Choose Good sports
Our Goal: Build healthy clubs, happy families and strong communities
Good Sports is a free-to-join national program of the Australian Drug Foundation (ADF) which works to make community sporting clubs healthier and safer places.
The ADF is a proudly independent not-for-profit organisation. Our vision is Healthy People, Strong Communities. Our mission is Working together to prevent alcohol and other drug problems in communities. We work to prevent alcohol and other drug problems before they start. The ADF is one of the few preventive health foundations in the alcohol and other drugs field.
Our Good Sports program started in the year 2000 and assists sporting clubs across Australia to manage alcohol and ensure sport and family come first. The program has been designed to:
- Promote a culture of responsible drinking in community sporting clubs
- Reduce alcohol-related problems such as aggression and drink driving
- Increase the financial viability and positive social impact of sporting clubs in their communities.
Good Sports is working with more than 5,000 clubs across 72 different sports throughout Australia with around 60 additional clubs joining the program each month. With an average of over 250 members per club, Good Sports touches the lives of more than 1.5 million Australians who care about their sport, families and communities.
What Does Good Sports Achieve?
Research has shown that clubs experience a number of benefits through being involved in the program. Good Sports has been shown to:
- Reduce binge or harmful drinking in sporting clubs
- Reduce the risk of drink driving
- Assist in reducing violence and aggression
Consequently, when a sporting club is an accredited Good Sports club:
- Parents expect their children and families are protected from the misuse of alcohol in and around the club
- Communities benefit from reduced risk of noise, injury, damage and drink driving incidents relating to sporting club events and enjoy a better public image
- Players appreciate an improved club culture that is more attractive to sponsors, families, juniors and volunteers.
The changes that occur within sporting clubs that progress through Good Sports accreditation can help to:
- Increase revenue
- Secure new sponsorship opportunities
- Increase members
- Increase female and junior participation (by being more family-friendly)
- Generate community support and respect
Good Sports can help clubs achieve these benefits through:
- Safe transport strategies
- Smoke-free club rooms
- Alcohol alternative fundraising
- Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training
