‘Be All In’ – building social cohesion through sport
‘Be All In’ is a Bulldogs in the Community initiative. It is an after-school, sports for development program aimed at supporting new and emerging communities by encouraging social cohesion through sport.
The program will be offered to students at high schools in the Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool and Auburn areas. It will run between 6-8 weeks in Terms 3 and 4 2016 and Term 1 2017.
The program includes a sports skills clinic presented by sporting partners, an education session presented by community partners and special events presented by the Bulldogs and Western Sydney University.
Students have the opportunity to participate in multiple sports, including rugby league, cricket and soccer while learning about topics such as violence prevention, self-esteem and valuing diversity.
The program will be delivered by the Bulldogs and Western Sydney University in partnership with local councils and community organisations.
Targeting students from new and emerging communities in Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool and Auburn
The Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool and Auburn local government areas are home to some of the most disadvantaged groups in Sydney, and have taken in the largest number of refugees in Australia.
An additional 12,000 refugees are expected to settle in South and Western Sydney in 2016. As major organisations located in the heart of this region, the Bulldogs and Western Sydney University have a significant role to play in building social harmony by assisting in the settlement of newly arrived migrants, including refugees.
Who can be involved
The program works with schools and teachers to target students who:
- have shown an interest in sport but aren’t confident enough to get involved
- are from immigrant and refugee backgrounds and who could benefit from involvement in sport as a way of connecting with other students
- are girls from cultural backgrounds where female participation in sport is not encouraged (parents are invited to be part of the program), and
- have additional needs and might be able to use sport as a way of remaining engaged in education and focused on learning.
Program structure: delivering sports and life skills
‘Be All In’ is designed to deliver social development through sport. The table below details the structure of the program.
| WEEK | EDUCATION | SPORT |
| 1 | Self-esteem & self awareness | Rugby League |
| 2 | Valuing diversity | Soccer |
| 3 | Conflict resolution | Hockey |
| 4 |
Dealing with challenges and change | Cricket |
| 5 | Rights and Responsibilities | Netball |
| 6 | Job Search Skills |
T-Ball |
| 7 | Goal Setting |
Basketball |
More information on ‘Be All In’
The program is being tested in four high schools in Sydney’s southwest — Wiley Park Girls, Bankstown Girls, Belmore Boys and Sir Joseph Banks and if successful will be rolled out across NSW.
For more information on ‘Be All In’, contact Fayssal Sari, General Manager – Community, The Bulldogs.
E: sarif@bulldogs.com.au
