Making a real difference for millions of Australians
Good Sports is an evidence-based program that has helped thousands of community sports clubs around Australia have a safer approach to alcohol and drugs.
To date the program has reached over 11,500 clubs across 120 sports and benefited 3 million people.
The Good Sports program has been extensively evaluated, with studies conducted by NCOIS researchers contributing to a newly released 25th-anniversary report detailing its significant impact.
Good Sports is the most researched prevention program in the sporting club setting globally. The formative research and trials led by the University of Newcastle provided the strong evidence foundations of the program. It ensured that the program was ‘scalable’, effective and provided an evidence-based implementation approach that was adopted for its national roll out. This work was critical to the program being awarded commonwealth funding since 2014.
Good Sports Impact
National Centre of Implementation Science researchers have had a key role in the science behind the program. Professor Luke Wolfenden, Dr Melanie Kingsland and Professor John Wiggers worked in partnership with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation to review the program criteria, conduct RCTs demonstrating the effectiveness of the program in reducing alcohol related harms, and the success of strategies to achieve large scale program implementation.
Good Sports clubs also have fewer members that drink at levels that place them at risk of short-term harms and of developing long-term alcohol-related diseases. After clubs join the program they also tend to have an increase in the number of players, particularly female players, and an increase in the number of volunteers which enhances their long-term viability. Strong, safe, health promoting sporting clubs are important for communities.
About Good Sports
Good Sports, run by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, provides clubs with free tools, resources and practical support to help them implement policies and practices around alcohol and other drug management, tobacco and drink driving. The program’s specialist staff work hand-in hand with clubs, providing tailored support, guidance and solutions to overcome obstacles to implementation. Find out more and link to join up.
Read more about previous Commonwealth funding for the Good Sports program.
Contributing publications from our rearchers
McFadyen T, Wolfenden L, Kingsland M, Tindall J, Sherker S, Heaton R, et al. Sustaining the implementation of alcohol management practices by community sports clubs: a randomised control trial. BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1):1660.
Wolfenden L, Kingsland M, Rowland B, Dodds P, Sidey M, Sherker S, et al. The impact of alcohol management practices on sports club membership and revenue: RCT. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 2016
Kingsland M, Wolfenden L, Tindall J, Rowland B, Lecathelinais C, Gillham K, et al. Tackling alcohol-related harm in sport: a cluster randomized controlled trial in football clubs. Journal of epidemiology and community health. 2015;69.
Wolfenden L, Kingsland M, Rowland B, Dodds P, Gillham K, Yoong SL, et al. Improving availability, promotion and purchase of fruit and vegetable and non sugar-sweetened drink products at community sporting clubs: a randomised trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2016;12(35):1-10.