Every junior sporting club deserves a dedicated wellbeing leader.

A practical & affordable mental health leadership system.

Our Club Wellbeing Leader Program gives your club a trained point of contact for wellbeing concerns — someone coaches, parents and players can turn to when they're not sure what to do. Think of it as your club's mental health first aid officer, backed by practical frameworks, ready-to-use resources and ongoing guidance. The result is a stronger, safer and more confident club environment for players, families and volunteers.

THE CHALLENGE

The reality facing junior sporting clubs.

1 in 3 young Australians aged 16-24 experience a mental health disorder each year.

Clubs are increasingly expected to recognise and respond to wellbeing concerns. Many volunteers, coaches and committee members care deeply about the wellbeing of their players, but often feel unsure how to respond when problems arise.

  • Coaches want to help, but lack confidence: When a normally confident young player becomes withdrawn or anxious, coaches often aren't sure how to approach the conversation, when to involve parents, or when professional support is needed.

  • Parents expect more from clubs: Families increasingly expect sporting environments to be safe, supportive and attentive to their child's wellbeing. Clubs that demonstrate clear wellbeing leadership build stronger trust.

  • Duty of care is expanding: Queensland's Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 requires all junior sporting clubs to comply with 10 mandatory Child Safe Standards — including clear processes for recognising distress, responding to concerns, and safeguarding young people. The Club Wellbeing Leader Program helps your club meet these obligations.

“During my time in the NRL, representing the QLD Maroons and Australia, I saw first-hand how much performance improves when athletes feel supported and mentally well. I believe community sporting clubs can benefit from the same approach so young athletes can stay safe, confident and reach their potential."

David Shillington — Prime Effect Founder, Master Principal MHFA Instructor, Former QLD Maroon & Australian Kangaroo

Four pillars that build a safer, stronger club.

  • Trained Club Wellbeing Leader

    A trusted volunteer completes Youth MHFA and wellbeing leadership training to become the club's point of contact for concerns.

  • A Clear Wellbeing Process

    Incident response flowcharts, concern reporting guides, referral directories, and communication templates — ready to use from day one.

  • Parent & Coach Awareness

    Parent education webinars, coach wellbeing guidance, and clear communication pathways so everyone knows how to raise concerns.

  • Ongoing Support Network

    Monthly wellbeing leader network webinars, case discussions, guest expert sessions, and access to a digital resource portal year-round.

THE BENEFITS

What it means for your club.

For Players

  • Earlier identification of wellbeing concerns

  • More confident and supported young athletes

  • Safer, more inclusive club environment

  • Reduced escalation of avoidable issues

For Volunteers, Leaders & Coaches

  • Clear guidance on what to do (and what not to do)

  • Increased confidence handling sensitive situations

  • Reduced uncertainty and emotional burden

  • Demonstrates proactive duty of care

  • Structured, repeatable framework

For Parents

  • Increased trust in the club environment

  • Clear communication pathways for concerns

  • Greater confidence their child is supported

  • Reinforces the club's player-first reputation

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Program elements.

Everything your club needs to build a structured, sustainable approach to wellbeing — delivered by accredited trainers with real sporting experience.

Accredited Training: Youth Mental Health First Aid

A 2-day in-person or blended online eLearning course that teaches adults how to recognise, respond to and support young people experiencing mental health challenges. Evidence-based, nationally recognised, and delivered by a Prime Effect accredited instructor.

Club Wellbeing Leadership Module

Practical training covering role clarity and boundaries, escalation pathways, managing parent conflict, supporting anxious athletes, bullying and social exclusion, critical incident response, and volunteer burnout prevention.

Ready-to-use Club Wellbeing Toolkit

Your club receives a complete toolkit including a wellbeing policy template, incident response flowchart, local referral directory template, parent and coach communication templates, a concern reporting guide, and an annual review checklist.

Ongoing Support & Network

Monthly network webinars, a club education series covering neurodivergent athletes, First Nations culture, gambling harm, and parent-coach conflict — plus annual parent education webinars, peer learning, and guest expert sessions.

NATIONAL ALIGNMENT

Supporting the Australian Sports Commission’s Play Well Strategy.

The Club Wellbeing Leader Program aligns with the Australian Sports Commission's Play Well Strategy, supporting clubs to strengthen wellbeing leadership, inclusion and player support across six key areas: empowering people and organisations, activating safe sporting environments, driving lifelong investment in sport, building connections across sport, equitable access and inclusion, and transforming sporting culture.

The program also aligns with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, helping clubs demonstrate recognisable safeguarding practices — from early identification of distress to clear escalation pathways.

Base Club Package:

  • Training & certification for 1 member of the club

  • Youth Mental Health First Aid accreditation

  • Club Wellbeing Leadership Module

  • Full Club Wellbeing Toolkit

  • Monthly Leader Network access

  • Parent education webinar

  • Ongoing support & monthly check-ins

Affordable investment in your club's future.

PRICING

Additional leaders. Add extra trained wellbeing leaders to your club:

  • Recommended for larger clubs

  • Multi-team structures

  • Full training & network access

  • Same toolkit & ongoing support

Clubs have a duty of care to provide a reasonably safe environment for young athletes.

As of April 2026, all Queensland sporting clubs must comply with the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024. Our program helps your club meet these requirements — practically and affordably. Reach out to get started!