Set in the picturesque location of the Coogee Lifesaving Club, cool saltwater breeze wafting and golden sun setting, I rocked up to my first Social Inclusion Forum, December 2020, as a brand new team member at Inclusion Solutions. I’d just landed the role of Inclusion Consultant, and was hyping myself up to meet my new teammates and see what the Forum was all about.
Participating clubs in the United Reds Football League were invited to field a team. Teams consisted of children with and without disabilities in a morning of clinics run by Football West coaches and carnival-style football.
When working with clubs and groups in the community, we often hear that they offer an inclusive environment but don’t seem to be attracting more diverse members.
I moved over to Australia when I was 6 years old and because of that, my parents were very eager for me to join a local team and learn to play AFL, as is customary for young kids in WA. Whilst I enjoyed the sport, I never felt like I truly fit in with the rest of my teammates and, particularly on those rainy Sundays, I really didn’t want to be there.
I never appreciated how lucky I was growing up; I was part of so many communities that made me feel welcomed for being me. It wasn’t until I moved away from these connections I realised the power of community and social inclusion.
As a child, there were only two ways you could get me remotely interested in cricket. The first is beach cricket because I knew I could spend most of my time “fielding” in the water. The second was a Kanga Cricket Carnival at school, on the proviso that at the end of spending all day in the sun I knew I would be getting a Milo sachet that I could eat (yes, without milk) before I got home. This was because I knew full well my mum would not have allowed me to do that at home!
When I first came to Australia, at the age of 21, I didn’t know anyone in Perth. I quickly realised, leaving my entire network in South Africa, that I had no sense of belonging or connection to any people, culture or club. Having played football (aka soccer, that round ball sport, the world game) extensively throughout my life, I decided to join a local club.
At the age of 6, my mum took me to my first gymnastics class. My best friend’s mum was a coach at our local club, and she had convinced my mum to let me have a go. I loved it!
In 2019, Cricket Australia approached Inclusion Solutions to deliver a pilot project to support the organisation’s mission of creating a sport for all Australians. This project was based on the success of the WACA Partnership Project, whereby Inclusion Solutions would work with Cricket Australia to roll out a series of educational opportunities for staff and cricket volunteers across the country.
In the 2016/17 cricket season, Quinns Rocks Junior Cricket had no girls-only teams. A year later, they fielded two and their girls participation was rapidly increasing. After winning the WACA Club of the Year for their dedication to girls cricket, they set out to provide opportunities for children with disabilities to play cricket.