The West Coast Eagles and Swan Districts football clubs set off for Port Hedland last week as part of the Kicking Goals program. Kicking Goals sees the unique partnership between the program sponsor, BHP Billiton Iron Ore and both football clubs in delivering lifestyle messages and incentives to stay in education to the students at Hedland Senior High School.
West Coast schools program officer Kim Hannah and star ruckman Dean Cox were joined by senior coach Chris Lewis and assistant coach Noel Johnstone from the Swan Districts and spent the day with students, providing information on sports trainer accreditation as well as helping with game and umpiring skills.
“We spent a fair bit of time with students who were classified as ‘at risk’,” explains Hannah. “They’re kids who have perhaps got social, academic or other problems and the school has put some extra time into them with some special programs.
“The school had some particular activities for the children which required them to work in co-operative groups and as a whole to achieve certain goals, so we participated in that and stepped in when they needed a bit of guidance. We gave them feedback on their performance and some strategies where perhaps they could work more closely together.
“It’s a chance for these kids to develop their sense of self-worth, but also their co-operative skills, which is one of the areas they need to work on most. It worked really well and by the end they were laughing and carrying on, obviously pretty happy with their achievements.”
The key to the success of the Kicking Goals program rests in the West Coast Eagles players, in this instance Dean Cox, who assist in communicating important messages which may otherwise be lost.
“All the players who go up to Port Hedland are very committed to what we do,” says Hannah. “Those who have made a couple of returns have started to make some connections up there, they’ve got to know the kids and the kids know them.
“Their profile makes them pretty critical to the whole process. It’s all very well having a teacher tell them certain things about lifestyle choices and what they should be doing in given situations, but when those messages are passed on by people who are role models to them, the messages take on a whole new meaning and significance.”
The West Coast representatives also made a special trip to the shire offices in Port Hedland, dropping in on Chief Executive Officer Chris Adams who coached Dean Cox as a junior footballer in Dampier.
“Dean went out to him and presented him with a miniature premiership cup which was not only a recognition of his involvement with Dean in his youth but also a recognition of the importance of junior coaches Australia-wide, the things they participate in and how they contribute to the development of Australian youth,” explains Hannah.
The Kicking Goals party then rounded off their trip with the “Match of the Century”, fought out at Kevin Scott Oval in South Hedland between two teams of Kicking Goals students from Hedland Senior High School and BHP Billiton Iron Ore employees who participate in a lifestyle program known as “The Biggest Winner”.
With the victor of the match earning the right to hold a replica premiership cup for a year, emotions ran high and all teams threw themselves into their games with great enthusiasm. While the female match went to the BHP team by three points, the male match was won by the Kicking Goals team by the same margin and both teams agreed to hold the cup for six months each.
The West Coast Eagles and Swan Districts football clubs would like to thank the Kicking Goals sponsor BHP Billiton Iron Ore for making another successful trip to Port Hedland possible.
