Achieving wellbeing through sport and physical activity

This world-first charter aims to help South Australia’s 4500 sports clubs identify mental health issues and prevent suicides. Professor Murray Drummond, Associate Professor Sam Elliott and other research members of SHAPE Research Centre (Sport, Health Activity, Performance and Exercise) at Flinders University have brought their sports science knowledge to create an effective and easily manageable plan. Now, they are promoting more clubs to sign up to the charter, because of its great value to the broader community.

“Mental health is such a big issue in our society, and sporting clubs have such a pivotal role in Australian society, especially in rural and remote settings,” says Professor Drummond. “Change within the sporting clubs will flow out to the wider society.”

Importantly, clubs that signed up for the charter have also received mental health training for their nominated officials – ensuring that such knowledge about mental health fitness becomes the focus of many people throughout a sports club and not just the responsibility of an individual mental health champion.

Goodwood Saints Football Club was among the first sports organisations to sign up to the Mental Fitness Charter, with past-president Craig Scott instrumental in implementing a mental health strategy at the club. “It came to a head in 2020 when three former players committed suicide,” Mr Scott explains. “At that moment, we realised that if we ask someone ‘Are You OK?’ and the answer is no, what does a club then do about it to help them.”

Mr Scott, a member of the SA Police Force, was inspired by the Police Force’s employee assistance section that provides access to mental health assistance programs. He wanted to see such a program replicated at his football club, where players could be assisted professionally with any mental health issues, and he found strong support for the idea.

“We want to reduce every barrier that could stop a player from seeking help – and that starts with openly talking about mental health within the club, then covering the cost of obtaining assistance from professionals, and removing any stigma attached to anyone saying they have a mental health problem,” says Mr Scott.

“The playing group is talking openly about gratitude, empathy and mindfulness, and we believe the allocation of resources to support the Mental Fitness Charter has proved highly beneficial.”

It represents a strong commitment within a huge club – with 22 Goodwood Saints teams and associated volunteers amounting to a community of several thousand people – and has attracted financial support from the local branch of the Bendigo Bank to fund professional consultations.