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Girls stick together for Hockey Barra Challenge
by Pip Miller 1 October 2015
Y
oung female hockey players from remote Australia are taking part in a three-day training camp in Cairns designed to nurture future talent while improving social outcomes for Indigenous girls and young women through participation in the popular team sport. The Barra Challenge – hosted by Cairns Hockey Association’s Aspire Program to coincide with the Australian Men’s Masters Hockey Championships (AMMHC) – is a girls’ training and development clinic taking place from today,
Image: Steve Barnett of Reflex Photography
Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 September at Cairns Hockey’s international-standard playing facilities located 3km from the CBD. More than 30 Indigenous girls aged 13 years and under will travel from Cape York, Torres Strait Islands and the Gulf Savannah to join the workshops, which run from 9am to 5pm each day and combine sport, culture and kinship in a positive environment. Aspire Program Coordinator and Mentor Coach Wesley Ferns said Cairns Hockey was committed to ensuring a framework for Indigenous young women and
girls to become involved in the sport at a grassroots level, while also providing mentorship aimed at increasing self-confidence and positive opportunities for participants. “The Aspire Program allows Indigenous young women and girls to learn new skills, have fun and make friends in a positive setting that encourages goal-setting and healthy choices,” Mr Ferns said. “With the support of Cairns Hockey, we aim to give young players from remote regions the chance to successfully complete school and attend training programs in Cairns as part of an ongoing
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Jess, Lisa, Isabelle and Faith take time out on day two of Cairns Hockey Association’s three day training clinic for Indigenous Girls in Cairns
commitment to mentor and support them through their journey with the sport.” “We are very excited to be holding the Barra Challenge during the Australian Men’s Masters Hockey Championships, where the girls will be able to witness the action of the national tournament on-field. We will also be inviting the Masters players to talk with us about how hockey has helped them in their lives, and the friendships it has brought them,” he said. Players from remote Australia will be joined by others from the Cairns region for the Barra Challenge, which will be facilitated by Mr Ferns with ambassadors Jess Fatnowna, a Cairns player finishing high school this year, and Dalassa Savage, a young Torres Strait Islander woman who has travelled extensively with the Aspire Program. “I have been playing hockey since primary school at the suggestion of my teacher, and the best thing for me has been the lasting friendships I have formed.
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Ebi and Ashanti from the Torres Strait with coach Wes Ferns
Image: Steve Barnett of Reflex Photography
Hockey has given me a lot of selfesteem,” Ms Savage said. Local Indigenous artist Kevin Edmonstone will also attend the Challenge to speak with participants on the role of indigenous culture and art in hockey. Each girl will receive a t-shirt featuring the beautiful Aspire logo, created by Mr Edmonstone.
Cairns Hockey and Aspire support the delivery of hockey programs throughout remote regions of Australia through training and educational support, access to ambassadors and role models, talent identification programs and workshops, as part of a partnership with Hockey Queensland spanning 13 years.