By Jordan McDonald
The coverage of junior sport has been transformed in the digital era.
Does anyone over the age of 30 have video of themselves playing junior sport?
Maybe there’s an odd photo somewhere but video footage rarely existed.
Now it seems that junior sport is everywhere.
On social media, on YouTube, on websites.
Put that down to cheaper video equipment, social media and easy broadcasting options.
And mainstream media has followed in with stories on junior sport as outlets trying to squeeze online subscriptions and hits out of family members wanting to consume information.
That’s been a factor in the huge popularity of rugby league’s Confraternity Carnival – a schools meet that brings together 64 boys’ and girls’ teams from mostly Catholic schools around Queensland.
“Confro” has taken advantage of new technology with its six playing fields livestreamed across the week.
We’ve had the privilege of working with organisers Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League for the last seven years.
Here’s what we learnt from another successful and record-breaking Confro hosted by St Laurence’s College last month:
You don’t need mainstream media
To get attention for sponsors, it used to be all about mainstream media. If your sports event wasn’t covered by media, sponsors couldn’t get their return on investment.
Mainstream media is still a very effective method for engaging a wider audience but it’s not always needed.
The most important communication tool for the carnival is its social media because it reaches a huge audience. This year, Confro’s combined social media reach was almost 1.7 million people and every year that number gets bigger.
You can use your numbers to convince mainstream media they should be engaged
Mainstream media does get interested when it realises events are attracting big audiences. Confro’s organic social media engages around three per cent of Queensland's population during the competition week. By presenting compelling evidence of your event's extensive impact and audience support, you will likely convince media to pay attention.
Don’t overthink it
We launched the official Confraternity Carnival TikTok account this year to engage younger audiences. The success was remarkable, with over 200,000 views and 1000 followers. The most viewed video showcased previous Confro players who made the Queensland State of Origin team, gaining almost 33,000 views. All we did was animate movement over a tile we’d already created.
Today’s kids are all right
Believe it or not, over 1,300 students engaged in a full week of rugby league competition without a single altercation. It’s refreshing given the pushing and shoving sometimes seen at sport’s higher levels. Confro has always promoted the “Spirit of Confraternity” based heavily on fair play and sportsmanship.
It’s an encouraging sign that most of today’s youth are all right.