A project aimed at getting more young people from culturally diverse backgrounds involved in sport and recreation clubs in the local government areas of Belmont, Armadale, Gosnells, Victoria Park and Canning has been launched.
10 December 2008
The South East Corridor Culturally
and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) Youth Sport and Recreation Project will
address low participation rates of CaLD children and youth (6-25 year olds) in
sport and active recreation.
The three-year project is the result of a partnership between the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) and the Department for Communities' Office for Youth, and is being delivered by Communicare.
DSR CaLD Inclusion Officer Melissa Rudez said Western Australia was the most culturally diverse state in Australia with more than a quarter of the population born overseas.
She said Perth's South East Corridor had been chosen as the site for the project due to its increasing settlement numbers of refugees and new migrants, and that both young people from a CaLD background and local clubs would gain from the project.
"Research shows participation in team sport is an effective strategy for helping migrants and refugees connect with the wider community," Ms Rudez said.
"By encouraging people of diverse cultures to become members, associations and clubs can also benefit from increased membership, exposure to a different culture and access to a larger talent pool."
The Belmont Soccer Club is an example of an association that is already reaping the benefits of being inclusive.
With 10 young people who have migrated from countries including Afghanistan, South Africa and Lebanon among its 14 players, the club's Under 16s team may hail from different backgrounds, but its players are finding some common ground on the football pitch. And their results on the ladder last season speak for themselves.
Coach Bill Dow says the team made the Grand Final after winning their Semi-Final match 4-1. But they were unfortunately defeated in the final game 3-1.
"So many in our team are newcomers with only about five boys having played in previous years, but we only lost two games all season, including the Grand Final," Bill said.
He said having players from culturally diverse backgrounds had been a positive experience for the club.
"They're always the first here ... they'll be warming up well before the start of training," Bill said. "Even though a lot of them haven't played organised soccer before, they very quickly get what's required and listen to instructions - even though sometimes there may be a language barrier.
"They may not understand some technical terms and we may do a skills exercise they haven't come across before, but they tend to work hard at it rather than say ‘I can't do this' and play the fool and muck around like some other kids would."
Bill says there were some initial difficulties that needed to be ironed out, but once the barriers were identified they had been easily overcome.
"When one of the boys first started he sometimes couldn't get to away games and was very reticent and reluctant to tell somebody he needed a lift, so he'd be late or just didn't turn up," Bill said.
"Once we identified the problem we would check before each away game if he needed a lift and now we all just meet here and travel to the game in a convoy."
Susan Barrera, Director General, Department for Communities encouraged other clubs across the state to follow Belmont Soccer Club's lead.
"The Office for Youth believes that young Western Australians from all walks of life should have the opportunity to participate in the broad range of recreational programs available in our State," Ms Barrera said.
"Reports that young people are becoming increasingly sedentary and involved in indoor activities such as computer games are a cause for concern.
"Programs such as the South East corridor project are to be welcomed as a way of increasing the number of physical activity options for young people. In a positive and constructive way, they promote and encourage healthy lifestyles to our youth - particularly to those who might be new to the idea of organised sporting activities."
