Strategy That Sparks a Movement: How to Lead Sport Into the Future

By Anna Walker 7th May 2025

You need a strategy for driving growth and sustainability in your sport, especially at the grassroots end. You might call it a Participation Strategy, or a Community Sport Strategy, a Whole-of-Sport Strategy, or it might not hold such a label at all. Regardless of the title, a plan is needed to guide the actions and decisions of you, your team and your vital stakeholders. Without it, you risk standing still in a world that’s moving fast.

When you're exhausted just delivering business as usual, throwing in the prospect of strategy design can feel like a mountain climb you just don't have fuel in the tank for. It might require a strategic mindset you haven’t exactly been known for - as yet, anyway. And while hiring a consultant is one option, the budget isn't always there. Plus, this could also be a game-changing moment for your leadership development - a chance to step into your strategic potential, build trust with stakeholders, and rally your community around the promise of a brighter future. A chance for you to put a hold on 'being reactive' and get into the driver's seat.

So, where do you begin?

There are two types of such documents we see all the time in sport. One is people putting what they largely already know to be true, or what is already planned in the hearts and minds of a few, into a table that commits them to action. The other is a strategy that looks holistically at the past, present and future and identifies the levers that will create the brightest version of that sport for the people and communities it serves. This version is about shaping a future. If you're aspiring to the latter, here’s how to start designing a strategy process that does your sport justice.

1. Pause for Self-Reflection

Before you put pen to paper, take a moment to ask yourself:

• What do I know to be true about this sport, and how do I know it?

• What assumptions or biases might I be bringing into this process based on my personal experiences?

• What are my strengths in leading this process, and where will I need help?

A transformative strategy starts with clarity and humility. If you’re going to lead this process well, you need a realistic view of your capacity, your blind spots, and the areas where external support or lived experience will strengthen your work.

Resist the temptation to shortcut this phase. Without it, you miss opportunities to build alignment, trust, and genuine insight - all of which are foundational to a strong plan.

2. Co-Create a Working Definition of Success

No, this isn’t your final vision statement. But heading into the strategy process with clarity around what success could look like helps you ask better questions, involve the right people, and avoid falling back on outdated metrics.

In this step, I urge you to challenge the defaults: success isn’t just participation numbers or dollars in the bank. Ask:

• What does success look like for participants (e.g., retention, enjoyment, culture, skill development)?

• What does success mean for the communities you serve (e.g., cohesion, belonging, health impact)?

• What would success look like for your organisation (e.g., sustainability, improved culture, stronger relationships)?

The more human and future-focused your definition, the more powerful your strategy will become.

3. Frame the Right Questions

Once you’ve defined your desired future, identify the big questions that stand between you and that outcome. For example:

• Where will future growth come from?

• What’s keeping young people from returning each season?

• What are we not seeing about the experience of marginalised groups?

• What opportunities are emerging — and what threats are on the horizon?

Don’t assume you have the answers. Your job as a leader is to ask better questions — and to create the space and process for others to contribute evidence, ideas, and insight.

4. Map the Voices That Matter

A strategy can only be as strong as the perspectives that shape it. Look beyond your usual suspects. Ask:

• Who is affected by our success or failure?

• Who has walked away from our sport, and why?

• Who wants into our sport/culture- but is holding back?

Think: current players, exited participants, parents, coaches, officials, club volunteers, regional/state bodies, funders, schools, allied health providers, and community leaders. Don't forget the power of lived experience as legitimate expertise.

Then consider: what’s the best way to engage them? Individual interviews? Group workshops? A co-design process? A wide-ranging survey?

If you're looking for a fast, affordable tool to gather diverse input, our PX Action Builder may help — but the important thing is that your method matches your intent: to listen deeply, and design with people, not just for them.

5. Think Like a Futurist

Strategy should be future-proof, not just a tidy summary of what’s already happening. So spend time scanning the horizon.

• What trends are changing how people move, connect, and play?

• How is technology reshaping access and engagement?

• What does the next generation expect from sport?

• What social, economic, or political shifts could unlock or block your ambitions?

Collate data. Map insights. Review reports. You don't need to become a trend forecaster overnight — but the more signals you track, the better prepared you'll be to design for what’s next, not just what’s now. Crucially, share this information with your audience before you commence consultation to ensure they, too, are looking forward when offering insights rather than simply critiquing what's occurred in the past.

6. Design a Process Worth Following

What gaps in knowledge or experience need to be filled? What do you need to learn — and who do you need to listen to — before you can begin putting pen to paper?

Design a transparent, structured process that includes:

• Clear timelines and touchpoints

• Multiple methods of engagement

• Space to test and iterate emerging ideas

• Feedback loops and revision points

• Delegation of tasks, so you can lead effectively

Finally, ask yourself: what will I stop doing to make space for this? Strategy design requires attention. Make it a priority — not an afterthought.

In Closing: Planning as a Platform for Progress

This isn’t just about producing a shiny document. Done right, a great strategy becomes:

• A magnet for new partnerships and investment

• A blueprint for cultural change

• A rallying point for diverse stakeholders

• A declaration of intent: that sport can and should serve everyone

Want Help Building Yours?

Yes we do help writing strategies. But our team is also developing a Sport Strategy Lab (name in progress!) to support organisations like yours to design plans that stand out, inspire change, and set our emerging industry leaders up for success. Want to be a part of it? Sign up to our waiting list to be kept in the loop and be amongst the first to register.

Because sport is too important to leave to chance. And strategy is your chance to shape its future.