This year we have seen an enthusiastic start to the football and netball season, with both the district and Wimmera leagues seeing teams back on the field and court after two years of COVID disruption.
One dampener on this return however has been low numbers for participation in under 17s teams for both football and netball. Three sides in the district league haven’t been able to field under 17s teams, and the picture is even worse in the Wimmera leagues.
Without these teams fielding under 17s teams, where will they be in a few years’ time without young players coming up through the ranks?
Another gap this leaves is the families who come along with their young players to support the every-day running of the competition as volunteers. We need parents and players to help out to keep the whole operation afloat.
With only a finite number of volunteers pulling all the weight, there is sure to be burnout, painting a worrying picture for these team sports that are iconic and a way of life for many in our region.
So, what can we do?
A good starting point is to encourage young people around you to get involved. Team sports teach us so much, including social skills and team work, and help us connect to others. There is nothing quite like sharing a win with your team mates, or commiserating on a near loss.
I hope we don’t see a generation that misses out on these experiences through our football and netball clubs.
On a brighter note, individual sports like golf have done really well out of the pandemic, with the Horsham Golf Club buzzing with activity of late.
Another great outcome from all of the difficult times is the offer of the Active Horsham program.
From now until November, people can get down to the Sawyer Park sound shell every Saturday at 9am to participate in an outdoor health and wellbeing class, for free.
This is an excellent time to try out new classes, meet new people and experience the beauty of our Wimmera River precinct.
It’s also a great way to get fit, ready to participate in a team sport… it’s not too late to sign up with your local team for the football and netball season!
