Young refugees get a kick out of football
A passion for football, ‘the world game’ has inspired a group of refugees from Blacktown in Sydney to take up the coaching challenge. Refugees are gaining training and support to become football coaches through the Australian Sports Commission’s Community Coach Training Program, delivered by the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program. The refugees from countries including Afganistan, Iran, Sierre Leone, Sudan and Ghana, now living in Blacktown, Sydney are all united in their love of football. The refugees are participating in a unique sports program Football United. This program is run by the University of New South Wales which uses sport to promote belonging, racial harmony and community integration. Football United creates opportunities for all including young refugees to play and enjoy the ‘world game.’ Gripped by football fever, 10 refugees enrolled in Football United recently completed the AASC program’s Community Coach Training Program.
It was a passion for football that inspired 15-year-old refugees Theresa and Mohammed to complete the coaching course. Mohammed, who came to Australia in 2006 from Sierra Leone, found football to be a great way to make a new start:
‘When I first came to Australia I did not know anyone, then I started playing football and met lots of new friends through the game. We get to share problems and help each other out through football,’ Mohammed said.
Like Mohammed, Theresa loves to play football. After coming to Australia from Sudan in 2003, Theresa found football to be a great way to make new friends with similar experiences:
‘It’s not just about playing football and learning new skills. It’s a great way to meet other refugees and to share our experiences,’ said Theresa.
The Australian Sports Commission’s Director of Community Sport, Judy Flanagan, said the new coaches would play a vital role in supporting quality sport activities in Blacktown. She said that the AASC program ‘is committed to the training and development of these aspiring refugee coaches which contributes to the strength and growth of community-based sport in Blacktown.’
Director of Football United Anne Bunde-Birouste welcomed the AASC program’s support, in the training and development of the 15 young refugees:
‘Coaching provides a way for refugees to contribute to the health and wellbeing of their community in Blacktown. Sport also helps to promote inclusion and social cohesion in the refugee communities of Blacktown. It also teaches refugees enduring values of leadership, team work and fair play.’
The Australian Sports Commission supports broad and inclusive sporting programs like Football United which reflect the depth and diversity of Australian sport. The Commission is also working on resources to assist coaches, trainers and volunteers delivering sport and recreation programs for people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The resource is called All Cultures (see the link below).
