Leading Forward program
Tuesday, 29th November 2011
By Rikki Ryder
The V Swans Leading Forward program is a metro based primary school program run by V Swans that offers students in years 5-7 an opportunity to partake in theory and practical based workshops, based on the game of Australian Rules Football.
2011 was the first year the program has been run and consisted of a 20-week program over school terms 2 and 3 at Ashfield Primary School and Midvale Primary School.
The program encourages students to volunteer and assist in their local community and improve their attendance and behavior at school as well as reduce school suspensions.
This is done through an incentive based points system where students are rewarded for meeting set criteria. Each student in the program also received a specially designed V Swans Leading Forward shirt, entry to Swans Districts Football Club home games throughout season 2011 and an opportunity to play Little League at half time of the Swans Districts Football Club v Subiaco Football Club league game in season 2011.
Each workshop lasted around 1 hour and alternated between theory lessons where students were taught about the rules of Australian football, coaching, umpiring, nutrition, drugs and alcohol awareness, injury prevention and how to be a team player, and practical based lessons, where students learnt how to perform the skills of Australian Football and practiced these skills in modified, all inclusive games.
The end of program incentive for all students that met the required criteria involved a special West Coast Eagles facilities tour followed by a picnic lunch and presentation of graduation and awards.
Based on the schools attendance and behavioral records, both Midvale and Ashfield Primary School recorded fewer school suspensions and greater school attendance by participants during the time that the program was active at the schools. The teachers of the students were also able to provide many case studies of improved behavior and self esteem of students involved.
As a result the V Swans Leading Forward program is looking forward to having a greater impact in 2012 and beyond with greater duration spent in the schools and the possibility of more primary schools involved.
