Lewis Jetta has led a quartet of Eagles to North-West WA for the first Kicking Goals trip of 2015.
Jetta, along with Andrew Gaff, Jeremy McGovern and Elliot Yeo, made the trip to the Pilbara region for a two-day visit.
Jetta teamed up with Yeo at Hedland Senior High School while Andrew Gaff was joined by Jeremy McGovern at Newman Senior High School.
Kicking Goals, a joint initiative between the West Coast Eagles, Swan Districts Football Club and BHP Billiton, is one of Australia’s largest regional-based AFL mentoring programs combining sporting initiatives to help high school students in the towns of Port Hedland and Newman achieve better educational and employment outcomes.
The program is a curriculum-based initiative that utilises a reward and incentive system, where students are required to maintain key performance indicators to stay in the program and remain eligible for various incentives, including attending visits by West Coast Eagles players.
West Coast players and staff make 10 visits to the Pilbara region every year as part of the Kicking Goals program, where they conduct motivational talks and football clinics for students.
“The kids were great. It was great to spend two days up there and spend time with everyone,” Jetta said with a smile.
“The boys told me about the trips before I came up and it exceeded my expectations. I had a great time.”
Gaff, who has visited the area many times with the Eagles, said it was always great to meet the students and get them more invested in their schooling through sport.
“The Kicking Goals program has been so successful over the years, the students seem to get a lot out of it and enjoy the time we spend together," he said.
“I had a great day in Newman and I know the other guys had a ball in Hedland. It’s a terrific part of the State filled with wonderful people.”
The West Coast Eagles would like to thank its Principal Community Partner BHP Billiton for making the Kicking Goals program possible.