St George District Cricket Club become champions off the field
Sydney’s St George District Cricket Club, famous for its cricketing prowess on the field, has led by example off the field by achieving level three accreditation of the Australian Drug Foundation’s national Good Sports program.
The club, once home to such legends as Sir Donald Bradman, Bill O’Reilly, Ray Lindwall, Arthur Morris, Norm O’Neill and Brian Booth, are again leading by example by being the first cricket club in Sydney to reach the milestone and the first club to do so in any sport in Hurstville.
Level three is the highest level of the program.
Good Sports works with sporting clubs across Australia to manage alcohol and to ensure the focus is on sport. The program aims to create a family-friendly culture and reduce alcohol-related harms both within the club and wider community.
St George District Cricket Club CEO, Jon Jobson, said their participation with Good Sports was helping to promote a healthy lifestyle, especially for young people.
“By participating in the Good Sports program we are able to implement alcohol management policies that not only reduce risky drinking within the club, but also educate the wider community and provide them with a safe environment to enjoy sport,” Jobson says.
St George Cricket Club has engaged in Good Sports for the last four years and will now aim towards encouraging other clubs to follow suit in enhancing their alcohol management policies and provide a family-friendly club culture.
Russel Grimson, Sydney Regional Manager for Good Sports, said alcohol was a leading cause of preventable illness and death in Australia and Good Sports helped clubs build stronger, healthier communities.
“By participating in Good Sports, clubs are demonstrating their continued commitment to providing a safe, healthy and fun environment not just for players but also members, families and the community,” he said.
Good Sports is celebrating 5000 community sporting clubs’ involvement with the program since it was started in 2001.
Independent research shows a 22 per cent drop in risky drinking among club members on match day, short-term risky drinking drops by 15 per cent and long-term risky drinking drops by 14 per cent.
Transport for NSW is the major sponsor of Good Sports in NSW and is supported locally through Hurstville Council.
More than 1300 sporting clubs are registered with Good Sports in NSW.
Media enquiries:
Good Sports – Russel Grimson, Sydney Regional Manager, 0425 609 561, or Rebecca McLean, Communications Advisor, 04309 48380
