Voice of participant 2025-2026
Voice of participant 2025-2026
The voice of participant survey gives sports organisations a clear picture of how people feel about their club experience. By listening to participants, clubs can see what’s working well and where improvements are needed – helping them keep members engaged and grow their communities.
Who took part
24,962 participants across 11 sports.
Athletics, equestrian sports, football, gymnastics, hockey, international taekwondo, rugby union, softball, squash, touch and volleyball.
Respondent groups
Tamariki
5–12 years
(mostly parents responding)
Rangatahi
13–18 years
Younger adults
19–34 years
Older adults
35+ years
Overall satisfaction
Very / extremely satisfied
66%
Likely to rejoin
84%
Good value for money
73%
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
+44
*NPS measures how likely a member is to recommend their club to someone interested in playing their sport, on a scale from 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely). A positive score means there are more promoters (9-10 rating) than detractors (0-6 rating), and anything above +40 is generally seen as excellent, showing high loyalty and likelihood to recommend.
Top reasons for belonging to a club
Tamariki
Learn and improve skills (36%)
Have fun (31%)
Rangatahi
Play competitively (46%)
Learn and improve skills (26%)
Young adults
Play competitively (41%)
Have fun (20%)
Older adults
Play competitively (28%)
Have fun (18%)
Satisfaction by age group
Measure | Tamariki | Rangatahi | Young adults | Older adults |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall satisfaction | 68% | 63% | 65% | 65% |
NPS* | +47 | +28 | +44 | +52 |
Likely to rejoin the club | 83% | 82% | 87% | 86% |
Value for money | 78% | 73% | 66% | 70% |
NPS* = Net Promoter Score. | ||||
Top areas for improvement
Tamariki
Player development programmes
Quality of coaching
Facilities (for example, clubrooms, changing rooms)
Rangatahi
Player development programmes
Playing and training venues
Facilities (for example, clubrooms, changing rooms)
Young adults
Player development programmes
Playing and training venues
Facilities (for example, clubrooms, changing rooms)
Older adults
Facilities (for example, clubrooms, changing rooms)
Player development programmes
Playing and training venues
Participant satisfaction
What people like the most:
Participants are most satisfied with how friendly and safe their clubs are. They also appreciate the focus on fair play.
Where clubs could do better:
The areas that score lowest are the quality of officials, the support offered to help members develop and achieve their potential, and facilities such as changing rooms and toilets.
Key areas of satisfaction
Percentage rating very or extremely satisfied
Being friendly and welcoming 78%
Providing a safe environment 76%
Encouraging fair play 74%
Quality of coaches or instructors 70%
Social environment at the club 69%
Well maintained playing/training venues 68%
Being professional and well managed 68%
Providing the information I need when needed 67%
Fair and provides equal opportunities 66%
Clean and well-maintained facilities 62%
Helping develop or fulfil potential 59%
Quality/experienced officials 57%
Gender equity
89% of women and girls agree their club treats all people equally regardless of gender.
91% of women and girls agree men and women have equal leadership opportunities.
83% of women and girls agree there are appropriate programmes and/or opportunities for them.
Integrity and trust
79% have high trust in their club to handle integrity issues appropriately and effectively.
28% experience or witness inappropriate sideline behaviour occasionally or more often.
4% experience or witness inappropriate sideline behaviour every time or almost every time.
Skill development
26% feel there isn't enough emphasis on developing skills at their club.
