifesavers and surf sport participants are able to access our learning and development programs to build their capacity as lifesavers, coaches and officials. Lifesaving service provides an important opportunity for surf sport participants to put athletic capability to use through the provision of an essential community service. The significant facilities provided by surf life saving clubs offer surf sport participants a home and structure to access equipment, coaching and connect into the community. Figure 10 Conceptual model: mutual benefits within the SLS family 38 Source: This statement is supported by evidence in SLSA s 2014 member participation survey and further reinforced through stakeholder interviews through this review and also in the report Developing Surf Sports Final Report compiled by Repucom (2015). A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 46 of 58

47 Bridge the humanitarian-sport divide A cohesive and agile organisation needs its purpose and strategy to be agreed and pursued by all of its members. Of the relationships between the humanitarian, sporting and educational siblings in the SLS family, the division between the humanitarian and sporting arms most risks our capacity to set and pursue our purpose and strategy. Specific actions must be taken to help bridge that divide, and to reinforce our unified purpose and strategy. As shown above, there is more mutual ground that is typically celebrated, and this mutual ground should be exploited to bridge the humanitarian-sport divide. To bridge the humanitarian-sport divide, we should: 19. Take explicit actions for both lifesaving and surf sport participants to acknowledge and support each other s role in the SLS community: a. SLSA clearly articulating the existence and nature of that mutual benefit, the risks to it, and how those risks should be managed b. Leaders within Surf Life Saving reinforcing that mutual benefit through both the organisational messaging and their own behaviour, and being selected to official roles for their ability to do so c. Support SLSA members with programs that help ensure they are aware of how mutual benefit operates and how it translates into specific roles and operations d. Establishing national metrics to track the understanding and commitment of members to the culture and purpose of mutual benefit, and review the member recognition scheme to consider how its criteria may recognise people who demonstrate the culture and purpose of mutual benefit. As explored in the case for a new approach above, surf sport has a strategically critical role in developing the physical competence and confidence needed for saving lives in an inherently dangerous environment. However, some believe that the risks of surf sport distracts and detracts 39 from SLS s drowning prevention purpose. A balance must be reached, with sport safety prioritised so that the risks are as low as reasonably practicable (noting there will always be risks), and surf skills are extended by exposure to different surf conditions. Without this balance, a critical mass of surf lifesavers will be unable to perform rescues in the very surf conditions they are most needed, threatening the long-term relevance of surf lifesaving in the community. The humanitarian-sport divide exists because the mind-sets and behaviours of the SLS community do not yet adequately reflect their mutual benefits, and a balanced approach to surf sport. The focus in my club is getting awards (bronze etc) instead of participation in things like surf sport 40 s. These mindsets and behaviours some call it the culture of our movement must change. The four actions recommended below correspond to the four areas that McKinsey & Company and others suggest an individual or organisation must work on to change its mind set and behaviours: good reasons for change, leaders who role model that change, support for members being able to change, and 39 Source: Developing Surf Sports Final Report compiled by Repucom (2015). 40 Source: Developing Surf Sports Final Report compiled by Repucom (2015). A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 47 of 58

48 consequences of their performance in doing so. If any one of these conditions for change are weak, then desirable change becomes extremely difficult. Include mutual benefit in representing the surf lifesaving movement to the public To take explicit actions to effectively communicate our identity publicly, we should: 20. Audit existing public messaging to identify where there may be gaps in the representation of Surf Life Saving. 21. Integrate sport and recreation, and learning and development messaging into public safety and fundraising campaigns (for example, using surf sports personalities to deliver safety messaging). Currently, the presentation of surf lifesaving to the public focuses heavily on its life saving. For example, the page on What we do on our website highlights our role in saving, protecting and promoting life, but does not mention surf sport or recreation. The page Who we are similarly states that we are Australia s major water safety, drowning prevention and rescue authority and continues into our patrol, education, safety campaign and community activities, with no mention of surf sport. However, we believe that the public would readily recognise and appreciate the significant role of sport and recreation in enabling surf life-saving. SLS could better present the role of surf sport in saving lives, building better communities and creating great Australians. The benefits that surf sport brings to lifesaving competence are presented above. To these should be added the physical and mental health benefits of surf sport and recreation. Participation provides a platform to set and attain goals, to a sense of identify and belonging, to the values of team work, respect, discipline and dedication. All these are associated with surf lifesavers, and can be promoted in both surf sport and surf lifesaving as siblings in the one family. One risk of presenting a unified purpose is that surf sport and recreation may dilute the humanitarian and charity messages to our audiences. However, the risks of not doing so is that members who are passionate about the unique relationship between surf sport and surf lifesaving become disconnected, and that we lose our appeal to active sportspeople who see themselves as more than a community resource. On balance, we think these risks are greater, and that the unified purpose of the SLS movement can be presented strongly to the public. A Sport and Recreation Game Plan for Surf Life Saving Australia February 2016 Page 48 of 58

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