Frequently asked questions
What is First Responder Sports Hub?
First Responder Sports Hub is a private sports and activity network for verified first responders and their families. It helps members find venues, join social sport, create groups and request support to develop a league, starting in Western Australia.
Who can join, and which agencies and roles count as first responders?
Membership is for serving and former first responders in Australia and family members they sponsor. Agencies listed in the verification form include police, fire and emergency services, St John WA, SES, volunteer bushfire brigades, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, corrections, hospital emergency departments and the Australian Defence Force. Eligibility is reviewed during verification; contact support if you are unsure whether your role qualifies.
Can family members join?
Family members sponsored by an eligible first responder can apply to join. Family access requires approval; creating an account alone does not give access to the private member network.
How does verification work?
Create an account, confirm your email and provide your agency, role and verification details. You can upload supporting proof for the team to review. Member access is available after approval, and verification details are private.
Where is it available?
The Hub starts in Western Australia, with venue discovery and activities organised by sport and location. Membership eligibility is described in the Terms and Conditions as being for first responders in Australia and their sponsored families. Contact support to ask about availability in your area.
Is it free to join?
The public pages do not currently state a membership price. Contact Sports Hub support to confirm any joining costs before applying. Free or discounted activities and venue offers are separate from membership costs and depend on availability and eligibility.
How do I find a venue?
After verification, open Find a Venue inside the Hub. Search by sport, region and facilities, or use the map, and save favourites for later. Check information with the venue before visiting because details can change.
How do I join or host an activity?
Verified members can browse upcoming activities and join sessions with available spots. To host, submit an activity with its sport, time, location and other details for approval. The Hub does not take venue bookings or payments; a venue booking link opens the venue’s own website.
How do I set up a group or team?
Verified members can create a sport group, club or team and submit it for approval. Once approved, organisers can invite players and use group posts and activities to stay connected. A group can also be your team, without having to form a league.
How do I start a league?
Start with an approved group and use the League section to connect with other groups, arrange friendlies and develop a proposal. Organisers can save a league support request as a draft or submit it at any stage, with no minimum group size. Submitting a request does not create a league or guarantee a response time.
How can a venue become a partner?
Use the public Partner with us page to submit a venue partner application. You can save an application and return later. Applications are reviewed before partner information or offers are approved.
How is my information kept private, and how do I contact you?
Venue listings, activity details and member content are inside the private member network, not the public service pages. Access is limited according to membership, organiser, venue-manager and administrator permissions, with verification details restricted to the verification team. Read the Privacy Policy for collection, use and access details, or email firstrespondersocceracademy@gmail.com for support and privacy requests.
Can I host my own game or activity?
Yes, verified members can host their own games or activities from their profile. Enter the sport, date, time, location, capacity and other details, then submit the activity for admin review. Every new activity needs approval before it goes live, and a group activity can be for group members only or open to all verified members. Hosting an activity does not make a venue booking or collect payments through the Hub.
Who approves new activities, groups and venues?
The First Responder Sports Hub admin team reviews new member-submitted activities and groups before they go live. Venue partner applications and manager-submitted venue verification details also go through admin review before approved changes are applied. Activity approval is separate from membership verification: an eligible verified member can join a published session with an available spot without a separate participant-approval step. Submitting content or a venue claim does not automatically publish it or make it a Verified Partner.
Can I share an activity or invite a friend?
Yes, you can copy and share an activity link, and group organisers can invite people to their group. A link or invitation does not bypass registration, verification or group membership requirements. A non-member must register and be approved before accessing private activities, and a group-only activity requires membership of that group. Joining a session still depends on eligibility, available places and its joining deadline.
What is the difference between an open group and a request-to-join group?
In an open group, an eligible verified member can join directly. In a request-to-join group, the member submits a request and waits for the owner or an organiser to approve it. The owner chooses the joining mode when setting up the group. Both modes remain within the private member network; open does not mean that someone without approved membership can access the group.
Are Soccer and AFL listed separately?
Yes, Soccer and AFL (Aussie Rules) are listed as separate sports. In Australia, football can refer to Aussie Rules or Soccer depending on the context, so the Hub uses explicit names rather than treating them as the same sport. Search terms such as football and footy can match both, while Soccer, Futsal and AFL help you find the intended sport.
What does Unclaimed mean on a venue?
Unclaimed means a venue has been listed from research or an import and has not yet been claimed by its manager. A manager can request to claim the listing; the admin team can then invite them to verify and complete its details. Manager-submitted changes stay pending until admin review, and an approved verification can make the venue a Verified Partner. The label does not mean that the venue’s details or availability have been confirmed by its manager.
How do I save venues?
After verification, use the heart or save control on a venue listing or venue page to add it to your saved venues. Open Saved in the member area to return to those venues later. Use the same control again to remove a venue from your saved list. Saving a venue is a personal shortlist, not a booking or a reservation.
How do I contact support?
Email firstrespondersocceracademy@gmail.com for account, verification or general support, or use the public Support page’s email link. Members can also use Contact Sports Hub Support in the League section for an in-app support conversation and find their requests under My support requests in their profile. Support replies in those conversations appear in the Hub with an in-app notification. No phone support number is listed.