By: Sara Luczak
Football is well and truly no longer a boys’ game, with the introduction of an All Girls Auskick program.
A joint initiative between the Western Region Football League, AFL Victoria and the Western Bulldogs, the program invites girls aged between 5-12 years to start playing Australian Rules football.
With a lack of player numbers seeing the WRFL place its Under 13 Girls competition into recess in 2014, planning for a new All Girls Auskick program began at the end of 2013 in order to develop a new outlet for girls to continue to engage with footy at a younger age.
Working together like a well-oiled machine AFL Victoria has taken care of player registrations and coaching, the WRFL has organized the training venue, while the Western Bulldogs will provide giveaways and player appearances, making for a fantastic new start for young girls wanting to play football.
Training once a week over the six week program, each participant will learn all the basic skills, including handballing kicking and marking, making accessible for girls with little to no previous football experience.
When asked about the new project, WRFL Football Operations and Club Development Officer Tim Shellcot couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the program.
“We’re providing a comfortable and welcoming environment where young girls can have their first taste of Australian Rules football.”
While he acknowledges that the program may take a little while to set up, the long term goal is that the new Auskick recruits will move on to playing club football in a junior girls competition.
With the first training session held last Wednesday, the response from all those who attended – from both players and parents - has been overwhelmingly positive, a promising sign for the development of girls’ footy within the competition.
If you know someone who you think would enjoy learning how to play football, it’s not too late to sign up or head down to Saltwater Reserve Oval, Point Cook and check it out!
For more information on the All Girls Auskick program, check out the WRFL website www.wrfl.asn.au or visit the AFL Auskick website for further details.
Last Modified on 15/05/2014 15:49