Young leaders are calling the shots

Two Mirrabooka locals are among a group of young people scoring points in the community through their participation in programs run at the Edmund Rice Centre.

23 September 2008

Atot Amoly and Achol Madong, both 15, recently started training as referees as part of the centre's Youth Leadership program.

The program is an offshoot of a Multicultural Youth Sports Program run at the centre, which was developed with funding from the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) and is now funded by the Department of the Attorney General.

The pair was among five young people who recently qualified as Level 0 referees and put their new officiating skills to the test at a National Youth Week Tournament at the Herb Graham Recreation and Fitness Centre. Participants from the program ran the event themselves along with several separate tournaments for the Edmund Rice Centre Sports Program.

They will now continue their training with the next goal to achieve their Level 1 qualification. Participants have also secured refereeing jobs at two three-month long basketball tournaments at the Hainsworth Leisure Centre in Girrawheen.

Like most participants in the program, Atot and Achol are from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. Both are Sudanese, however Achol was born in Kenya and Atot, born in Sudan, has also lived in Egypt. Achol came to Australia to live at nine years of age and Atot when he was 12.

Achol said her mum had encouraged her to get involved in the centre's activities.

"My mum signed me up because I used to sit at home and do other stuff. Now I play all types of sports at the centre instead," she said. "The program has helped me to meet others in the community and through the referee training we have also learnt how to treat others fairly."

Atot was encouraged to visit the centre by his friends and said he had found both participating in a range of sports and helping others in the community rewarding.

"Organisations will often call on the youth leaders to help them out and we will arrange activities for other young people off the street," he said. "It's rewarding because if other community members see us helping out then they might change their opinion of young people in the community."

Edmund Rice Centre Multicultural Sports and Leadership Coordinator Joe Moniodis said participation in sport was opening up a world of possibilities for the young participants.

"It gives them something to do," he said. "You can definitely tell the difference between a young person who has a lot to do and one who doesn't. It really does affect every part of their life. Imagine what they could get up to if they weren't doing these things. Instead, they're out in the community helping others."

Mr Moniodis said the program was an example of how much could be achieved by community groups with the help of some initial government funding and how a relatively small investment could go a long way towards getting valuable results for communities.

"Without the original funding from DSR we wouldn't have been able to start the program and make it what it is now," he said.

Referee Michael Manners was enlisted to run the refereeing classes for the centre and said the skills the participants had learnt would be useful both on and off the court.

"Refereeing builds character and confidence and helps them with teamwork because they have to work together," he said. "What we teach in the Level 0 course are things like being nice and loud and assertive and to take control of the game, and that sort of stuff can come in to play in other parts of their lives."

DSR CaLD Officer Melissa Rudez said DSR had committed ongoing funding to the centre for three years. She said participation in sport and recreation was a great way for people from culturally diverse backgrounds to become connected with their communities.