Saturday sport can bring out the best in our kids… and the loudest in us. One minute they’re chasing the ball, the next they’re sitting in the grass making daisy chains. As a sideline parent, something in us flicks. Suddenly we’re “just giving tips” at a volume the entire suburb can hear. Gen Muir is a parenting educator and mum of four boys. She shares her top tips on how you can support your kids without hijacking their game – right down to what you could say in the car on the drive home. 

Kieren Perkins knows what it takes to win (Atlanta 96, 1500m, ICONIC), but he’s far more interested in whether Australians are still playing sport at all.   As an Olympic champion and now CEO of the Australian Sports Commission, Kieren is urging us to be a nation of “doers” rather than just “watchers”.  If you want kids to love sport for life, it starts with participation, curiosity, and showing up.  

For Rana Hussain, cricket gave a sense of belonging. But in fact organised sport wasn’t really set-up for her. Whether it was the non-inclusive uniforms, the lack of knowledge of cultural expectations, or simply the lack of diversity in the food offered at sports clubs, Rana felt locked out of sport.  Today, Rana’s changing that. As founder of Good Human, she’s helped sporting organisations like Cricket Australia and various football clubs build spaces that are inclusive, welcoming, and community focused.

Before sport was graded, scored and analysed... what did you love to play? Not just do, but actually, play? 

That feeling of joy, curiosity and being completely immersed in something is known as the 'play state'. Mindset coach Ben Crowe says most of us leave it behind far too early. As sport becomes organised, measured, and outcome-driven, we change from playing for love to playing for approval. 

Swimmer Ellie Cole has spent most of her life adapting. Losing her leg aged three meant learning how to move differently, think differently, and push through moments most kids never face. That early resilience didn’t just make her a Paralympian - it shaped how she sees sport and who gets to take part in it.