ASPA launches in Perth

The Australian Sports Professionals Association (ASPA) has officially launched today in Perth, with 25 of Perth's state and national bodies. The event kicks off a national launch calendar that will see inaugural events in most states and territories of Australia.

ASPA is an industry body for individuals who work in sport, ranging from administrators of small state/territory sports to CEOs and Board members of large national bodies, and provides opportunities to connect, communicate and collaborate with other professionals in the realm of sports management.

Opened by WA Sports Federation CEO Rob Thompson and hosted by Rowing WA, the Perth event headlines an initiative that has seen over 40 organisations in the Australian Sports Industry already signing up as founding members for the benefit of their staff and volunteers.

ASPA has also officially partnered with the NSW Sports Federation (Sport NSW), Queensland Sports Federation (QSport), Western Australian Sports Federation (WASF) and the South Australian Sports Federation (Sport SA) to deliver and promote the network nationally.

The format of the network is that of a member-based subscription, similar to concepts such as the Royal College of Surgeons or CPA Australia, but for professionals within the sporting industry.

Sports industry professional Alex Mednis addressed the launch event in Perth on behalf of the organisers: "Everyone in our industry is facing similar challenges. We need to make this easier for ourselves. We need a better, smarter way to connect to and learn from each other."

"Every conference we attend is full of talk, but so short on actionable steps. This needs to change, and the industry acknowledges we cannot do this alone. Every person here has overcome challenges in their sporting careers and has the ability to share that with others who may be facing the same struggles."

"The feedback from the industry as we launch this network from state and national governing bodies has been fantastic. We're excited to be able to introduce an association by the industry, for the industry. The long term goal is to have an association that is self-sustaining."

Quote from Darren Simpson, Chief Executive Office at Sport NSW:

“The Australian Sports Professionals Association has been designed to encourage communication and collaboration between the many passionate and committed professionals working in Sport across Australia.

Sport NSW is proud to be a foundation partner of ASPA as we truly believe shared resources and collaboration are imperative for the growth of our industry. It is about adding value to existing initiatives and organisations such as ours, rather than reinventing the wheel.” 

More information can be found at the ASPA website, www.sportsprofessionals.co.