Game Changing. Period.

26 September 2024

Volleyball SA are committed to supporting period-positive sport and ensuring that menstruation doesn’t prevent participation. We are proud to be partners in an exciting new project funded by Active Inclusion and the SA Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Game Changing. Period.

The project seeks to change the narrative of periods and remove the associated stigma by encouraging open, supportive and informed conversation across all sports domains. By challenging the taboo of speaking about periods, the project and associated campaign promotes increased and continued participation and a more inclusive and successful SA sports landscape.

To support this game-changing, club personnel (including parents) coaches and players will receive the Pelvic Pain Foundation Australia PPEP Talk® Sports workshop equipping them with period literacy and sports-specific strategies. Attendees will also learn and access resources supporting them to be a period-positive sports club.

"Working alongside Active Inclusion on the "Game Changing. Period." campaign aims to educate and inform everyone in our community, from athletes to coaches about the importance of understanding and managing their bodies. This will no doubt benefit our entire volleyball and broader sporting community." Volleyball South Australia CEO Karla Della Pietra says.

Workshop overviews:

For coaches and support figures (parents, team managers, board members, etc.)

This session is loaded with practical tools to keep young athletes in the game and guidelines for fostering period-positive sports environments.

The program aims to:

Enhance coaches’ and support staff’s comprehension of the physiological intricacies of the menstrual cycle.
Illustrate ways in which coaches can utilise this understanding to tailor players’ training programs effectively.
Develop a comprehensive awareness of the manifestations of period and pelvic pain, and establish a toolkit for players to effectively manage discomfort, ensuring continuous participation in sports.
Elevate the overall player availability within the team.
Equip coaches and supporters with the strategies to effectively manage pelvic pain, thereby reducing training and performance disruptions.

For players/athletes

This session is packed with key insights into period pain, pelvic pain, endometriosis, and the interplay between menstrual cycles and training.

The program aims to:

Enhance player knowledge of the menstrual cycle and cycle tracking to empower players in understanding their bodies and utilising this insight for informed training.
Aid players in distinguishing between normal and abnormal pain experiences.
Provide players with straightforward strategies for pain management, ensuring their continued participation in beloved sports.
Expand player awareness of endometriosis, its potential manifestations, and guide them on navigating the healthcare system for effective pain control.
Boost mental health and overall well-being

We want to empower female athletes to participate fully in sports, without being held back by periods, pain or exclusionary practices.

Book A Workshop For Your Club/Association - Metro
Book A Workshop For Your Club/Association - Regional
Game Changing. Period. Website
Game Changing. Period. Promotional Video
PPEP Talk Sports Workshops content

Volleyball SA would like to thank the Commissioner for Children and Young People for providing us with their Period Justice grant. The purpose of the grant is to "support organisations to undertake activities and projects to promote awareness and reduce the stigma associated with periods and menstruation, and to address period poverty." Volleyball SA have used this grant to provide free period products at all SAVL rounds in 2024.

A word from the Commissioner for Children and Young People SA, Helen Connolly:
"[Active Inclusion's] 'Game Changing. Period.' initiative is exactly the kind of project that will help move the dial on period justice. By making period products freely available for all players in volleyball kits located at all venues, and by educating players and coaches about menstruation more broadly, periods are being normalised. This means everyone has a chance for a better understanding of the impact periods can have, and how best they can support players who may need a product, understanding, or even a referral to a medical professional if their period pain is preventing them from participating in a sport they love to play!”

Our affiliates are encouraged to book a workshop for their club/association. Our community can expect to see free period products at all SAVL Senior venues from Round 9.