The Safeguarding Quick Flick Pocket Cards might be small enough to clip on like a charm, but they carry a powerful safe sport message aimed at sparking conversations that matter.
Softball Australia set out on an 18-month plan in 2025 to strengthen integrity in their sport, with a focus on awareness, education and safeguarding.
During discussions with Sport Integrity Australia’s (SIA) Safeguarding team, they became aware of integrity cards being used elsewhere for adults.
This sparked the idea to create something similar for teenagers.
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Softball Australia National Integrity Manager, Matt Tuohey, knew it was vital to influence the integrity culture of softball from the ground up.
“The kids currently playing are the current culture influencers and future culture setters, and we wanted to make sure they knew practically what it means to have a sport that is safe, fair and fun,” Matt explains.
The result was the Safeguarding Quick Flick Pocket Cards, a simple, practical resource for 13–17-year-old softballers. Each card spells out their rights, responsibilities, and what to do if something doesn’t feel right.
It’s not just about rules; it’s about building a sport that’s safe, fair and fun.
To make the message stick, Softball Australia came up with three catchcries:
- Catch yourself: check your own behaviour
- Support others: look out for your teammates
- Strike it out: speak up if something’s wrong.
These principles apply to softballers everywhere – on the field, on the road and online.
For Matt, the cards aren’t just about sharing information, they’re about starting conversations that matter.
“Safeguarding can mean different things to different people, so our goal is to start a simple, meaningful conversation about what it really is,” Matt said.
If players, parents and coaches walk away with a clearer understanding of the need to work mindfully and respectfully together, and together and feel confident to speak up when something doesn’t seem right, that’s a great outcome for everyone in softball.
– Matt Tuohey, National Integrity Manager, Softball Australia
The creation and rollout of the cards was made possible through funding via the Safeguarding in Sport Continuous Improvement Program, commonly referred to as SISCIP.
The program is designed to help sporting organisations build their capability to provide safe environments for children, young people, and all members to participate in sport.
Softball Australia had the cards designed and produced, and clubs received a self-service guide to make distribution easy. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Parents appreciate having an age-appropriate tool to explain safeguarding and players are proudly clipping their cards to their bags.
One parent summed it up with this feedback:
“Thank you for providing a tool that helps explain what safety in softball means and the expectations from everyone who plays and supports this amazing game.”
Softball Australia remains committed to embedding safeguarding into every corner of the game.