Cairns Hockey: More girls can Aspire to be Deadly as program set to expand
Cairns Hockey Association has used the COVID-19 shutdown to develop its Aspire to be Deadly school-based program, with plans to expand the initiative over the next 12 months to further its goal of building a leading national program.
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Cairns Hockey Association’s Aspire to be Deadly indigenous hockey program is back in schools after it was forced to suspend face-to-face mentoring for almost three months due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Aspire program co-ordinator Wes Ferns said the Aspire team had been working extremely hard during the shutdown period to be able to get the program back into schools safely.
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“We’ve obviously got restrictions we have to adhere to, but it’s just great that they’re allowing us to go back in and do some work with the students during the day,” he said.
“It was important that our program mentors, Jess and Lisa Fatnowna, were able to go back in and do some mentoring with their girls in the classroom.
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“Outside of the classroom, they will run some hockey clinics, or just be there to have a chat with any of the girls, just to build that relationship again.
“It’s been a couple months since they’ve been able to work with them, so it’s just about building and keeping that relationship with these girls.”
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The Aspire team used the shutdown period to develop its school-based program, with plans to expand the program over the next 12 months and further its goal of building a leading national program.
The expansion will include more than 20 schools who will deliver the Learn Well, Live Well, Lead Well initiative, designed to help young indigenous women finish school and become strong individuals capable of inspiring and mentoring the next generation.
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Aspire development officer and program mentor Lisa Fatnowna said it was a privilege to coach, teach and bond with the young indigenous girls in the program.
“My favourite part is sitting down with these girls and helping them with their class work and being recognised as a safe role model they can turn to whenever having issues at home, at school and at hockey,” she said.
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“At first it can be difficult, but once you’ve created a strong trusting bond with the girls they start to warm up to you. It’s all hugs and giggles once you’ve passed that.”
More than 1400 young women from the Torres Strait Islands, Cape York, Cairns and Tableland and Gulf Savannah have participated in the program since it was created in 2015.
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Following its expansion, it is anticipated that an additional 500 young women will benefit from the program before the end of 2021.
Cairns Hockey Association also has plans to open a new “hockey hub” at its fields next term.
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“That’s going to be a great resource once we get it going,” Ferns said.
“It’s providing a safe place for these kids after school. We can bring them to hockey, teach them how to cook, run workshops, feed them before they go to training, or they can get their homework done before training.”
Originally published as Cairns Hockey: More girls can Aspire to be Deadly as program set to expand