Rising costs driving young gymnasts away from participation

Olympic gymnast and World Cup gold medallist Emma Nedov is using her platform to highlight how rising costs are driving young gymnasts from the sport they love.

Teaming up with The Y NSW, Nedov is advocating for more inclusive, affordable programs to keep children in gymnastics and other community sports.

Sharing how her own journey began at the Y Epping and led all the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nedov is calling for action to reduce the financial barriers that she sees are pushing young athletes, often from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, out of sport altogether.

Nedov advised “for so many young kids, gymnastics is more than a sport, it's a source of confidence, resilience and belonging. But right now, too many are being forced to discontinue gymnastics and many other sports due to rising costs.

"I've seen firsthand how financial strain can push young athletes away, and it's heartbreaking. We need to do more to keep them in sport.”

In NSW, gymnastics stands as the fourth most popular sport among children. Notably, 13.9% of female athletes under 14 participate in gymnastics, placing it third in popularity among sports for young girls. However, despite its popularity and that of other sports, more than half of families are having to make sacrifices in their household budget to pay for their children's sports or physical activities, or face having to stop those activities altogether."

Y NSW Chief Operating Officer, George Perry noted “the statistics are stark, by the age of 14, nearly 50% of girls have quit sport and 46% of Australian parents shared that the financial commitment was a barrier to their child's participation in out-of-school sport.

"If kids withdraw from sport when they are young, they are less likely to re-engage in sport or physical activity later in life, which can affect their health and wellbeing as adults.

"Here at the Y NSW we have been implementing changes to make gymnastics more accessible and inclusive for our young athletes through a new grants program.”

Nedov was a special guest at last week’s Y NSW's Voices for Change event that aimed to raise funds for critical youth programs including those that help keep young athletes in gymnastics.

Hosted by ABC presenter Jacinta Parsons, the event showcased powerful firsthand stories from young people impacted by the Y NSW's initiatives, followed by a live pledging session to drive real change.

The Y Gymnastics Fund helps ensure that no child is held back from pursuing their passion due to financial hardship.

Nedov added “this isn't just about gymnastics, it's about giving young people the chance to stay active, build resilience, and feel like they belong.

"Whether it's their first forward roll or training for competition, every child deserves the chance to experience the joy, confidence, and lifelong benefits that gymnastics brings. Together, we can make sure every aspiring gymnast has the opportunity to thrive, because talent should never be limited by circumstance.”

With gymnastics ranking among the top three most popular sports for young girls in NSW, the implications of this drop-off are significant for youth wellbeing, gender equity in sport, and long-term health.

In December lasy year, Marc Moncur, owner of Tasmanian-based Gymsports Management and former President of Gymnastics Tasmania, released a white paper, the Future of Gymnastics Australia, calling for “a full unrestricted independent governance review in respect to gymnastics in Australia.”

Images: Emma Nedov. Credit: Emma Nedov website and Emma Nedov Facebook page.