Multicultural kids take up AFL
Australian football is becoming the sport of choice for diverse communities with up to 25 per cent of current AFL lists are from diverse backgrounds (11 per cent from Indigenous background and 14 per cent from Multicultural background).
The Multicultural Unit has been established to ensure Australian football is a vehicle that encourages community strengthening and inclusion within the wider Australian community.
The AFL’s Multicultural programs are enabling more young talent to be identified and giving more opportunities to aspiring young AFL players.
This week will see the AFL celebrate Multicultural Round. Not only is it a great opportunity for Multicultural players to be showcased on the biggest stage of them all but also at a local level in the AFL Riverina Competitions.
In 2010 AFL Wagga introduced a six-week program that targeted Multicultural kids to participate in a modified AFL program after school on a weekly basis.
AFL Wagga also built a strong working relationship with Centacare Wagga and their refugee settlement services branch. Through the hard work of AFL and Centacare staff the program has been a huge success and has grown from around 12 young boys to over 50 boys and girls in 2013.
The program isn’t always about AFL with the kids playing games of basketball, soccer and also being provided with the opportunity to go Ten Pin Bowling. AFL Wagga has provided the vehicle for these kids to be engaged and also connected with the local Wagga sporting community.
One of the greatest benefits is seeing many of these kids now playing on weekends with local Wagga Junior clubs. The program aims to introduce young people from targeted culturally and linguistically diverse communities to Australian Football and to influence mainstream Australian Football clubs to embrace multicultural diversity as part of their ongoing operations.
The success of the program has also built up a huge amount of trust in the local Wagga African community with AFL staff forging personal relationships with the participants. An example of this is providing driving lessons for some of the boys aspiring to gain their P plate licence.
Ongoing support of local groups such as the Multicultural Council of Australia continues to prosper with involvement in Multicultural week and also Refugee week. AFL Wagga has also been recognised at a national level when in 2012 we received the STARTTS Humanitarian award for Sport for their work in engaging multicultural boys and girls through our Community AFL Program.
There have also been talent outcomes from the program when, in 2011, Justin Ngudu was selected in the World Under-18s team that participated in the Under-16 National championships. Justin then went onto play club football in the Riverina Football league.
In 2013 AFL southern NSW expanded the Multicultural program into Albury and also Griffith. Over 70 Bhutanese boys and girls turned out for the first session down in Albury. Many of these kids have already been connected with local junior AFL clubs in the area.
As an added incentive the kids were provided with an AFL Match day experience with 100 parents and children from the Wagga and Albury programs attending the GWS GIANTS v Western Bulldogs game last weekend in Canberra. Once again being able to provide these families with opportunities is hugely satisfying especially when this is often the first time they have experienced elite sport or large crowds.
The Griffith program will commence on Monday July 22 at Westend stadium. It is hoped to be as successful as the Wagga and Albury programs and will once again provide an extra recruitment tool for the South West Juniors Competition.
