Basketball NSW 2023 Member Report

Abstract

Basketball NSW engaged the SPRINTER group at the University of Sydney to conduct their 2023 bi-annual membership survey. The objective of this report is to provide evidence for Basketball NSW’s strategic planning and vision; to realise the potential of everyone, strengthening the basketball community and making the sport accessible to all. • Excellent survey response from members, providing confidence in the findings and these findings are likely to represent the broader Basketball community. However, response rates are lower than 2021 (↓2%). Taking time to thank participants, feedback results and articulate how Basketball have listened to the insights will promote long term engagement with the survey. • Members recognise the health benefits of playing basketball. Two thirds of all members reported that basketball has improved their social connection, mental wellbeing, and overall health. The health benefits of basketball should be promoted to the community. • Overall, members are satisfied with their basketball experience. Over 90% of current members would recommend basketball to their friends and family. • Fun and enjoyment were the overwhelming motivator for new and loyal members. Prioritising having fun within the basketball community culture is essential to keep members engaged. • New members reported that improving skills was more important for them; whereas loyal members reported that playing competitively was more important. Providing skill development opportunities should be prioritised among new members and options for playing competitively should be maintained for loyal members. • Word of mouth is the most effective way to get new people to engage with basketball, more than half of new members hearing about basketball from friends and family. Create innovative approaches to encourage current members to invite friends and family to engage with basketball. For example, basketball could encourage existing members to post about their basketball experiences on social media. • Reducing the costs of basketball of providing discounts was the most reported recommendation to help keep members involved in basketball. The annual expenditure of basketball was lower than the state averages reported in Ausplay. Four out of five children used an Active Kids voucher to reduce the cost of basketball. Continue taking advantage of government interventions (e.g., NSW Active kids’ voucher) or alternate subsidiaries, and informing the basketball community about potential financial support is encouraged. 3 Basketball NSW 2023 Member Study • More than half of members reported that they would like to pay for their basketball membership in ways other than the current one-off annual fee. The provision of alternate and flexible pricing within the membership could provide diverse options for communities on varying financial budgets. • Females aged 15-17 years and 18-24 years were the most likely groups to drop out of basketball. Basketball NSW should develop a comprehensive approach to increasing participation and retention of women and girls, guided by evidence in this report. • The most common reasons for children leaving basketball were to try a different sport, basketball wasn’t enjoyable anymore, and other. ‘Other’ responses included providing social, less competitive opportunities. Research recommends that children aged 0-12 should be encouraged to try multiple sports and avoid specialisation in one sport. Strategies to improve retention should be focused on keeping basketball fun and enjoyable. • The most common reasons for adults leaving basketball were poor health, disability, or injury, trying a different sport, and fear of injury. Injury prevention and management information could be integrated into routine basketball communication. Members need a clear understanding of the factors that increase the risk of injury, and how to effectively manage injuries that do occur. • People taking on non-player roles were doing so to be more involved with family members interests and to give back to the community and do not feel the need for recognition. While non-players do not feel the need for recognition, they should have a clear understanding of how their work is contributing to basketball’s strategic objectives, and to broader social outcomes (such as mental health, or community cohesion). • One third of non-players have received no training. Providing volunteers with technical and emotional support will contribute to quality outcomes for the sport. • Members are generally unaware of how to engage with the upcoming FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. Basketball needs to increase awareness around ways for members to engage with the upcoming major event. • The results of this survey should be shared with the basketball community to share what was learnt. This will help member engagement with the sport and any future research conducted by Basketball NSW.