Giving Kids a Sporting Chance

Like most parents, Sam and Louise Varsaci wanted their son Josh to feel the comradery and the sense of pride that comes with being part of a sporting team.

Sam, an avid cricketer, knew what Josh would be missing out on if he didn’t get to whack round the willow, or shoot hoops. But as a child with special needs, the opportunities for Josh to play sport in the Traralgon area were limited.

“I was looking for a community sports group for Josh to be part of,” said Sam. “I’d always played sport my whole life and wanted to get Josh involved and was trying to find avenues for that to try and be possible for him. There were a few groups around at the time, but it was fairly limited and most of them, the participation was from adults.

“Josh was seven at the time and the next youngest in the cricket group I was looking at the time was 24. So, there was nothing there that deliberately catered for school aged children with special needs.”

Instead of lamenting the lack of sporting opportunities for his son, Sam, alongwith wife Louise and another couple, decided to create their own.

“Another family we knew had just started the Ability Football program in Traralgon. The opportunity arose, to try the same with cricket. From there, Latrobe Valley All Ability Sports was born.”

The parent-run and driven organisation has been providing children of differing needs the chance to be part of a sporting team for the past decade.

The program runs during school terms, and includes a cricket, football and tennis, with basketball on the cards to be reintroduced in the future.

“The way the program works is we run the program, so coaching and administering it. But we also align ourselves to local community sporting clubs, depending on the sport. With football it’s West End Junior Football Club in Traralgon. The cricket, we align with Traralgon West Cricket Club, which is a club that I’ve been involved with for more than 20 years. And with tennis we’re aligned with Pax Hill Tennis Club.” The program purely focuses on training, rather than competition. There’s no pressure on the children to compete, but rather it’s a chance for them to be active and part of the sporting community.

“I understand the benefits of being part of a sporting club. Making friends and how great that network is and how it helps integrating yourself into the community. But even more so for these kids because they don’t really get that opportunity to be part of a sports team often.”

The participants get to wear the same sports uniforms as their aligned club, and club members often get involved in training sessions.

“It’s just fantastic, you can see the smiles and the joy on their faces when they realise, they’re actually part of something. And not just that – it’s the parents. It’s great for them to feel that there’s something for their kids to be a part of in that sporting community. And to see their kids just get out there and be active and enjoy sport for what it is.”

Participants’ special needs range from high needs to high functioning, but the kids don’t need to be attending special schools. The program includes many participants who attend mainstream schools, but find the noise or pressure involved with traditional sport overwhelming.

Parents are charged a minimal amount for their kids to join, with Sam campaigning tirelessly for grants and funding to keep costs low.

The program has had participants from as young as four, up to 18-yearolds, and it’s often led to kids progressing through to joining traditional sports clubs.

“The idea is that this is a pathway for some of these kids, that they can do this program and hopefully if they’re up to it, gravitate towards a more mainstream program. They don’t have to but it’s an opportunity.”

Anyone wanting to get involved in Latrobe Valley All Abilities Sports can contact Sam or Louise on 51750877 or visit the Facebook page: All-ability Sports, Latrobe Valley.