OTLR Sports Club Mental Health Sessions Impact 1000 People
Outside the Locker Room (OTLR) is proud to have worked alongside the City of Casey and its winter sporting clubs to strengthen mental wellbeing, connection and support across the local sporting community.
Through the initiative, OTLR partnered with 15 sporting clubs, delivering 40 mental wellbeing education sessions to more than 1,000 participants across football, netball, baseball and other community sporting environments.
More than numbers, the program was about creating meaningful conversations and giving people practical tools they can take back into their teams, clubs, families and everyday lives.
The sessions focused on increasing mental health literacy, encouraging positive help-seeking behaviours and improving general health and wellbeing. Importantly, the program also reinforced one of community sport's greatest strengths—the ability to create genuine connection and a sense of belonging.
Sporting clubs are much more than places to train and compete. They are communities where people form friendships, find support and build relationships that can last a lifetime. By bringing mental wellbeing education directly into these environments, we can help create club cultures where conversations about mental health become normal and people feel confident supporting themselves and those around them.
The engagement from the participating clubs was incredible. Players, coaches, volunteers, committee members and broader club communities embraced the opportunity to learn, connect and contribute to a healthier sporting environment.
The support of the City of Casey cannot be understated. By investing in initiatives like this, Council removes barriers that can prevent grassroots sporting clubs from accessing vital mental wellbeing education and ensures support reaches people where they already feel connected—their local sporting club.
For OTLR, this partnership demonstrates what can be achieved when local government, community sport and mental wellbeing organisations work together with a shared purpose.
We thank the City of Casey and every participating club for their commitment, openness and leadership in making mental wellbeing a priority.
Together, we are changing the game for mental health in sport.