Latrobe Leisure Moe-Newborough was a hive of activity last week when 10 Olympians and Australian sporting representatives came to town to share their skills with primary school students.
More than 300 students from 10 primary schools across the Latrobe Valley were treated to a day full of fun and learning as part of the A.S.P.I.R.E Leadership Program.
The program – run by Sport and Recreation Victoria and the Victorian Olympic Council – aims to connect regional communities and local school students with Olympians, increase participation in sport and promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Athletics, basketball, volleyball, football and gymnastics activities were spread across the precinct with each coordinated by two Olympians and a representative from a local sporting club.
Australian Olympic Committee state manager Maria Cabeliza said the program played a pivotal role in helping children realise their sporting dreams.
“The most important aspect of [the day] is to be able to connect the local schools to the athletes, but more importantly, the local clubs so they can create a pathway,” Cabeliza said.
“The program is based on the A.S.P.I.R.E Australian Olympic Team values and looks at the values which the athletes sign up to and how that transposes from sport into everyday life.”
Dual Olympian gymnast Larissa Miller and former Australian Opal and Games silver medallist Michelle Brogan were just a couple of the big names present on the day.
Cabeliza said one of the key outcomes of the program, with the help of local sporting clubs, was to spark or strengthen the connection between children and sport at a grassroots level.
“We not only have a relationship with the regional sports academies and sport assemblies but also with the local clubs in the area and that is key to the success of the program,” she said.
“To ensure that at the end of the day the kids can then go away … and whatever the closest club or association is they can get connected with that sport.”
The athletes and club representatives also shared stories of their individual journeys with students and were on hand for advice.
“[We want] to get the kids to think about what they want to achieve, to try a sport they’ve never tried before or try a sport they love but they know they’re not good at, or something as simple as just getting a tip from an Olympian on what they could be doing differently to improve,” Cabeliza said.
“The key message is walking away and being able to then connect with the local club to say ‘this is how I continue my journey in sport’, whether it be at an elite level or purely for fun and participation.”
