Interesting. Yesterday when speaking to my ex I asked him how work with his sponsor was going. He responded he doesn't currently have a sponsor; that his sponsor, sober 2-3 years, had relapsed and is back in rehab. It would stand to reason, in my brain anyway, that one shouldn't pick someone so young in recovery especially based on the above article.
The first year is about not drinking but that's the tip of the iceberg. But as an AA sponsor said, "the person who first walked in these rooms will drink again." Alcoholics must change their selfishness, irresponsibility, enormous egos, low self esteem or they will drink again. So there must be willingness to do the hard work of change through a program and therapy (cognitive works best).
It's hard, change is slow and that's why the majority of people drink again.