ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the role played by national sporting organizations (NSOs) in attracting and retaining female sport participants in the Australian context. Sport development concepts are introduced to orient the reader to strategies that NSOs use in establishing systems and processes that ensure participants can be attracted and retained in their specific sport. The Australian sport landscape has traditionally been dominated by males, with participation statistics reinforcing this observation. Two Australian sport examples are used – cricket and Australian Rules football – to highlight how traditionally male-dominated sports are starting to focus their attention on changing the participation landscape for women and girls in these sports. To achieve this, they have each begun to establish systems and pathways that seek to attract and retain female participants, while raising the profile of women’s sport through professional leagues. Although neither of these sports is close to having reached parity with respect to rates of male and female participation, they provide useful examples to assist readers to understand the strategies that NSOs use in efforts to encourage and support female sport participation.
