Success Stories

Success Stories

Learning from real examples can motivate clubs and illustrate what inclusion looks like in a sports environment. Here are a few examples ranging from local grassroots clubs to professional sports that demonstrate inclusive practices in action.

• Fremantle Cockburn Hockey Club (WA): This community hockey club undertook a journey to embed inclusion into every aspect of their operations. Key initiatives included redesigning their communication materials and newcomer information to be more accessible​.

The Club created visual guides for new players (“Coming to hockey – what to expect” and “What equipment you need for hockey”), which they send out to first timers so families can prepare. During hockey sessions, they use visual supports to explain drills, helping those who learn visually. The club also set up quiet areas with sensory toys at the field, offering a calm space for anyone feeling overwhelmed​. They even worked on an adapted picture menu for the canteen, so players with communication difficulties can more easily order a snack. ​

• Rye/Blairgowrie Croquet Club (VIC): Croquet provides a great example of inclusive outreach. The Rye Blairgowrie Croquet Club recognised that integrating people with disability would enrich both the individuals and the club community​. They chose a welcoming venue (ensuring the lawns and clubhouse were accessible in all weather) and proactively engaged the local community.

One effective tactic was setting up a stall at the local market with live croquet demonstrations, explicitly inviting people with disability to have a go​. This public approach helped spark interest and broke down initial hesitations. The club also ran come and try days and worked with the local council on promotion.

As a result, they attracted new members with various abilities and have diversified their membership. The croquet club’s experience underlines the value of going out into the community and showing that “everyone is welcome to play. Sometimes the barrier is simply that people with disability assume a sport isn’t open to them until they are personally invited.

• Western Sydney Wanderers Autism-Friendly Soccer Clinics (NSW): In professional sports, the A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers set a leading example by partnering with Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) to run autism specific soccer clinics​. Rather than a standalone effort, they had Aspect’s autism consultants assess and advise on the program design. The result was an environment tailored to autistic kids: smaller group sizes, trained coaches, sensory breaks, and careful structure. The club’s commitment went beyond a one off day, it is part of a strategy to make their junior development pathways more accessible. The collaboration focuses on building self-confidence, skill development, and sense of community for autistic children through football​. They also provided autism inclusion training to Wanderers academy coaches and are looking at adjustments in their mainstream youth teams. This case illustrates how even at the elite club level, organizations can invest in grassroots inclusion. It sends a powerful message when a big-name club says, “we want autistic kids to be part of our family.” It also shows the value of expert partners (like Aspect) in designing programs right for the target group​

• “Autism in Cricket” Initiative (WA): In Western Australia, the WACA (cricket association) teamed up with the Autism Association of WA for the Autism in Cricket program.

This program works directly with local cricket clubs to make them autism friendly. They provide training workshops for coaches and club volunteers on supporting autistic players, and each participating club can become an “Autism Inclusive Club” backed by autism specialist support. As of 2022, 11 community cricket clubs in WA had earned this endorsement​. The program effectively matches interested young players on the spectrum with clubs that have committed to inclusion, ensuring families find a suitable club environment​.

One parent shared that before this program, they were hesitant to sign up their child, fearing they wouldn’t be understood, but with trained coaches and supportive peers, their child is now thriving at the local club.

• Individual Champions: Sometimes a single determined coach or athlete can be the catalyst for inclusion. Stories such as the junior netball coach who learned Auslan sign language so her deaf player could fully participate, or the swim coach who created a visual flipbook of each step for a swimmer with an intellectual disability, helping him complete his first race.

There’s the tale of a teenage rugby player with autism whose teammates all wore noise-cancelling headphones during a big match to show solidarity and reduce his stigma. These micro case studies, while anecdotal, highlight creative solutions and the human side of inclusion. Sharing such stories at your club through newsletters, social media or meetings can inspire others to step up and be champions of inclusion in their own way.

These examples reinforce that inclusion is achievable and beneficial. Clubs reported outcomes like increased membership, stronger community connections, and improved team morale because of their inclusion efforts​