Building an inclusive sports future: Interview with No Limits Sports CEO Josh Clark

No Limits Sports is an organisation dedicated to fostering a lifelong love of sport in children by providing safe, inclusive, and engaging programs that build fundamental skills, promote fairness and sportsmanship and uphold strong safeguarding standards.

The company was founded 13 years ago, starting as a “one-man operation”, and has since expanded into a nationwide provider with over 750 coaches and a wide range of programs delivered across both metro and regional areas. 

Speaking to Soccerscene, CEO of No Limits Sports Josh Clark shares how he grew the company from a business ran by just one person into a national organisation focused on inclusive, accessible sports programs for children of all abilities and backgrounds—overcoming recruitment challenges, expanding into regional areas, and embracing Indigenous culture—while continuing to grow and eyeing international opportunities.

Can you tell us about your responsibilities as CEO and how No Limits Sports has grown and changed since it began?

Josh Clark: As CEO, I’m involved in nearly every part of the business. My responsibilities span from recruitment and managing staff to overseeing marketing, sales, bookings, and logistics, right down to handling payroll and invoicing. With a large team of coaches operating nationwide and a sizable office team, there’s always something that needs attention.

When I first launched No Limits Sports, it was just me — a one-person operation. Since then, we’ve grown into a national organisation. That growth has brought more complexity and diversity to what we do, which has naturally changed the nature of my role. I began in a hands-on coaching capacity, but this quickly changed. I’ve transitioned into more of a strategic leadership position, focused on long-term development and guiding the broader direction and growth of the company.

Were there any initial challenges you faced when expanding No Limits Sports and if so how did you overcome them?

Josh Clark: One of the biggest challenges we faced—both in the early days and still to some extent today—has been recruiting the right staff. We’re always looking for experienced and qualified coaches, but we also believe in investing in emerging talent. We often bring on younger, less experienced individuals who show potential and offer them training and upskilling opportunities to help them grow into the role.

In recent years, we’ve implemented a robust recruitment and HR software system, which has significantly streamlined our hiring and onboarding processes. It’s made it much easier to manage applications, track coach development, and stay organised, especially as we’ve expanded into regional areas beyond the metro centres. That investment in technology has been a key part of overcoming the recruitment challenge and supporting our continued growth.

How does No Limits Sports ensure that its programs remain inclusive and accessible to children of all abilities and backgrounds?

Josh Clark: I’ve been deeply passionate about ensuring our programs are inclusive and accessible to children of all abilities and backgrounds. We’ve proudly partnered with the Special Olympics for over 10 years, and we work closely with numerous special schools and support units across the country to deliver tailored sports programs for students with additional needs.

We’ve developed our own inclusive programs, as well as using The Special Olympics’ programs to ensure that all children can participate regardless of their ability. A key part of this commitment has been investing in our coaching team, providing them with specialist training and qualifications so they feel confident and capable of delivering inclusive sessions.

Another priority for us is reaching students in regional and remote communities. Many other sports providers don’t have the capacity to operate in these areas, but we’ve made it a core part of our mission. We deliver programs in places like Alice Springs, Port Lincoln, Devonport, Lismore, Gladstone, and so many other regional towns.

Inclusivity, both in terms of ability and geography, is central to what we do. Whether it’s special schools, regional communities, or mainstream metro programs, we’re committed to making quality sports experiences available to every child, no matter where they live or what their needs may be.

Image credit: No Limits Sports

Can you tell us a bit about the Traditional Indigenous Games (TIG) the significance of incorporating it into your curriculum and the impact it has on participants?

Josh Clark: Our Traditional Indigenous Games (TIG) program is based on the Yulunga: Traditional Indigenous Games resource developed by the Australian Sports Commission. This collection features over 140 games from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures across Australia. We’ve carefully selected the most engaging and popular games that really resonate with students and work well in a school or community setting.

The program is rooted in extensive research and documentation of traditional games from diverse Indigenous communities. We make a point to honour the cultural origins of each game by sharing its traditional name, the region it comes from, and the original materials used. For example, some games were originally played with kangaroo skin balls—while we now use modern equipment, we ensure students still understand the historical context and cultural significance.

The TIG program is especially popular around NAIDOC Week, with many schools and OOSH & vacation care services incorporating it into their celebrations. Beyond the cultural learning, the games themselves are incredibly fun and active—many involve teamwork, ball handling, and evasion skills, which translate well to a variety of other sports. Most importantly, the program gives students a meaningful way to engage with and appreciate Indigenous culture through physical activity, often playing games they’ve never experienced before.

What feedback have you received regarding the impact of No Limits Sports programs on children’s development?

Josh Clark: Our goal as a business is to help children develop a lifelong love of sport by giving them access to try lots of different sports and activities, making sure it’s done in a really inclusive and fun environment. We regularly receive positive feedback from schools, parents, OOSH services, and the clubs we collaborate with, which reassures us that we’re making an impact.

The most meaningful feedback, however, often comes from two key areas. First, from regional schools where students may not have previously had access to quality coaching or diverse sports programs. Second, from our inclusive sports programs, particularly those designed for children with additional needs. Hearing directly from students, parents, and schools in these spaces about the positive difference we’ve made is incredibly rewarding and reinforces why we do what we do.

Image credit: No Limits Sports

How is No Limits Sports currently tracking and what does the future hold for the company?

Josh Clark: We are growing rapidly, both in terms of the number of customers we work with and the size of our coaching team. We’ve seen consistent year-on-year growth and currently operate across all States and Territories in Australia. We’re also exploring opportunities to expand internationally, with New Zealand being a potential next step.

Looking ahead, the upcoming Brisbane Olympics in seven years adds an exciting layer of opportunity for the Australian sports industry. There’s been a renewed national focus on grassroots participation and talent development, which aligns perfectly with our mission. It’s an exciting time to be in this space, and our goal is to continue expanding our reach and increasing the number of quality coaches we provide across all communities.

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JH Allan Reserve in Keilor East to undergo lighting upgrades

After strong backing from the community and Football Victoria, Moonee Valley City Council confirmed the green light for upgrades to proceed later this year.

Resounding support

Ahead of the council meeting on Tuesday 24 March, Football Victoria and five Moonee Valley Council clubs created a petition backing lighting improvements at JH Allan Reserve.

What followed was an astounding 624 signatures – a demonstration of the power of united, community support. As a result, main tenants Moonee Ponds United SC and four addition clubs (including Essendon Royals FC, Avondale FC, FC Strathmore and the Moonee Valley Knights) will all benefit from the developments.

“As one of the only facilities within Moonee Valley not shared with other codes, ensuring that JH Allan Reserve meets the needs of our participants is crucial for Football Victoria,” said FV Head of Government Relations and Strategy, Lachlan Cole.

“It was fantastic to see participants and officials from those five clubs come together, support this project, and unite to speak on behalf of their needs. And it was even more heartening to see the wider football community throw their support behind the development by signing the petition.”

 

A long-awaited verdict

The decision comes as a huge step forward for the local football community, arriving after an extended process of consultations and surveys.

In September 2022, Moonee Valley City Council endorsed the Moonee Valley Soccer Strategy, which sought to identify potential upgrades at JH Allan Reserve.

Furthermore, during the community consulation between March and April 2023, 365 people participated in a survey regarding the developments. In the end, 65% of responses supported or strongly supported the installation of sports lighting at the ground.

It is therefore clear that, for much of the community, this was a cause worth fighting for. Over three years since the initial endorsement from Moonee Valley City Council, JH Allan Reserve is now set for a vital upgrade.

Final thoughts

More importantly, however, are the current and future athletes who will feel the benefit from these developments.

Football participation is growing and will continue to do so, in Moonee Valley, Victoria and Australia as a whole. That is why developments like this are so vital.

They are not merely nice to have, but are fundamental to supporting future footballers in the community by providing them with the facilities and environment to play.

Football SA Commits $100,000 to Referee Fuel Subsidy as Cost-of-Living pressure Mounts

Football South Australia has announced a fuel subsidy scheme for match officials across its semi-professional competitions, allocating up to $100,000 for the remainder of the 2026 season in response to rising fuel costs that the governing body says are threatening the delivery of fixtures across the state.

The subsidy, effective immediately, covers referees officiating across the RAA National Premier League, Apex Steel Women’s National Premier League, Apex Steel Women’s State League, HPG Homes State League 1 and State League 2. The subsidy spans senior, reserves and under-18 competitions across both men’s and women’s football.

Under the metro scheme, reimbursements will be tiered against the average Adelaide unleaded petrol price recorded each Friday, applying to all matches played in the following seven-day period. Officials will receive $30 per match day when the average price sits at $3.25 or above, $25 between $2.75 and $3.24, and $20 between $2.35 and $2.74. No subsidy applies below $2.34. For regional matches, referees travelling to Port Pirie, Barossa and Whyalla will see their per-kilometre reimbursement rise from 88 cents to $1.26 when petrol prices exceed $2.35.

All subsidy payments will be funded directly by Football SA, with no cost passed to competing clubs.

The Economics behind the Whistle

Fuel prices in South Australia, as across much of Australia, have been running at elevated levels against the backdrop of an ongoing imperialist war on Iran that has sent shockwaves through global oil markets. Iran’s targeting of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant proportion of the world’s oil supply passes, has disrupted shipping and contributed to price surges that are being felt at service stations in Adelaide as acutely as anywhere.

For match officials, who are overwhelmingly volunteers or low-paid part-time workers travelling to multiple venues across a season, those price surges are not an abstraction. They are a direct financial disincentive to take on appointments, particularly in outer metropolitan and regional areas where travel distances are significant and the cost of attending a game can approach, or exceed the payment for officiating it.

The consequences are cancelled fixtures, forfeited points, disrupted seasons and players who stop turning up to clubs that cannot guarantee them a game.

“This initiative recognises the critical role match officials play in delivering competitions,” CEO Michael Carter said in the announcement, “and aims to reduce the impact of travel costs across the 2026 season.”

A Structural Problem, a Seasonal Solution

The subsidy applies only to the 2026 season. Football SA has been careful to frame it as a response to current conditions rather than a permanent structural change. The $100,000 allocation is described as subject to fuel prices remaining at current levels, with the final amount invested likely to vary as the weekly threshold calculations play out across the season.

That framing is honest about what the scheme is and isn’t. It does not resolve the underlying question of whether referee payments in community and semi-professional football are adequate relative to the demands placed on officials. It remains a question that transcends the current fuel price environment and will outlast it. What it does is buy time and goodwill in a moment when both are in short supply.

Sport, and football in particular, depends on a volunteer and semi-volunteer workforce that is increasingly being squeezed by the same cost-of-living pressures affecting every other part of Australian life. When the price of petrol rises, the people who feel it first are not the players or the clubs, it’s the officials, the committee members and the volunteers who make the infrastructure of community sport function.

Football SA’s decision to absorb that cost rather than pass it to clubs is a recognition that the referee pipeline is fragile in ways that are not always visible until it breaks. The SAPA review into South Australian football, released earlier this month, identified referee development and retention as one of the most pressing structural challenges facing the game in the state, recommending greater investment in recruitment and suggesting affiliation fee subsidies for clubs that bring new officials into the system.

Friday’s announcement does not go that far. But in a season already defined by uncertain economic and geopolitical circumstance, the levy sends a clear enough signal about where Football SA’s priorities lie.

The fuel levy will be calculated each Friday using average Adelaide prices listed on Fuel Price Australia, with payments made to officials on the regular weekly schedule.

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