More than 50 community football (soccer) and other sporting clubs across the state will participate in training and development workshops, designed to foster respectful club environments through.

Adelaide United will be the first club to receive the training, with their men’s and women’s squads undertaking workshops and receiving a presentation at Coopers Stadium on Tuesday.

The ground-breaking Raise Respectful Club Environments Program is part of South Australia’s FIFA Women's World Cup legacy plan and aims to ensure the next generation of female champions can rise through the ranks with support and respect equal to their male counterparts.

The workshops will engage and educate club boards, coaches, volunteers, players and parents on gender equality and respectful behaviours, as well as providing participants with the tools to be positive bystanders and role models.

Clubs that participate in the training will benefit by learning more about:

• gender equality in sporting environments, including unconscious bias and how this influences our thoughts and actions.
• how to encourage positive bystander intervention and respectful behaviour
• effective communication and collaboration to foster a culture of respect, empathy and teamwork.
• the importance of diversity and inclusion within sporting clubs and the wider community.

Created with input from both the domestic and family violence sector, and the recreation and sport sector, the program will be rolled out to sports clubs across metropolitan and regional areas.

The workshops will be delivered by gender equality and diversity champion Ross Wait of Gravitate Consulting with co-gendered facilitation. 

Quotes attributable to Katrine Hildyard

For women and girls to thrive in sport, they need more than new changerooms and pitches, they need respectful club environments where they are uplifted and inspired to succeed.

This transformative program will revolutionise the landscape of sporting clubs from the community level to the professional by cultivating respect and gender equality both on and off the field.

By engaging, educating, and equipping clubs with knowledge and tools to promote gender equality, we can make a positive difference in our community today and for generations to come.

Quotes attributable to Ross Wait, Director Gravitate Consulting

We want to work with sporting clubs to promote equal opportunities for both women and men and encourage the communities we work in to thrive.

The program aims to ensure the next generation of female champions can rise through the ranks with support and respect equal to their male counterparts, and that all women and girls can enjoy playing, coaching or administering sport.

Raiise is on a mission to promote gender equality across the community and ultimately contribute to the reduction of violence against women and girls.

Quotes attributable to Nathan Kosmina, CEO Adelaide United

Adelaide United is proud to be the first participant in the Raiise program. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation and it is important that we constantly strive to foster an environment where our players, staff, volunteers and supporters feel valued and respected.

Education plays a key role in this regard and we are excited to launch the program with our A-League Men’s and Women’s squads this week.