Beyond the Club

Hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook are back to explore how sporting clubs can engage with and onboard parents at the beginning of a new season. From personalised communication and relationship-building to recognition and belonging, the episode highlights how clubs can move beyond surface-level interactions and start viewing parents as valued partners in youth sport. Whether you're a coach, volunte...

Hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook are kicking things off with a powerful conversation about mental health and wellbeing of elite male youth footballers during their AFL draft year.  This episode explores key findings from the study 'Mental health and wellbeing of elite male youth Australian footballers on the road to the AFL draft', including the important role of sleep, self-compassion, and...

What keeps kids coming back to sport? This week, hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook breakdown some of the 120 Determinants of Fun (FUN MAPS) as developed by Dr Amanda Visek - one of the world’s leading researchers in youth sport motivation and psychology. Dr Visek's FUN MAPS identify the key elements that make sport enjoyable for young athletes. This episode is essential listening for parents, coa...

This week on Beyond the Club, hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook are joined by Dr Maarten Immink from Flinders University to explore modern approaches to learning and cognition in sport. From moving beyond long-held ideas like muscle memory and the '10,000-Hour Rule', to exploring training that builds adaptability, we unpack the science of how skills are developed, refined, and transferred int...

Hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook are joined by Dr Alyson Crozier for a deep dive into one of the most powerful, but unwritten forces shaping community sport: social norms. From the unwritten rules that guide behaviour, to the subtle expectations that influence sport participation, social norms quietly define the culture and everyday experiences within our clubs. If you're a coach, committee memb...

We are taking things back with our Beyond the Club RELIVED series, where we revisit some of the most impactful conversations from our archive. In this episode, we dive back into 'Episode 25 - Self-Compassion & Well-being'. In this episode of Beyond the Club, hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook sit down with Dr Kym Williams from Flinders University for a deep dive into talent identification...

Hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook sit down with A/Prof Deb Agnew from Flinders University to explore the complex transition into retirement, and the crucial role that coaches, clubs, and families play along the way. From the identity challenges of retirement to the unseen emotional labour with support networks, this conversation will shed light on the human side of athlete transitions. Deb's pape...

We are taking things back with our Beyond the Club RELIVED series, where we revisit some of the most impactful conversations from our archive. In this episode, we dive back into 'Episode 25 - Self-Compassion & Well-being'. We are joined today by Dr Amber Mosewich, Associate Professor from the University of Alberta. In this engaging conversation, Amber, along with Sam Elliott and Ben Ho...

Ever wondered what thousands of studies really say about youth sport? In this episode, Sam Elliott and Ben Hook dive into the world’s most comprehensive look at youth sport - a 'review of reviews' pulling together insights from over 8,000 studies, including areas such as participation, coaching, retention, wellbeing, and more. Backed by Flinders University , Queen's University (Canada), and suppor...

This week on Beyond the Club Sam and Ben discuss free apps and websites which can help you and your sports club! We have put together a list of apps or websites to help you create tournament fixtures, design posters, newsletters and websites, write text and captions, as well as apps for assistance with general organisation to use within your club.  Apps and Websites mentioned: Buffer Trello Photor...

In today's episode, hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook are joined returning guest James Kay, from Flinders University. James Kay discusses and shares insights surrounding young girls’ disengagement and dropout from organised sport, and provides strategies for re-engaging these girls and women. Whether you’re a coach, parent, or club volunteer, this episode will offer practical ways to help girls r...

We are taking things back with our Beyond the Club RELIVED series, where we revisit some of the most impactful conversations from our archive. In this episode, we dive back into 'Episode 16 - Netball and the rise of AFLW: girls, parents and coaches speak'. Ben Hook and Dr Sam Elliott unpack Sam’s latest published research on the growth of sporting opportunities for girls and the consequenc...

In this episode, hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook welcome Professor Shane Pill from Flinders University, who discusses coaching pedagogies and game-based approaches to coaching. With practical take-away's and resources for coaches and sporting clubs, you won't want to miss this new episode. Shane's resources here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323986418_The_Game_Sense_Approach...

We are taking things back with our Beyond the Club RELIVED series, where we revisit some of the most impactful conversations from our archive. In this episode, we dive back into 'Episode 5 - Being a Talented Youth Athlete: Lessons for Parents'. Hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook discuss research surrounding talented athletes in AFL and the crucial role their parents can play as they move into...

Hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook launch Season 4 of Beyond the Club with special guest Kate Rasheed from Flinders University. Kate shares insights on how clubs can introduce and embed mental health support and foster greater awareness for young athletes Sign up for the Mental Health Fitness Charter: https://mentalfitnesscharter.raisely.com/ Timestamps: (00:00)-(02:58) Introduction (02:59)-(04:20) Cl...

In the Season 3 finale, hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook are joined by Flinders University's Sarah Crossman to discuss barriers and solution around adult participation in organised sports. Timestamps: (00:00)-(02:14) Intro (02:15)-(04:15) Club of the Day: United Yeelanna Football Club (04:16)-(09:01) Samalysis: Keeping Players Across Seasons (09:03)-(19:31) Adult Participation in Sports with Sarah C...

In today's episode hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook are joined by University of South Australia's very own Catherine Simpson to discuss the latest research on South Australia's Sports Voucher initiative. Timestamps: (00:00)-(02:32) Intro (02:33)-(03:20) Club of the Day: Victor Harbour Netball Club (03:21)-(06:43) Samalysis: (06:44)-(08:04) What is a Sports Voucher? (08:06)-(16:02) All About Sports V...

Hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook are joined by special guest Catherine Maynard to discuss how to tackle gambling in community sports clubs with Here for the Game . The Here for the Game Community Program provides free awareness and education for local sports clubs to tackle the growing presence of sports betting and its harms. NATIONAL ALCOHOL & OTHER DRUG HOTLINE:1800 250 015 Timestamps: (00:00...

In this episode join hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook as they discuss how to navigate sibling rivalry in sports with special guest Jack Trengove! From helping each other with DIY discus to becoming some of Australia's sporting legends, this episode is one you won’t want to miss. Everyone at Beyond the Club have been busy cheering on all our Amazing Olympians! In this episode we give a special sh...

In today's episode hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook, and special guest James Kay, explore a new way to look at sports participation with an emphasis on sports "transfer" rather than drop out. Read James' paper here! Timestamps: (00:00)-(01:14) Intro (01:15)-(02:43) Club of the Day: South Australian Athletics (02:44)-(05:57) Samalysis: Clarity When Changing Club Leadership (06:01)-(...

Join hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook as they unlock the secrets of fun in youth sports. Based on Amanda Visek's ground-breaking research, this week we explore:   (00:00)-(00:43) Intro (00:44)-(03:53) When a Coach Jokes Around (03:54)-(05:07) When a Coach Encourages the Team (05:08)-(06:58) Being Strong and Confident (06:59)-(08:53) Ignoring the Scoreboard (08:54)-(11:21) Eating Snacks or Treats...

Join hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook as they unlock the secrets of fun in youth sports. Based on Amanda Visek's ground-breaking research, this week we explore: Chapters: (00:00)-(00:37) Intro (00:37)-(03:30) Travelling to a New Place to Play (03:31)-(05:18) Being Challenged to Improve (05:19)-(07:09) Playing Well Together as a Team (07:10)-(09:33) Being Known by Others for Your Sports Skill (09...

Join hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook as they unlock the secrets of fun in youth sports. Based on Amanda Visek's ground-breaking research, this week we explore:   Chapters: (00:00)-(00:44) Intro (00:44)-(01:35) Competing (01:36)-(03:05) Getting Help from a Teammate (03:06)-(05:38) Talking and ‘Goofing Off’ with Teammates (05:39)-(07:38) Getting Compliments from Other Parents or Adults (07:39)-(0...

This episode guest speaker Professor Dawn Penney from Edith Cowan University joins hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook to discuss everything informal sports – covering what informal sports can look like, the benefits of informal sport and the importance of having places and spaces to facilitate them, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!   “CLUB” OF THE DAY: Adelaide Roller Derby (ADRD) TIME STAMP...

This week hosts Sam Elliott and Ben Hook discuss disability inclusion in youth sports, going over the how's and why's of driving change. CLUB OF THE DAY: Flinders United WFC Time Stamps: (00:00)-(00:54) Intro (00:55)-(03:37) Club of the Day (03:38)-(09:43) Samalysis: Dealing with losses (09:44)-(10:28) Good Sports Ad (10:29)-(31:43) An Overview of Disability in Youth Sport (31:44)-(32:10)...