How to implement an Access All Abilities NAB AFL Auskick Centre

How to implement an All Abilities NAB AFL Auskick Centre

Congratulations!

If you’re reading this it is because your NAB AFL Auskick centre is AWESOME!

By choosing to become an All Abilities NAB AFL Auskick Centre you are;

✚    Showing a commitment to Inclusion

✚    Providing an opportunity to children and their families they haven’t had before

✚    Valuing the contribution all children can make to NAB AFL Auskick

✚    Leading your community in inclusive practice

What do we need to do?

It might feel daunting but it really isn’t that hard. Work through the checklist below and read the more detailed information on each area.

All Abilities NAB AFL Auskick Centre Checklist

• Including an All Abilities Group is supported by our NAB AFL Auskick Committee
• We are confident our centre is physically accessible (ramp access, disabled toilets etc.)
• We know what type of All Abilities NAB AFL Auskick Centre we want to be – Disability Specific or Side by Side
• We have identified coaches to support the All Abilities group
• We have organised to brief all our NAB AFL Auskick families on what being an All Abilities NAB AFL Auskick centre means
• We have sent out the “Getting the most out of our Auskickers” form to all our families and distributed completed forms to our coaches
• We have considered alternate areas within our club to hold sessions if required (e.g. indoors if the oval is too wet and muddy for children who use wheelchairs/walkers)
• We have identified a ‘quiet space’ within our club for families to utilise to if required
• We have considered how to market the All Abilities group locally (Special Schools, Early Intervention Centres, Council etc.)
• We have visited the AllPlay Footy website at www.allplayfooty.org.au and accessed resources to support our Club, Coaches, Parents and Kids

Is our centre physically accessible?

Some points to consider…

✚    Is there wheelchair/ramp access to your change rooms, club rooms & oval?

✚    Do you have an accessible toilet? (that isn’t being used as extra storage!)

✚    Have you got dedicated Accessible parking bays?

✚    Are your doors wide enough? Are they easy to open?

✚    Do you have alternate areas within your club to holds sessions if required (e.g. for kids who use wheelchairs/walkers)

If you answered no to some of these, that’s ok! You can try to fix it/think of alternative solutions

Remember the club/footy ground where the program is held needs to be easy to approach, enter, and use safely and with dignity for someone with a disability.

Do we have adapted equipment?

Some points to consider:

✚    Are there other types of balls that might be needed such as round balls, smaller balls, balloons, bean bags, balls with bells inside or an audible beeper ball and lighter coloured balls for kids with vision difficulties?

✚    Do you have a whiteboard/flip chart so you can write down instructions for kids with hearing difficulties?

✚    Do you have visual instructions at each station describing what to do in pictures/words?

What is disability specific or side by side?

Read our guide on types of All Abilities Centres. Disability Specific is;

• Separate centres set up to specifically cater to children of All Abilities
• Generally set up at a Special School or Early Intervention Centre

Side by Side is (most of you!!)

• Another group as a part of your existing centre for children of All Abilities to participate
• Given a bit more space and support

What about our coaches?

The key point to remember is that – A good coach is an inclusive coach!

An Inclusive coach:

• Understands when activities aren’t going to plan and need to be adjusted
• Thinks outside the box to ensure everyone gets a go

And remember THIS IS NAB AFL AUSKICK not the AFL…

Kids simply want;

• To have fun
• Move / get active
• Be included and supported to participate

Use the extensive coach resources here on AllPlay Footy to help coaches become inclusive for all children and register for AllPlay training.

Some things to consider

• Parental involvement is key to the success of NAB AFL Auskick – give opportunities to parents of kids in the All Abilities groups to attend coaching courses
• Often children in the All Abilities group like structure – don’t be afraid to repeat skills/drills/games that work in future weeks!
• Can you put together a story board to help the kids understand the structure of the session?
• Visual representations of tasks help children to learn in different ways
• To ease the anxiety of the parents AND kids it’s a good idea to have a quiet space available for the kids to ‘escape’ to if things get a bit overwhelming

How do we learn more about the kids?

To support the inclusion of children of All Abilities it’s important to find out how you can help them enjoy NAB AFL Auskick

• Ensure you check your registration forms – parents will use these to tell you things you need to know about their child
• Send the “Getting the most out of our NAB AFL Auskickers” form to your families. This form is designed to de-mystify disability and give you practical tips to support inclusion
• Never assume, always ask. If you’re not sure about something, ask the child, parents or caregiver
• Check out the AllPlay Footy coach resources for some strategies for including specific disability types

What next?

• Think about new groups to market to, including;
• Local Special Schools
• Early Intervention Centres
• Facebook support groups
• Local council
• Hold an information session for all of your NAB AFL Auskick families explaining why you have chosen to become an All Abilities NAB AFL Auskick centre
• Check out the rest of AllPlay Footy for ideas and further support for Coaches, Parents and Kids
• Have fun! This will be an incredibly rewarding experience for you and your NAB AFL Auskick centre

Downloadable Resources

Contact

For more information please contact Tim Nield, Inclusion (All Abilities) Manager at AFL on Tim.Nield@afl.com.au or 0418 489 019.