How Football Australia's Club Changer Program Supports Volunteers

Running a grassroots soccer club in Australia is no small feat. Between managing registrations, coordinating training schedules, supporting coaches, and keeping the canteen stocked, the workload can feel overwhelming — especially for the volunteers who keep everything running behind the scenes.

Recognising this challenge, Football Australia created Club Changer, a national club development program designed to help community clubs become stronger, more resilient, and better equipped to support their volunteers. If your club isn't already involved, here's why it's worth considering.

What Is Club Changer?

Club Changer is Football Australia's official club development initiative, launched as part of their Legacy '23 Program with support from the Australian Sports Commission. The program provides grassroots clubs with structured guidance, resources, and recognition to help them operate more effectively.

At its core, Club Changer aims to help clubs build welcoming and inclusive cultures while creating positive environments for everyone involved — players, coaches, officials, and crucially, volunteers. The program recognises that sustainable clubs need sustainable volunteer programs, and provides practical tools to help achieve this.

How the Program Works

Clubs participate by completing a series of modules covering essential aspects of club operations. These modules are delivered through the Australian Sports Commission's Game Plan platform and cover areas including governance, strategy, finance, workforce management, community engagement, and risk management.

As clubs progress through the program criteria, they earn star ratings — one, two, or three stars — with each level unlocking additional benefits and resources. This structured approach helps clubs identify areas for improvement and provides a clear pathway for development.

The program connects over 1,000 clubs nationwide through its Club Development Network, creating opportunities for clubs to learn from each other's successes and share best practices.

Supporting Volunteers Through Structured Resources

One of the most valuable aspects of Club Changer is its focus on volunteer support. Football Australia's volunteer strategy centres on four key themes: celebrating volunteer contributions, empowering volunteers through training and development, reimagining volunteer roles to create new engagement opportunities, and innovating with technologies and practices that make volunteer management easier.

Through the program, clubs gain access to webinars covering volunteer management best practices, coaching and refereeing development, and club administration guidance. These resources help ensure volunteers have the skills and knowledge they need to contribute effectively without becoming overwhelmed.

The National Volunteer Focus Group, consisting of 28 clubs from across Australia, works to develop and share good practices throughout the network. This collaborative approach means clubs aren't figuring everything out alone — they can learn from what's working at other clubs facing similar challenges.

Why Your Club Should Get Involved

For clubs struggling with volunteer burnout or retention, Club Changer offers structured support that can make a real difference. The program helps clubs move beyond reactive volunteer management toward a more proactive approach that keeps volunteers engaged and prevents burnout before it happens.

Participating clubs report improved volunteer engagement through better training and recognition programs, enhanced club operations through clearer governance and administrative practices, and stronger community connections through structured engagement strategies.

The program also provides recognition opportunities that help volunteers feel valued. During National Volunteer Week, participating clubs celebrate their volunteers through coordinated events and social media campaigns, reinforcing the message that volunteer contributions matter.

Getting Started

Any club affiliated with Football Australia can join the Club Changer program. The process begins with creating a club profile and completing an initial assessment to determine your starting point. From there, clubs work through the modules at their own pace, with support available from Football Australia and state member federations.

For South Australian clubs specifically, Football SA can be contacted at fsaclubchanger@footballaustralia.com.au for guidance on getting started.

The investment of time required is modest — each module takes approximately 10 minutes — but the long-term benefits for your club's sustainability and volunteer wellbeing can be significant.

Complementing Club Changer with the Right Tools

While Club Changer provides excellent frameworks and resources for club development, implementing these improvements often requires practical tools to reduce day-to-day administrative burden.

Strong governance and volunteer management strategies work best when supported by systems that handle routine tasks efficiently. When volunteers spend less time wrestling with spreadsheets and chasing schedule updates, they have more capacity to focus on the meaningful work that keeps them engaged with the club.

Programs like Club Changer help clubs understand what good volunteer management looks like. Purpose-built facility management tools help make it achievable in practice.