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port Australia have launched an online diagnostic tool for local sporting club administrators and volunteers to use, ‘Game Plan’, in replacement of Club Health Checks.

Sport Australia acting CEO, Rob Dalton, said: “We know sporting clubs have had to adapt to our ‘new normal’ so sport can return and that can come with challenges.”

“Many sporting clubs are also run by volunteers who may be time poor or have varying levels of experience in running a club.

“Our ‘Game Plan’ tool is designed to make life easier for these clubs by connecting them with information and resources they need to help them operate more efficiently and effectively,” he said.

With the new tool, clubs will be able to track their performance in four key areas; strategy, governance, finance, and workforce, with modules designed to be easy to navigate.

Clubs will receive a maturity rating, and information, and an action plan to aid improvement, upon completion of each module.

“The best part about Game Plan is that it’s not limited to a single user – any administrator of a club can complete modules suited to their role, whether that’s coaching, sponsorship, or finance,” Dalton said.

“Clubs can also access the platform at any time to assist them in or outside of season,” he said.

Minister for Youth and Sport, Richard Colbeck, said: “A key focus of Game Plan is assisting community level sporting clubs and volunteers as they recover from the impacts of COVID-19.”

“Clubs and sporting organisations can access resources to help them grow their membership base as well as support the recruitment and retention of volunteers in a new sporting environment,” Colbeck said.

Hockey Australia general manager for Growth, Legal and Strategy, Michael Johnston said: “Game Plan provides a starting point for clubs looking to improve and some targeted guidance on how they can do it.”

“We know it can be hard to attract volunteers and they often burnout quickly.

“The more support we can provide, the more volunteers we can attract and retain,” Johnston said.