First NPEP initiative rolled out

Hockey Australia has launched the first initiative under its new National Participation and Engagement Plan (NPEP) with an emphasis on the new Game Plan platform.

Game Plan is the digital platform designed by Sport Australia in partnership with Hockey Australia, its Member Associations and clubs.

The platform supports sporting clubs with valuable insights into their strategic and operational capabilities and provides them with access to specific tools and resources to assist with ongoing development. Game Plan is a free and easy to use tool that replaced the Club Health Check tool.

“Club development is something that came through strongly in the development of the National Participation and Engagement Plan and is a priority for Hockey Australia,” said Michael Johnston, Hockey Australia GM- Growth, Legal & Strategy.

“There is no better time to help clubs with the challenges they face as they recover from the impact of COVID-19.”

Hockey Australia was involved in the early-stage design of Game Plan, with MAs and clubs providing invaluable user testing.

Pleasingly, the focus on club development has come through as a common theme from clubs through the NPEP.

“It was valuable to get our grassroots administrators involved in the user testing process,” said Kate Pulbrook, Hockey NSW Participation Manager.

“They were able to provide feedback directly to us and Sport Australia to ensure that the Game Plan functionality and usability is specifically tailored to the needs of the volunteers in our sport.”

“Creating a system with them ensures that we have made a system that works for them and makes their involvement as administrators in our sport easier.”

The capacity for clubs to measure areas of capability and where they need assistance is important because it allows Hockey Australia to deliver resourcing that target these points, rather than asking clubs to search for information.

The resource library available to clubs is substantial and growing. Sharing tools and resources that are relevant to a club’s needs can provide guidance without being overwhelming.

Volunteer club administrators are the lifeblood of community sport. By helping these volunteers, it helps to create the best possible hockey experiences for our community.

Hockey Australia has been working closely with numerous Member Associations to collect best practice hockey specific resources that clubs can now access further to the resources provided by Sport Australia.

For more information on Game Plan, email Hayley McKinnon, Hockey Australia Club & Member Services Coordinator.