Students at Bwgcolman Community School and St Michael’s Catholic School on Palm Island are the latest NAB AFL Auskick recruits thanks to a newly formed relationship between the Cathy Freeman Foundation and AFL Queensland.
Every Monday for the past four weeks, the Cathy Freeman Foundation has provided the opportunity for AFLQ staff to travel to Palm Island to take local kids through the Auskick program.
Gary Williamsz from Bwgcolman Community School said it had been fantastic to see the kids getting the opportunity to participate and enjoy themselves playing a sport they are not usually exposed to.
Williamsz also said it would be great to eventually get a team from Palm Island to compete against club teams in Townsville.
The students at the two schools have thoroughly enjoyed the Auskick program so far and have had fun learning new football skills.
Although at times the kids had some unwanted visitors to the Auskick field (in the form of local horses) nothing could stand in the way of them getting out of class and into the hot Palm Island sun to have a kick of the footy.
And the students aren’t the only ones enjoying the program; AFLQ staff have already learnt local dance moves, musical instruments and information about the local community in between hand-balling and skills sessions.
The Cathy Freeman Foundation was established by Olympic champion, Cathy Freeman, to give Australian Indigenous children a brighter future through education.
Cathy created the Foundation in 2007, fuelled by her belief that all children deserve the opportunity to learn, experience life, explore their talents and fulfil their dreams. Underpinning the work of the Foundation is the desire to bridge the education gap between Indigenous and non – Indigenous children, ensuring they all share a strong sense of self-belief and access to opportunities in life.
For further information about the Cathy Freeman Foundation visit http://www.cathyfreemanfoundation.org.au/
