LOCAL football clubs are a great way for young people to keep up their physical fitness, but can also be a place to start a conversation about keeping mentally healthy as well.
That is the view of a new partnership between the headspace Swan Hill, the AFL and Movember Ahead of the Game (AOTG).
Headspace have joined 15 other community organisations from across the country to be part of what’s said to be the largest roll-out of a mental fitness program in sport globally.
AOTG is a mental health literacy and resilience program that aims to educate players and umpires aged 12 to 18, as well as their support networks of parents, coaches and club volunteers, to help them take on life’s challenges both on and off the field.
AOTG project implementation lead Shaun Vance and Victoria project co-ordinator Josh Olver came to Swan Hill to train the headspace facilitators over two days last week, going through the content of the program to prepare for the local initiative in the coming months.
“A massive focus for the AFL and Movember is to improve mental health outcomes for young Aussies,” Mr Vance told The Guardian.
“We wanted to go and have those local partners deliver to their community – so it’s not the AFL flying in, flying out, it’s local organisations who actually go out and deliver this program to their own community clubs, which has greater reach and greater impact.
“We’ve provided each of the delivery partners with the content and the resources required.”
Headspace Swan Hill community engagement officer Kat Hindle she was really pleased they were able to take part in the training, hoping to implement the program in local community clubs as soon as possible.
“I think there is an excitement in the room,” Ms Hindle said.
“We’re partnering with other organisations that we can work with that either have a focus on mental health and wellbeing, physical health or early intervention and mental health literacy.
“(By doing that) we can reach more clubs in the area and upskill the community in facilitation and in mental health literacy to reach more young people.”
Joining headspace Swan Hill at the training days was Swan Hill District Health counselling department, Northern District Community Health, Central Mallee Health, Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Mallee Sports Assembly, Reclink and headspace Bendigo.
“We’re really just trying to put ourselves out of a job,” Ms Hindle said.
“The more we can get this out there, the better – build the skills, resilience and community capacity with training other organisations, and having people in the clubs that have the skills to have the conversations.”
Ms Hindle said their goal was to run at least 20 workshops in local community clubs before the end of the year.
“I would love to see us be able to run this program in every single club in the Central Murray, Golden Rivers and North Central leagues over the next 18 months,” she said.
To find out more about the free AOTG program, contact headspace Swan Hill on 1800 975 115.
Community football clubs can also register their expression of interest for the first year of the AOTG program at www.play.afl/aotg
