Football 4 All
0:00:27.790,0:00:31.570
Alex is 12 years old. He has go an intellectual
disability,
0:00:31.570,0:00:34.630
so Global Development Delay. His involvement
with football
0:00:34.630,0:00:37.860
is, without an alarm clock, he’ll wake up
at 3.30 in the
0:00:37.860,0:00:40.900
morning to watch any football series that
there is going –
0:00:40.900,0:00:46.050
Manchester United or any other football team.
Therefore
0:00:46.050,0:00:49.770
my passion is to help these children by helping
to develop
0:00:49.770,0:00:52.270
a sports program. At the end of the day it’s
not about
0:00:52.270,0:00:54.250
a label it’s about helping these children.
These
0:00:54.250,0:00:58.940
children are special like any other child
is special.
0:00:58.940,0:01:05.940
He (Alex) has given my whole family an incredible
strength and courage to do things.
0:01:12.990,0:01:15.690
I play for Freeman Sports Club.
0:01:15.690,0:01:18.900
The (Football4All) program started about two
years ago
0:01:18.900,0:01:25.670
when we realised how many children were playing
disability football in New South Wales. We
0:01:25.670,0:01:28.910
realised
how many clubs there were that had started
0:01:28.910,0:01:31.970
up
programs for disability football and we brought
0:01:31.970,0:01:35.190
those clubs and program coordinators and formed
a group called Football4All.
0:01:35.190,0:01:38.960
We lost three, nil and we drew, five all.
0:01:38.960,0:01:45.229
IT’s important to involve all groups with
a
0:01:45.229,0:01:49.220
disability in all sports. It’s like any
other
0:01:49.220,0:01:56.220
child. Everyone needs to be a part of something.
Everyone else has got the opportunity to be
0:01:57.090,0:02:00.710
able
to go football, basketball, swimming and any
0:02:00.710,0:02:03.960
sport
that they choose. So too should children with
0:02:03.960,0:02:07.690
special needs. It’s their right as much
as it
0:02:07.690,0:02:10.519
is any other child’s right to have some
sort
0:02:10.519,0:02:12.530
of a sport and a recreation.
0:02:12.530,0:02:19.530
I love playing football because I lave scoring
goals.
0:02:26.450,0:02:33.450
With Alex there is an opportunity within football.
It will help him with fitness and his gross
0:02:34.470,0:02:38.609
motor
skills. All the types of activities they do
0:02:38.609,0:02:41.070
help
with gross motor skills, which in turns helps
0:02:41.070,0:02:43.790
with
the development of any child – not only
0:02:43.790,0:02:44.889
special
needs children.
0:02:44.889,0:02:47.190
Probably the most rewarding part of it is
to
0:02:47.190,0:02:52.660
see the kids and the players enjoying themselves,
enjoying the games. Their families also have
0:02:52.660,0:02:55.799
an
opportunity to get out and enjoy football
0:02:55.799,0:02:59.419
with
other people who share the same issues and
0:02:59.419,0:03:00.799
love
the game.
0:03:00.799,0:03:04.510
The rewards as a parent is just seeing the
smile
0:03:04.510,0:03:07.459
on him (Alex_ and also having the inclusion
of
0:03:07.459,0:03:11.260
him being able to play a team sport like his
brother. To be able to get out on a soccer
0:03:11.260,0:03:14.450
field
and to say he scored or whatever. Even as
0:03:14.450,0:03:17.030
simple
as putting on a uniform and a pair of boots
0:03:17.030,0:03:19.880
like
his brother; like any other child that wants
0:03:19.880,0:03:21.120
to
be part of a team.
0:03:21.120,0:03:25.790
Not sure about a career path but it will certainly
give them an opportunity to develop through
0:03:25.790,0:03:28.639
the
football pathway. We have some fantastic links
0:03:28.639,0:03:33.820
now with Deaf Football Australia – the national
deaf football team and Cerebral Palsy New
0:03:33.820,0:03:36.699
South
Wales and that is hopefully going to provide
0:03:36.699,0:03:40.870
a
pathway for children within our programs to
0:03:40.870,0:03:47.870
further themselves and possibly, one day,
represent the state or the country.
0:03:52.370,0:03:57.750
As a parent the type of challenges I faced
were trying to find a club; trying to find
0:03:57.750,0:04:04.750
somewhere for him to play. Although society,
allows you to go into a club and play with
0:04:06.180,0:04:09.900
a
disability, he is not at that level. I
0:04:09.900,0:04:14.949
can’t interact him into another team when
he is not at that level intellectually.
0:04:14.949,0:04:18.030
It’s not fair on him and it’s not fair
on the team members.
0:04:18.030,0:04:22.790
I think the main challenges for the programs
is to get enough volunteers to help out
0:04:22.790,0:04:28.530
and to educate those volunteers on simple,
basic coaching techniques and anything
0:04:28.530,0:04:32.350
extra they need to be aware of when working
with people with a disability.
0:04:32.350,0:04:35.150
Some of the barriers also are different
behaviours. You’ve just got to make it about
0:04:35.150,0:04:39.340
fun. Just being there and being repetitious
–
0:04:39.340,0:04:46.340
getting them there on the field.
0:04:56.380,0:05:03.160
Some of the strategies, I think, that clubs
and coaches could use doing some basic
0:05:03.160,0:05:10.160
courses even through Sports and Recreation
which are really great. These are basic
0:05:11.540,0:05:16.200
course on disability sport. What is a
Disability? Putting yourself into a
0:05:16.200,0:05:22.070
position of what it’s like to be disabled
yourself. Making it fun and also modifying
0:05:22.070,0:05:26.090
and going with the flow. If something is
not working – change it, turn it into a
0:05:26.090,0:05:33.090
game. Turn it into a fun game because
it’s about fun at the end of the day.
0:05:36.200,0:05:40.380
I think certainly the first thing you
need to do is consult with your membership
0:05:40.380,0:05:46.130
and contact local disability groups to see
whether there is a interest. If there is
0:05:46.130,0:05:52.280
then form a group and create some awareness
of your interest in developing disability
0:05:52.280,0:05:56.770
sport and kick it off from there. That’s
really where it started off for us and
0:05:56.770,0:06:02.460
then it just grows. You then start providing
that group with all the resources that
0:06:02.460,0:06:06.780
they might need to be able to develop
themselves and to enable you to develop
0:06:06.780,0:06:07.720
within your sport.
0:06:07.720,0:06:12.610
With sport organisation they also need
to get that awareness out, having specified
0:06:12.610,0:06:19.610
programs. It’s important not only just to
have a sport say ‘yes we do have a soccer
0:06:19.940,0:06:25.280
program and yes you can come in and play
as part of our team’. Parents with special
0:06:25.280,0:06:28.370
needs are a bit more protective of their
children so they actually need special
0:06:28.370,0:06:32.020
programs to be going ahead for them and
the sport needs to make the awareness and
0:06:32.020,0:06:34.500
to give that to them
0:06:34.500,0:06:39.890
I think you need to be mindful of the time
restraints that are sometimes necessary.
0:06:39.890,0:06:45.270
The children may not be able to play a
full game of football in your 45 minute
0:06:45.270,0:06:52.270
game (format). Today we are playing 10
minute halves for the sixes to 11’s and
0:06:52.430,0:06:56.810
the 12’s to 16’s. The feedback that we’ve
got – we do a lot of consultation with
0:06:56.810,0:07:00.400
our program coordinators to make sure
that we’ve got it right on the day. Just
0:07:00.400,0:07:05.870
being aware of those time restraints and
giving the kids other things to do outside
0:07:05.870,0:07:11.050
of just playing games. Today we have
activities, skills and frills on as well
0:07:11.050,0:07:14.800
to get them to experience other things
that they may not be exposed to at their
0:07:14.800,0:07:15.050
club.
0:07:15.020,0:07:20.240
As a community the parents with
special needs need a network. They
0:07:20.240,0:07:24.610
need to get out there and not be isolated.
They need to know that there is somewhere
0:07:24.610,0:07:29.740
out there for them to be as well. Not
just being at home. It’s all about being
0:07:29.740,0:07:36.740
active and being out there as well.
0:07:37.860,0:07:43.080
Within Football NSW we are limited at the
moment. We don’t cater for people in
0:07:43.080,0:07:48.130
wheelchairs but we are looking at that
down the track. Outside of that everybody
0:07:48.130,0:07:52.240
should be able to play the game. We try to
accommodate people wherever we can and as
0:07:52.240,0:07:52.860
much as possible.
0:07:52.860,0:07:57.860
Lucy Reggio: “It’s great to see people
like Football NSW who have supported us
0:07:57.860,0:08:04.860
and put on such a great gala day to show
that awareness and to show what we can
0:08:06.810,0:08:07.560
achieve.
0:08:07.560,0:08:12.230
We would open up any opportunity to any
volunteers or coaches or anybody
0:08:12.230,0:08:16.840
interested in working in our sport in
an administrative role whether they are
0:08:16.840,0:08:21.680
able bodied or disabled. Then those
opportunities are certainly available at
0:08:21.680,0:08:23.780
club, association and state level.
0:08:23.780,0:08:28.020
In the future when Alex has the
capability of being a little more
0:08:28.020,0:08:32.839
independent, I hope that one day he
can be a volunteer or a coach for
0:08:32.839,0:08:37.519
children with special needs and take
on the passion as well as helping out.
0:08:37.519,0:08:40.240
It is about helping everybody.
Alex is 12 years old. He has go an intellectual
disability,
0:00:31.570,0:00:34.630
so Global Development Delay. His involvement
with football
0:00:34.630,0:00:37.860
is, without an alarm clock, he’ll wake up
at 3.30 in the
0:00:37.860,0:00:40.900
morning to watch any football series that
there is going –
0:00:40.900,0:00:46.050
Manchester United or any other football team.
Therefore
0:00:46.050,0:00:49.770
my passion is to help these children by helping
to develop
0:00:49.770,0:00:52.270
a sports program. At the end of the day it’s
not about
0:00:52.270,0:00:54.250
a label it’s about helping these children.
These
0:00:54.250,0:00:58.940
children are special like any other child
is special.
0:00:58.940,0:01:05.940
He (Alex) has given my whole family an incredible
strength and courage to do things.
0:01:12.990,0:01:15.690
I play for Freeman Sports Club.
0:01:15.690,0:01:18.900
The (Football4All) program started about two
years ago
0:01:18.900,0:01:25.670
when we realised how many children were playing
disability football in New South Wales. We
0:01:25.670,0:01:28.910
realised
how many clubs there were that had started
0:01:28.910,0:01:31.970
up
programs for disability football and we brought
0:01:31.970,0:01:35.190
those clubs and program coordinators and formed
a group called Football4All.
0:01:35.190,0:01:38.960
We lost three, nil and we drew, five all.
0:01:38.960,0:01:45.229
IT’s important to involve all groups with
a
0:01:45.229,0:01:49.220
disability in all sports. It’s like any
other
0:01:49.220,0:01:56.220
child. Everyone needs to be a part of something.
Everyone else has got the opportunity to be
0:01:57.090,0:02:00.710
able
to go football, basketball, swimming and any
0:02:00.710,0:02:03.960
sport
that they choose. So too should children with
0:02:03.960,0:02:07.690
special needs. It’s their right as much
as it
0:02:07.690,0:02:10.519
is any other child’s right to have some
sort
0:02:10.519,0:02:12.530
of a sport and a recreation.
0:02:12.530,0:02:19.530
I love playing football because I lave scoring
goals.
0:02:26.450,0:02:33.450
With Alex there is an opportunity within football.
It will help him with fitness and his gross
0:02:34.470,0:02:38.609
motor
skills. All the types of activities they do
0:02:38.609,0:02:41.070
help
with gross motor skills, which in turns helps
0:02:41.070,0:02:43.790
with
the development of any child – not only
0:02:43.790,0:02:44.889
special
needs children.
0:02:44.889,0:02:47.190
Probably the most rewarding part of it is
to
0:02:47.190,0:02:52.660
see the kids and the players enjoying themselves,
enjoying the games. Their families also have
0:02:52.660,0:02:55.799
an
opportunity to get out and enjoy football
0:02:55.799,0:02:59.419
with
other people who share the same issues and
0:02:59.419,0:03:00.799
love
the game.
0:03:00.799,0:03:04.510
The rewards as a parent is just seeing the
smile
0:03:04.510,0:03:07.459
on him (Alex_ and also having the inclusion
of
0:03:07.459,0:03:11.260
him being able to play a team sport like his
brother. To be able to get out on a soccer
0:03:11.260,0:03:14.450
field
and to say he scored or whatever. Even as
0:03:14.450,0:03:17.030
simple
as putting on a uniform and a pair of boots
0:03:17.030,0:03:19.880
like
his brother; like any other child that wants
0:03:19.880,0:03:21.120
to
be part of a team.
0:03:21.120,0:03:25.790
Not sure about a career path but it will certainly
give them an opportunity to develop through
0:03:25.790,0:03:28.639
the
football pathway. We have some fantastic links
0:03:28.639,0:03:33.820
now with Deaf Football Australia – the national
deaf football team and Cerebral Palsy New
0:03:33.820,0:03:36.699
South
Wales and that is hopefully going to provide
0:03:36.699,0:03:40.870
a
pathway for children within our programs to
0:03:40.870,0:03:47.870
further themselves and possibly, one day,
represent the state or the country.
0:03:52.370,0:03:57.750
As a parent the type of challenges I faced
were trying to find a club; trying to find
0:03:57.750,0:04:04.750
somewhere for him to play. Although society,
allows you to go into a club and play with
0:04:06.180,0:04:09.900
a
disability, he is not at that level. I
0:04:09.900,0:04:14.949
can’t interact him into another team when
he is not at that level intellectually.
0:04:14.949,0:04:18.030
It’s not fair on him and it’s not fair
on the team members.
0:04:18.030,0:04:22.790
I think the main challenges for the programs
is to get enough volunteers to help out
0:04:22.790,0:04:28.530
and to educate those volunteers on simple,
basic coaching techniques and anything
0:04:28.530,0:04:32.350
extra they need to be aware of when working
with people with a disability.
0:04:32.350,0:04:35.150
Some of the barriers also are different
behaviours. You’ve just got to make it about
0:04:35.150,0:04:39.340
fun. Just being there and being repetitious
–
0:04:39.340,0:04:46.340
getting them there on the field.
0:04:56.380,0:05:03.160
Some of the strategies, I think, that clubs
and coaches could use doing some basic
0:05:03.160,0:05:10.160
courses even through Sports and Recreation
which are really great. These are basic
0:05:11.540,0:05:16.200
course on disability sport. What is a
Disability? Putting yourself into a
0:05:16.200,0:05:22.070
position of what it’s like to be disabled
yourself. Making it fun and also modifying
0:05:22.070,0:05:26.090
and going with the flow. If something is
not working – change it, turn it into a
0:05:26.090,0:05:33.090
game. Turn it into a fun game because
it’s about fun at the end of the day.
0:05:36.200,0:05:40.380
I think certainly the first thing you
need to do is consult with your membership
0:05:40.380,0:05:46.130
and contact local disability groups to see
whether there is a interest. If there is
0:05:46.130,0:05:52.280
then form a group and create some awareness
of your interest in developing disability
0:05:52.280,0:05:56.770
sport and kick it off from there. That’s
really where it started off for us and
0:05:56.770,0:06:02.460
then it just grows. You then start providing
that group with all the resources that
0:06:02.460,0:06:06.780
they might need to be able to develop
themselves and to enable you to develop
0:06:06.780,0:06:07.720
within your sport.
0:06:07.720,0:06:12.610
With sport organisation they also need
to get that awareness out, having specified
0:06:12.610,0:06:19.610
programs. It’s important not only just to
have a sport say ‘yes we do have a soccer
0:06:19.940,0:06:25.280
program and yes you can come in and play
as part of our team’. Parents with special
0:06:25.280,0:06:28.370
needs are a bit more protective of their
children so they actually need special
0:06:28.370,0:06:32.020
programs to be going ahead for them and
the sport needs to make the awareness and
0:06:32.020,0:06:34.500
to give that to them
0:06:34.500,0:06:39.890
I think you need to be mindful of the time
restraints that are sometimes necessary.
0:06:39.890,0:06:45.270
The children may not be able to play a
full game of football in your 45 minute
0:06:45.270,0:06:52.270
game (format). Today we are playing 10
minute halves for the sixes to 11’s and
0:06:52.430,0:06:56.810
the 12’s to 16’s. The feedback that we’ve
got – we do a lot of consultation with
0:06:56.810,0:07:00.400
our program coordinators to make sure
that we’ve got it right on the day. Just
0:07:00.400,0:07:05.870
being aware of those time restraints and
giving the kids other things to do outside
0:07:05.870,0:07:11.050
of just playing games. Today we have
activities, skills and frills on as well
0:07:11.050,0:07:14.800
to get them to experience other things
that they may not be exposed to at their
0:07:14.800,0:07:15.050
club.
0:07:15.020,0:07:20.240
As a community the parents with
special needs need a network. They
0:07:20.240,0:07:24.610
need to get out there and not be isolated.
They need to know that there is somewhere
0:07:24.610,0:07:29.740
out there for them to be as well. Not
just being at home. It’s all about being
0:07:29.740,0:07:36.740
active and being out there as well.
0:07:37.860,0:07:43.080
Within Football NSW we are limited at the
moment. We don’t cater for people in
0:07:43.080,0:07:48.130
wheelchairs but we are looking at that
down the track. Outside of that everybody
0:07:48.130,0:07:52.240
should be able to play the game. We try to
accommodate people wherever we can and as
0:07:52.240,0:07:52.860
much as possible.
0:07:52.860,0:07:57.860
Lucy Reggio: “It’s great to see people
like Football NSW who have supported us
0:07:57.860,0:08:04.860
and put on such a great gala day to show
that awareness and to show what we can
0:08:06.810,0:08:07.560
achieve.
0:08:07.560,0:08:12.230
We would open up any opportunity to any
volunteers or coaches or anybody
0:08:12.230,0:08:16.840
interested in working in our sport in
an administrative role whether they are
0:08:16.840,0:08:21.680
able bodied or disabled. Then those
opportunities are certainly available at
0:08:21.680,0:08:23.780
club, association and state level.
0:08:23.780,0:08:28.020
In the future when Alex has the
capability of being a little more
0:08:28.020,0:08:32.839
independent, I hope that one day he
can be a volunteer or a coach for
0:08:32.839,0:08:37.519
children with special needs and take
on the passion as well as helping out.
0:08:37.519,0:08:40.240
It is about helping everybody.
