Volunteering
St Kilda Next Generation Academy
I have had the privilege of volunteering with St Kilda Football Club’s Next Generation Academy for both 2020 and 2021. At St Kilda, I worked with the high-performance staff to present a training program to a select group of young aspiring AFL players whilst liaising with players, coaches, and physiotherapists.
Working with athletes it is important to know and understand the age demographic; who they, are in and out of the sport, developing an interest in them as a person, these are attributes of a great leader. This age demographic is highly impressionable and respond well to perceived access to success. To help these athletes along their journey I provided constant encouragement. I connected with each individual, regularly checking in on a one-to-one basis to see how they were feeling, and how they were managing their sport, school, and social commitments. Building a good rapport is crucial for mental wellbeing. My role as a leader here was more than sports conditioning, it required me to build the whole person.
My role was to guide them through their training that had been written by the high-performance team, of which I was now an integral part. It is important to help with their overall physical well-being. As high-performance staff, we educate the players on the importance of recovery through stretching, adequate nutrition, hydration, and sleep.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with such amazing players and staff. I have been able to learn so much through this experience. Good leaders must also grow. My confidence has improved, my communication skills expanded and so too my ability to work with a large group of people. This experience helped me develop important skills for my university degree in terms of program writing, coaching, and leadership. Perhaps the most powerful testament to my role and contributions was the invitation from the St Kilda Football Club’s Next Generation Academy to return in 2022.
Sherrin
In 2020 I volunteered as a Sherrin mascot assistant with Russell Corporation Aust. This internship allowed me to obtain sports industry and events work experience. I was able to receive a meaningful learning experience, training and skill development relating to my studies with the Sherrin Marketing Department.
My first day with Sherrin I was assisted with Melbourne Football Club’s family day at the MCG. My role was to assist the Sherrin mascot and ensure their wellbeing being in a large football costume on such a warm day. I interacted with Sherrin staff, Melbourne FC staff and the families at the event. It was important that I was able to communicate effectively to both adults and children. I had to be a role model for the families and ensure that everyone was having fun inclusively with the Sherrin mascot.
Time Out
Box Hill Rugby Club
In 2021 I was involved in the development of the program Time Out. In collaboration with Box Hill Rugby Club, we created a program for getting women involved in sport. As a team, we used research from Vic Health to find gaps in the community and how it could best be filled. Time Out was established as an initiative for women in the Box Hill, Burwood and Blackburn area to encourage them to participate in sport. A 6 week program in which I helped create, promote and design training programs. This is something that I am thankful to be a part of.
From this passion to have more women in sport I was able to have a live chat streamed on Instagram with DeakinActive in collaboration with This Girl Can Campaign. I was interviewed by one of the staff about my journey in sport and the beginning of my podcast. I also shared my advice and tips on balancing sport and study commitments and the importance of sport for both your mental and physical wellbeing. Having a platform like DeakinAcitve social media to be able to share my own experiences and have an impact on others is an amazing opportunity that I don’t take for granted.
Volunteering Reflection
Each of these roles has provided different opportunities and has also presented varying challenges. The personal development that took place in this environment was fundamental to my growth as a leader. All leadership experiences are unique in their own right, they serve to educate and empower. These experiences truly did that, it was a life lesson, personal development and awareness that I had not encountered before. It made me feel the pressure of leading and pushed me to lead beyond my achievements at Deakin University and apply my degree.
