Carole Levy
Did you know that less than half of Wyndham residents meet physical activity guidelines and that just 10 per cent participate in any sport?
It’s these kind of stats – likely similar in other western suburbs – that inspires Hamish MacInnes, community development officer at Werribee Football Club, to get the message out to Prep-Grade 3 kids who might be missing out on a chance to be part of a team environment, revolving around having loads of fun while elevating fitness levels.
In fact, says Hamish, having fun playing footy as a young kid is the most important facet, far outweighing learning footy skills.
“Kids are taught how to kick, handball and mark, and play small-sided ‘matches’, but all the skills are taught with an emphasis on having fun,” he says. “It’s the number one priority at this stage.
“Auskick is the perfect vehicle for introducing girls and boys to the game of footy. If you ask an AFL or AFLW player if they started in Auskick, it’s a high likelihood they did.
“But it’s not necessarily about starting the first leg of a professional career. Joining Auskick can be simply about learning ball skills and teamwork that they take into the school yard, or lead to playing local social matches as they get older.
“Kids are taught footy by making the concepts understandable. For example, evasion skills they use in a game of ‘tiggy’ at school, or invasion skills such as found in ‘rob the nest’, translate to the same skills used in football.”
Hamish has been into plenty of schools, touting the benefits of getting into footy. He finds that boys and girls respond in equal measure, with quite a few following through and joining a local Auskick.
“Some of the kids might show concern about footy being a rough contact sport, but once they see that Auskick is a gentle introduction they have no qualms. Other kids have had no exposure to footy at all, but when we break down the game into simple, understandable concepts, they get it because they’re already doing it in general play at school.
“Auskick is a win on many levels. It teaches kids teamwork and tactical skills, and importantly they forge new friendships and feel part of a community. And Auskick is one of the cheapest sporting outlets so parents aren’t burdened with a heavy hit to the wallet.”
Hamish notes that kids are welcome to come down to a Werribee Football Club (WFC) match and have a kick around at half time. Auskick runs mini matches on the day. And kids can enrol as junior members of WFC and get a free mini membership pack (shop.werribeefc.com.au/2021-junior-membership).
To find a centre to register for Auskick, go to www.play.afl/auskick
