Melbourne Heart FC helped to launch the ‘Heart of Carlton’ program yesterday, which aims to combine the energy of playing soccer with education.
Melbourne Heart FC helped to launch the ‘Heart of Carlton’ program yesterday, which aims to combine the energy of playing soccer with education on healthy living to Carlton Primary School students.
Through the support of the City of Melbourne, the project aims to increase the level of physical activity among children with decreased opportunities for exercise and exposure to sports education, promote healthy lifestyle, fair play and provide links to other sporting opportunities.
The program, an initiative of Melbourne Heart and Sports Without Borders, consists of a series of after school soccer clinics, followed by information sessions on topics ranging from exercising properly, eating well for school, having enough energy and team responsibility.
Carlton Primary School accommodates around 95 students, many of whom are from a refugee background specifically from the Horn of Africa. The clinics will be held on the school oval and promoted to the students.
Melbourne Heart Game Development Officer, Louisa Bisby, and former Heart player Kamal Ibrahim will coach the children throughout the clinics and will be supported by SEDA students. The program will be prepared and analysed by the University of Melbourne, Graduate School of Education.
“We are excited about the Heart of Carlton program. It is a way of providing children, who have limited opportunities to be physically active a chance to have some fun and learn new skills. We hope they will be inspired by our elite coaches Louisa Bisby and Kamal Ibrahim and go on to join local football clubs.” Sue Crow, GM Community, Melbourne Heart FC, said.
“It is a terrific project that really uses the full potential of sport; getting children active in a code they passionate about, giving them access to professional coaches, providing education around healthy lifestyle, and focusing on the values within sport and team environments, respect, fair play, listening, and supporting each other.”
