Waverley Baseball Club

The Club

The Waverley Baseball Club is located at Napier Park in Glen Waverley. The club currently hosts close to 500 members, most of whom are junior members, although there are a significant number of senior players, life members, and non-playing members. Members are predominantly male, and range from 5 to 75 years of age. The club participates in both summer and winter seasons and is affiliated with both the Victorian Baseball Association and the Victorian Provincial Baseball League.

The club boasts kitchen facilities, a kiosk, a bar (with a restricted liquor licence), change rooms, and a function room available exclusively for club members and club events. The club has traditionally maintained adequate alcohol management practices and viewed itself as a responsible community based club. 

The Good Sports Program and Waverley Baseball Club

The club became involved with the Good Sports program chiefly to set an example for good practice within both the club and the community at large. The club considers itself a community based club and believes it has a responsibility to promote safe and appropriate alcohol use. The Good Sports accreditation program allows the club to do this more publicly and with the backing and accreditation of a prominent organisation.

Without initially having to make any substantial changes to practice, the club hopes that its involvement with Good Sports will enhance their public image (and hence membership), and promote sound alcohol policy more effectively both within and outside the club.     'Sports clubs such as ours have significant influence in the community and can play a role in encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles….The Good Sports program is a way for our club to manage alcohol and demonstrate to our community that we are dealing with this issue proactively.'                    
(Published on the club's website)    

The club has been involved with the Good Sports program only a short while, however their experiences in the initial stages are valuable. The club reports that their members, supporters and players have been very supportive of the initiative, and they have experienced no negative feedback with respect to measures taken. In the short time since Level 1 accreditation was obtained, the club boasts another 'Responsible Serving of Alcohol' trained member, bringing their total to three.

Responsible serving is an important feature of good alcohol management policy, and each additional trained member goes along way in the implementation of such policy. The club views the program benefits in terms of setting a good example within the club, and within the community, and enhancing the image of the club to enhance membership.