Governance in Sport: Passion, Purpose and Performance with James Sutherland, CEO, Golf Australia and Lisa Yen, Chair, Basketball NSW

In this episode of Boards with Purpose, Phil speaks with Lisa Yen (Chair, Basketball NSW) and James Sutherland (CEO, Golf Australia) about the unique governance challenges and opportunities facing Australian sport. From grassroots participation to elite competition, they explore how sporting organisations balance passion with professionalism, navigate federated governance structures, and keep communities connected through sport. The conversation highlights the critical role sport plays in wellbeing, inclusion and social connection, while also unpacking the realities of running increasingly complex organisations powered by volunteers, boards and limited infrastructure. 

Lisa and James share practical insights into board composition, strategy, stakeholder management and the importance of role clarity between directors and operational teams. They discuss emerging pressures including facility shortages, child safeguarding responsibilities, integrity frameworks and growing participation demand across both basketball and golf. The episode also examines how strong governance, clear purpose and diversity of thought can help sporting organisations thrive, while offering valuable lessons for directors and leaders across the broader not-for-profit sector.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Sport plays a vital role in building healthier, more connected and more inclusive communities across all generations and backgrounds.
• Strong governance is essential at every level of sport, from grassroots clubs run by volunteers through to national sporting bodies.
• Federated sporting structures work best when organisations maintain a clear focus on serving participants and local communities.
• Passion for sport is valuable on boards, but it must be balanced with commercial thinking, governance capability and strategic oversight.
• Clear strategy and purpose help sporting organisations make difficult decisions, align stakeholders and manage competing priorities.
• Volunteer administrators are the backbone of many sporting organisations, making governance education and support increasingly important.
• Role clarity between boards and operational management is critical to avoiding confusion, overlap and governance risks.
• Participation growth is creating major infrastructure challenges, with both basketball and golf facing shortages in facilities and access.
• Child safeguarding and integrity frameworks require zero-tolerance approaches, clear escalation processes and strong governance leadership.
• Diversity of thought on boards strengthens decision-making and helps sporting organisations evolve to meet future challenges.

Learn more about Basketball NSW. 

Find out more about Golf Australia.

Find key resources for those in the NFP space in the AICD Not-for-Profit Resource Centre.