Another barrier to participation in sport that occurs is racism and discrimination, which is a commonly reported barrier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Many First Nations people participating in sport will seem to ignore racist experiences in sport, however they add to a build-up of feelings of isolation and exclusion and can mean that they will drop out of sport and prevent other people from wanting to start. As well as impacting participation, it also impacts officials, coaches, spectators and fans. 

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This issue in professional sport has begun to be brought many times in the recent years with many athletes such as Adam Goodes, Nicky Winmar, Josh Addo-Carr and Marcia Ella-Duncan calling out the racism and discrimination being faced by many Aboriginal Australians, specifically occurring at times during their own professional sporting careers.

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Shame, embarrassment and discomfort have also been recognised as a barrier, which can be linked to racism experienced when playing sport. This often occurs when being in a new environment or feeling unsafe in an environment and being surrounded in a sport with non-Indigenous people. The ideas around racism being experienced in sport, whether it has been personal experiences, heard about from friends and family or is assumed to occur leads to a negative perception of playing a sport. ​

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While this doesn’t always stop First Nations peoples from participating, it can strongly influence whether they start a sport or continue playing over time. For some, the fear of facing racism either directly or indirectly creates a mental barrier that can often outweigh the potential benefits of sport. It can lead to self-doubt, hesitation, and a sense of not belonging, especially when there’s a lack of cultural safety or visible representation in sporting environments. Over time, this contributes to lower participation rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and prevents sport from being the inclusive, empowering space it should be for everyone.