Sparrows: a club "for volleyballers, by volleyballers"
Southwest Sydney's Sparrows Volleyball club makes sports accessible in a time of rising costs and limited facilities.
In 2023, multiple community sporting clubs were pushed to the brink of collapse due to the changes brought by COVID-19. Yet, Helen Huynh, 28, played volleyball multiple times a week—from four to five sessions— constantly communicating with people, building connections, and even meeting her future business partner.
"After a month of dating, we started Sparrows," Helen shared with a laugh. Sparrows Volleyball officially launched shortly thereafter.
For Helen, the club's roots run deeper than the sport. Based in Southwest Sydney, her experiences shaped her vision for the club.
I grew up in this community and understand that Southwest Sydney is not as well off as other places. Though, it shouldn't stop parents from giving their kids a place to exercise."
The club has introduced beginner, intermediate, and advanced programs, welcomed junior developments, and expanded into related ventures such as Sparrows Pickleball and Sparrows Active.
A recent report published in May 2025 on grassroots sports in Australia highlights key priorities ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics: improved facilities, keeping teenagers in sport, increasing volunteers, expanding school programs, and identifying talent across all communities.
In line with these recommendations, Sparrows runs programs focused on access, participation, and community involvement. Its programs for beginners give athletes a pathway into volleyball, while school outreach and affordable pricing help families stay engaged in sport at a time when cost-of-living pressures are rising.
"We just really like it [volleyball]—making it accessible for everyone and building a place where people can just hangout."
Helen emphasised accessibility and safe spaces for youth to learn volleyball—a sport she describes as "team-based, where anyone can play. It didn't matter how fit you were."
With a background in Exercise and Sport Science and Marketing, the club's ethos is simple but ambitious: make sports accessible, build community, and keep innovation at the core. From viral TikTok videos that sparked interests among beginners to artificial intelligence-assisted scheduling, Helen and her team ensured that running the club is as efficient as it is welcoming.
"Running any business or at least an event, admin has to be smooth, otherwise people feel unnecessary stress," she said.
Sparrows’ success hasn’t come without challenges. Court hire in Sydney is expensive, and a match of volleyball requires twelve players in the court. Despite this, their weekly competitions regularly draw 200-300 participants.
“In the beginning, we weren’t sure if we could have enough for a team. We came here every week not knowing if we could get enough players,” Helen estimates a term could cost $25,000 and over $100,000 for a year. Yet, the club’s programs remain less than half the price of other junior development programs, reflecting her commitment to accessibility.
“Growing up as a kid, I had to look for my own because my mum, a single mum, was working to take care of us four kids,” she shared. “I just want a place where kids could learn how to play volleyball. Safe. Good coaching. Friendly.”
From Southwest Sydney to players travelling from North Sydney, Sparrows has become a place for connection, resilience, and inclusion—proving that even in a challenging economic climate, community sport can thrive when passion, innovation, and heart lead the way.
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