6th January, 2021 — Membership and management

Club history in the making

The annual Good Sports Awards celebrate passionate clubs and people who inspire healthy sporting communities.

Sport has the power to inspire and unite us. It brings people together and also brings out the best in individuals. From Perth to Bondi, Darwin to Port Arthur and everywhere in between, Good Sports Award winners are examples of community sport’s many wonderful ways.

Past Good Sports Awards winners

Here’s a snapshot of just some of the many past award winners. Each club has an amazing story and outstanding achievements.

Small size, big motivator: 2019 National Club of the Year

With a population of just around 100, rural Redpa in north-west Tasmania has way more cattle than footy players.

With so many other clubs in larger towns nearby, Redpa decided it had to cast its net wide and make the club something really worth travelling to.

In 2019, Redpa Football Club was crowned Good Sports Club of the Year, for inspiring positive change and building a healthy, family friendly club.

There are alcohol-free events, they run free buses to pick up and drop off players from nearby areas, and on Thursday evenings the youngsters get free dinner after training. No wonder mums and dads love it.

President Shane Hine credited the Good Sports Program for its support in making the rural club the inclusive place it is today.

“For the past 20 years our club has been working towards shifting its culture. The Good Sports program has helped us move forwards in leaps and bounds,” Mr Hine said.

Netballers pack the house: 2018 Rookie Club of the Year

Located in picturesque Mount Gambier, right down at the bottom tip of SA, the West Gambier Netball Club was feeling a bit deflated. Turnout wasn’t great.

Club Treasurer Tracey Maree Kipping said the focus on seniors left the juniors a bit overlooked.

“The change we are most proud of is bringing families back into the club,” Tracey said.

“We have gone from having only a handful of netballers at club teas to ‘packing the house’. We’ve done this by focusing on the children – providing opportunities for them to be at the club and most importantly, to enjoy it.”

“The juniors have loved being involved in the dress ups, games and social activities,” Tracey said.

“It has been surprisingly easy to do, but Good Sports gave us the courage and inspiration to have a go.”

Dose of sunshine: 2017 Club Champion

Every club has its honour board and trophy cabinet where the winning players get their spot of glory. But Good Sports Club Champions are the powerhouses behind the scenes who really make the place hum.

A volunteer and member of the Cairns Hockey Association in Far North Queensland for more than 20 years, Karen Cockrem was the winner of our 2017 Club Champion award.

Karen was nominated by coach David McNeil. He said Karen’s selflessness, caring and dedication made their club a better, healthier and happier place to be.

“No bells or whistles, no hidden agenda, no self-serving interest — Karen Cockrem cares about people,” he said.

“She volunteers her skills, her time and her resources to make sure the people she cares about are happy and cared for in the sporting environment. In my view, there is no one better.”

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