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Auskick comes to the Peninsula

The Australian Football League Auskick program is about to be introduced on the Peninsula.

A free introduction session will be held at 4pm on August 19 at Rogers Park, Ocean Beach Rd, Woy Woy.

The program will be held over 10 weeks and at a price of $30.

The charge covers the cost of an Auskick pack which consists of a back pack, a Russell Auskick cap, a football, a cd-rom with interactive computer games, stickers, poster book, magnetic AFL ladder and a free pass to AFL games at the SCG and Stadium Australia.

The Peninsula program is an initiative of Peter Rea.

Peter claims a long association with Auskick.

Six years ago he established an AFL Auskick Centre at Kincumber which he later "handballed" onto others.

That centre has now become the Saratoga Junior Football Club.

Since then Peter has been spending a lot of his time with other AFL people bringing Auskick to children in the northern Wyong area.

"I've been looking forward to bringing the Auskick programme we've developed, back to children closer to where I live," Peter said.

"Over the last few years, Auskick has been adapted to better suit our region.

"For example, we give the thousands of mums and dads who commute for hours each day to work the opportunity to reduce the amount of travelling they do on weekends for their children's sport.

"We've also realised many parents would like to be actively involved with their children's sport, so Auskick doesn't have to be a sport where they just bring their child to the oval and the coach takes over.

"If the parents have the time and if they want to, they are encouraged to become as actively involved as they wish in the skill development of their children.

"Again after listening to parents, we reduced the amount of the competition in Auskick.

"We can do this because Australian rules football is a very skillful game.

"I don't know of another sport that develops co-ordination like pinpoint accurate kicking, with both left and right feet, combined with handballing, with left and right hands, combined with running flat out while bouncing a ball.

"This allows us to concentrate on the children enjoying developing their co-ordination and teamwork skills, rather than the main object being to thrash another team in a full-on competitive game," said Peter.

"We do play football games in Auskick, but these start after a few weeks of skills learning.

"We divide the field into three zones.

"We then rotate the children through each zone during the game.

"This gives an equal opportunity for them to play for the ball in the centre, to protect their goal in the backs and to kick for points in the forward zone.

Peter said that "being born and raised in Sydney, I don't have an AFL background but since my eldest son (who now at 22 is playing seniors) decided to do it when he was about seven, I have grown to appreciate this uniquely Australian game.

"I've come to believe it must be about the best thing in the world that boys and girls can do to develop co-ordination skills and have fun in a team environment," Peter said.

For more details, phone Peter on 4369 2786 or email auskick@iprimus.com.au.

Press release, August 7