Western Australia’s Shire of Broome, together with the Clontarf Foundation, has established a Football Academy that will work as a partnership between local schools and football to improve the education, health, employment and life skills of Indigenous boys and young men.
The Clontarf Foundation is a non profit organisation committed to helping disadvantaged youths, in particular Indigenous boys, through football academies. Clontarf has five academies across Western Australia and is still growing. The newest, West Kimberley Academy will be available to students attending Saint Mary’s Senior High and Broome Senior High. Participants are encouraged to work at school and are assisted to attain football and general life skills through training and mentoring.
“This academy will have a flow on effect for the community, giving younger Aboriginal kids role models, motivating them to attend school and gain skills which lead to employment here in Broome,” said Broome Shire President, Councillor Graeme Campbell. “While the program has had a number of participants go on to become AFL players, it is not just about the football.
“The program provides opportunities for kids to further their education, either via tertiary studies or apprenticeships and provides the opportunity for them to do work experience within the community. Kids that have gone through the program at other academies have also been more likely to receive job offers from within the community because businesses know they have been through the processes of the academy. One participant who came from the desert has recently been employed as a motor mechanic, and the change in school attendance rates is huge.”
Councillor Campbell said that prior to this program, a school in Kalgoorlie had one or sometimes no kids go through to year 12.
“After the first year of the program this increased to 11 students,” he said. “And next year 25 kids will progress to year 12.”
The Broome community needs to raise $300,000 for the initiative to be successful, and with half of this already raised, Graeme Campbell said it is vital that the community continues to support the initiative.
“It is a step forward in tackling some of our social problems while building self esteem and self discipline in these young men,” he said.
The academies are staffed by a blend of ex-AFL and WAFL coaches and footballers, teachers and social workers. Programs operate in and around the school timetable with training, activities or games three to four times per week. Sessions are followed by a healthy breakfast cooked by community members.
For further information contact Graeme Campbell on 0407 477 544.
