Decathlon Australia recognises the vital role that physical activity plays in health and wellbeing and particularly the key role it plays in a child’s development.
The retailer commissioned research which revealed that cost of living pressures and access to equipment are restricting kids from playing more sports. Australian primary school kids are currently playing less than 5% of the 40 medal-winning sports regularly, showing a real lack of diversity in the sports that kids are exposed to.
On top of this, almost half of parents surveyed (48.2%) said their kids don’t play more sports because it’s too expensive, nearly one-third (30.1%) said it’s because they don’t play it in school, while over 85% of parents say their kids would play more sports if the equipment was more accessible.
“By launching Decathlon’s Playgrounds to Podiums initiative, we hope to make sport more accessible in a socially responsible way,” Decathlon Australia CEO, Romain Gravigny told Retailbiz.
“We know that many primary schools face challenges with outdated or insufficient sports equipment and often rely on grants and donations to enhance their physical education programs. We also understand that parents are currently faced with cost-of-living pressures so may not be able to afford to expose their children to a wide variety of sports.”
Through the Paygrounds to Podiums initiative, Decathlon will provide schools across Australia with up to $100,000 worth of new sporting equipment to support parents and teachers.
“We hope to enhance their physical education programs, increase participation in a diverse range of sports, and ultimately contribute to healthier, more active communities,” Gravigny said.
“The grant provides equipment for a variety of sports, including some that are less well-known, giving children the chance to explore new activities and develop skills they might not have had the opportunity to experience otherwise.”
Decathlon’s research revealed that among younger children, certain sports are played less frequently. For example, archery is regularly participated in by only 2.8% of kids, while other less common sports include table tennis (4.1%), rugby (3.7%), skateboarding (3%), hockey (2.6%), golf (2.4%), surfing (2.4%) and volleyball (1.6%).
“Our company mission, which underscores everything we do, is to ‘move people through the wonders of sport’ by encouraging active lifestyles, fostering joy and connections, and promoting sustainable behaviours. The Playgrounds to Podiums initiative is another step towards achieving this mission.”
Decathlon Australia has previously undertaken similar initiatives focused on improving access to sports and promoting physical activity. For instance, Decathlon Local memberships foster long-term relationships with schools, clubs and organisations by offering various benefits including exclusive discounts and access to Decathlon activities for fundraising events.
“The Playgrounds to Podiums initiative builds on these efforts, and it is likely to be the first of many such programs. We believe in the importance of investing in the younger generation and will continue to develop initiatives that support and enrich their sporting experiences.”