Up to 15 girls have been coming out to the Kilburn Football Club over the past three weeks to play some football, share a meal with each other and take part in some personal development workshops.
Earlier this year, Power Community Ltd received funding from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to engage the African community in Northern Adelaide. This was achieved through the provision of free coaching clinics and additional guidance from Power player and Australia Post AFL Multicultural Ambassador, Alipate Carlile.
Eight months later, 19 girls have continued their football journey, having competed in the North-Eastern Metro football competition, played a curtain raiser at AAMI Stadium during AFL Women’s Round, attended the SANFL Diversity Breakfast during AFL Multicultural Round and experienced the excitement of a junior football finals series.
For the U16 girls who are predominately of African and Aboriginal heritage, the Finals Series was a significant achievement. Not only did it help the girls to realise their sporting potential, it also taught them that hard work, belief and perseverance can result in big things across all areas of their lives – whether at school, in future careers and on the footy oval.
Thanks to support from the Port Adelaide Enfield Council, Power Community Ltd has been able to build upon these lessons by bringing the girls together post-2013 season and taking them through a series of workshops on:
- Leadership, positive choices and self-motivation
- Goal setting, study pathways and employment
- Interview preparation and personal appearance
The workshops were interactive, with the girls getting the opportunity to share their aspirations with one another, practice answering some interview questions, and even have a go at filling out resume templates. Some of the girls are now are looking to find part-time employment over the Christmas break and are in contact with the program coordinators who have offered support in the way of resume development and identify potential employers.
Of course, no workshop was complete without a solid training session to keep the girls fit and ready for season 2014, followed by a shared meal to remind them all of the importance of team cohesion and strong camaraderie.
