Alcohol and Drug Foundation

Community sporting clubs are a very popular setting for young people with more than 60% of Australian children participating in at least one organised sport outside of school hours. While the health, fitness and social benefits of participating in sport are invaluable, the consumption of alcohol is also often part of training, match day culture and club celebrations.

As one of the nation's leading organisations preventing harm from alcohol and other drugs, the Alcohol and Drug Foundation believes that sporting clubs play a key role in shaping young peoples' attitudes, beliefs and behaviours towards alcohol consumption and other lifestyle choices including diet and tobacco use. Through their flagship program - Good Sports - the Alcohol and Drug Foundation has worked with 8,000 sporting clubs nationally to create stronger, healthier and more family-friendly sporting communities.

Based on the original award winning Good Sports program, Good Sports Junior is a unique approach to assisting sporting clubs with junior teams to establish strong alcohol management, healthy food supply and tobacco management policies and practices, along with using role modelling and policy framework to set behavioural expectations for parents and spectators.

Following the success of our initial three-year partnership, with over 450 clubs participating in the Good Sports Junior pilot program by the end of 2017, we are delighted to announce an additional two years of funding to help expand Good Sports Junior during 2018 and 2019.

The program will be expanded nationally helping community sport clubs to create positive sporting environments that foster the health and wellbeing of junior participants and their families.

This health promotion program provides participating clubs with an improved framework guidance on how to implement strategies and policies, increase healthy food and beverage options that are made available in club canteens and provide support and resources to players, parents and members.

Good Sports Junior will reach a target of 220 community sporting clubs in New South Wales and Victoria over the three-year funding period. With an average of 280 members per club it is anticipated the program will positively influence around 60,000 people throughout both rural and metropolitan areas.

For more info, visit Good Sports Junior, opens in a new tab or check out the video below to hear why we support Good Sports Junior and how local clubs are seeing the benefits.