Mothers, social capital and children’s physical literacy journeys in rural Australia

Figures & data

Table 1. Participant snapshot.

Victoria Youngest of three daughters raised in an agricultural region north of Emelle on her family farm. She participated in various formal sports, from netball to gymnastics, tennis and swimming, throughout her rural youth before attending a private boarding school in Perth for high school, followed by a bachelor’s degree. She married a multigenerational farmer in Emelle, together raising three children. Victoria has been an avid sports participant throughout her life, dominated by formal sport experiences in her rural youth and early city years which continued upon moving to Emelle. Her mother was a significant role model who ran a large rural gymnastics club. She and her husband have held many volunteer roles in local community formal sport groups, including coaching, committee, and coordinator roles and believe that physical activity is as valuable a priority as ‘brushing your teeth’. Both have rural backgrounds their experiences with formal sport guide their children’s participation activities and they often lead organisation and provision of these activities in the community.

Diane New Zealand born and raised during a significant school sporting era with high-performance training pathways leading to Olympic representation. She was in a Commonwealth Games development squad at 13 for running. Diane loves sport, and the school provided the catalyst for experiencing various team and individual sports. After moving to Australia, she continued her pursuits of high-performance pathways with horses and continued to participate in state squads. She currently participates in varied training activities on her farm to develop her horse training. She has married a multigenerational farmer in Emelle and has two children. Locally Diane has participated in the local netball team, held committee roles, and supports junior sport activities through regular volunteering however, does not enjoy direct involvement with children in sport. Her husband has been a non-sport participant throughout his life and describes their children as uninterested in participating.

Maria She moved to Australia from the Philippines in 2012 due to her husband’s career together with their two children. She grew up participating in running throughout her schooling, and in high school added gymnastics, basketball, and volleyball to her repertoire. Whilst she describes herself fiercely competitive, her husband was not given the same opportunities to play sport in the Philippines. Work and church commitments largely dominate their schedule and priorities, resulting in spending more time with the growing Filipino community in the region. She has helped coordinate and held committee roles in the organising group for the Filipino SportsFest event, held annually for teams representing local businesses in basketball and volleyball. She and her children have intermittently participated in local netball.

Stacey A single mother of six children who moved to Emelle from Perth almost two decades ago. She trained as a jockey at a School of Agriculture incorporating a variety of modes of training to improve riding performance, mitigate safety risks and maintain weight. She currently owns a horse and continues to ride as a passion and for social connection. Stacey describes her children as arty and focused on the social aspect of sport participation; hence, she does not enforce their participation in local activities unless they show particular talent or passion for a sport.

My story (Author 1) I moved to the Wheatbelt 15 years ago after meeting my future farmer husband in a Midwest coastal town where I taught. Originally from Perth, my youth physical activity journey had included team sports – calisthenics, netball and tee ball. However, the competitive nature was intense, and after ten years of dancing, I stopped to focus on my studies. My participation became solely socially orientated, walking, netball, and gym classes throughout my university studies. Upon arriving in rural WA, I was met with an insight into the prominent role of sport in country life as both a competitive and social outlet. I joined local netball teams and volunteered in committee and community sports-related positions. My four children are involved in local sport but also have taken up some opportunities to participate in teams in Perth as the rural provisions lesson with declining child numbers. I have returned to physical activity as an outlet for mental and physical well-being.