Sporting Chance (sometimes referred to by its original name, Sporting Chance Clinic) is a registered UK based

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

. Set up by former

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

and England

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

captain

Tony Adams Tony Alexander Adams (born 10 October 1966) is an English former football manager and player. Adams played for Arsenal and England, captaining both teams. Known as Mr. Arsenal, he spent his entire playing career of 19 years as a centre-back t ...

, Sporting Chance provides support to current and former professional athletes for a wide variety of mental and emotional health problems. Formed in September 2000, the charity provides current and retired athletes with education and training tools as well as one to one counselling (for any emotional or mental health issue) in the residential clinic set up specifically to treat addictive disorders. On 27 September 2013, it was announced that former CEO Peter Kay had died aged 52.

Services

One-to-one therapy and triage

Sporting Chance offers access to a national network of therapists and counsellors, all are vetted as to their qualification, specialism, place of practice, that they are suitably insured, that they maintain personal supervision and of course, their geography. Sporting Chance’s diligence process mirrors that of the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) and the UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy). This service can be accessed through a stakeholder referral or directly via a 24-hour telephone line. This service delivers talking

therapy A therapy or medical treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. Both words, ''treatment'' and ''therapy'', are often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx. As a rule, each therapy has indications a ...

and treatment solutions to a wide range of mental and emotional health presentations. Over a thousand current and retired professional athletes will use this service each year.

Residential treatment for addictive disorders

Sporting Chance provides the only residential treatment facility in the world for the treatment of addictive disorders exclusively working with professional athletes, based at Forest Mere

Country Club A country club is a privately-owned Club (organization), club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Ty ...

near Liphook,

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

. The treatment models are suitable for those presenting alcohol, substance and gambling problems, which are considered symptoms of an addictive disorder. There are 3 treatment programs delivered over different time spans, these are 5, 12 and 26 days. All are fully residential and tailored to an athlete, providing facilities and activities to enable any athlete to maintain the level of

physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of Outline of sports, sports, occupations, and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, modera ...

they require to compete. The system is based on the

twelve-step program Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded by B ...

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...

. The aim is to provide a safe environment where the addict can begin a new life free from the drug or behavior pattern that has been damaging them, their families and their sporting life. The philosophy is based on Adams's own experiences of his requirements as an athlete in his own recovery from

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

Education and training

The

is engaged in delivering educational seminars and

workshops Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...

focused on

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

and wellbeing within the realm of sports. These educational initiatives are directed towards a diverse range of participants, including athletes, personnel who work closely with athletes, and individuals associated with sports leagues and governing bodies. The charity emphasizes the customization of its content to cater to the specific needs of its audience, taking into consideration factors such as the particular sport involved, the age group of participants, their roles within the sport, and any unique learning challenges present within the group. Topics covered in these seminars and workshops encompass a variety of subjects relevant to athletes' mental health. These include general mental wellbeing in sports, strategies for transition periods in an athlete's career, building emotional resilience, understanding the effects

Patrons

The patrons include ex-Sports Minister

Kate Hoey Catharine Letitia Hoey, Baroness Hoey (born 21 June 1946), better known as Kate Hoey, is a Northern Irish politician and life peer who served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Home Affairs from 1998 to 1999 and Minister for Sport from 1999 ...

, former professional footballer

Lee Dixon Lee Michael Dixon (born 17 March 1964) is an English pundit and retired professional footballer who played as a right-back. Dixon was also capped 22 times for England. His father Roy was a goalkeeper with Manchester City and many of Dixon's f ...

, Tony Smith, Irish Jockey Sir A.P McCoy, athlete Dame Kelly Holmes and musician Sir Elton John.

Stakeholders

The clinic is supported by various sporting bodies and institutions including the

Professional Footballers' Association The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. Founded in 1907, it is the world's oldest professional sports trade union, with approximately 5,000 current members each seaso ...

, The Premier League,

The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...

, The Professional Cricketers' Association, Rugby League Cares, The Professional Jockeys Association.

References

*Crabbe, T. (2000). A sporting chance?: using sport to tackle drug use and crime. Drugs: education, prevention and policy, 7(4), 2.

External links

Official website
{{authority control 2000 establishments in England Drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers Charities based in Hampshire Sport in Hampshire Sports medicine in the United Kingdom Addiction organisations in the United Kingdom Sports medicine organizations