About Good Sports
Over 1.5 million Australians see a difference with Good Sports
“Cheers, mate!” It’s an Aussie tradition.
Most Australian sporting clubs sell, promote or advertise alcohol within their club events and competitions. But times are changing…
Many club leaders now understand the need to take greater responsibility when they serve or consume alcohol at club games and functions. And in some cases, clubs have had to win back community respect and member participation if alcohol celebrations have tarnished their reputation. Where do they turn?
Sporting clubs of all size and description benefit from a greater focus on young people and families and less focus on drinking alcohol at high-risk levels.
Displaying the Good Sports logo sends an important message to club members and the community. It shows your club promotes a responsible attitude towards alcohol and that it aims to provide a safe environment for players, members, families and supporters. It means that your players and members can celebrate wins, commiserate losses and share a drink with each other safely and responsibly.
Good Sports is one of the most well-established, well-researched prevention programs operating at a national level. From its beginnings in Victoria in 2000, the Good Sports program has grown to become a trusted and respected national program involving over 5,000 community sporting clubs across every state and territory and reaching over 1.5 million Australians.
Since its inception Good Sports has undergone a series of independent evaluations to assess the program’s acceptability, quality and impact.
Overall this research confirms that:
- Good Sports is well implemented, responsive to participating clubs’ needs and well regarded by club committees, boards and members.
- Good Sports has clear impacts on reducing alcohol consumption and risky drinking. In addition, the program has been found to contribute to reducing the risk of drink-driving and anti-social behaviours within community sporting clubs involved in the program. Importantly, the evidence suggests that the higher a club moves up the Good Sports accreditation ladder, the better their results become and the longer a club is involved in the program, the better its results.
- Good Sports assists in creating a more family friendly environment. Clubs involved in Good Sports report: an increased sense of ‘trust’, ‘safety’ and feeling ‘valued’ among members; increased club membership (players and non-players); increases in junior and female involvement; improved public image; and better connectedness to their community.
- Good Sports achieves positive results without compromising clubs’ financial sustainability. Clubs report less reliance on alcohol sponsorship and sales for revenue but increases in overall revenue.
Good Sports’ success lies in the fact that it operates at a grassroots level and offers sporting clubs practical solutions to real problems.
Good Sports works because it provides clubs with the hands-on project officer support and resources that they need to succeed, at no cost to them. It works because participation is voluntary and clubs are free to progress through the program at their own pace according to their ‘readiness’ to achieve culture change within their club. Club committees take ownership of the issue and play an active role in re-shaping their environment.
