Japanese students get a taste of AFL
A visiting group of students and teachers from Chuo City in Japan have taken part in a football skills clinic, in an initiative conducted by the Sutherland Shire Council.
The hour-long session was run by AFL NSW/ACT’s Sandra Haberley, School Development Coordintor for Sydney (South), with 24 students and seven teachers in attendance.
“There were only two children and two teachers who had even seen a game of AFL football,” Haberley said, adding that they nonetheless appeared to enjoy the game.
“The kids did really well with kicking and marking the ball, and there were even a couple of teachers who participated as well,” she said.
Once the clinic finished, the students were shown an AFL highlights film. “I find that when trying to explain some aspects of AFL – such as the specky – that actions speak louder than words”, Haberley said.
The clinic was part of a Sister City Student Program implemented by Sutherland Shire and Chuo City, a region in the Japanese capital of Tokyo. The program enables the students to understand more about Australian culture and living in the Sutherland Shire, and it is conducted annually.
As part of the Sister City Student Program, a similar number of Sutherland Shire school children will travel to Chuo City in the upcoming school holidays to participate in a reciprocal experience.
