Canberra students experienced the excitement of the Commonwealth Games firsthand with a recent visit from Australian team members, gymnasts Georgia Godwin and Jesse Moore.
The event on 25 June was the first in a series of school visits as part of a partnership between Commonwealth Games Australia and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) to champion Play Well, the Australia’s national sport participation strategy.
ASC General Manager of Participation Cameron French hopes the collaboration can turn the inspiration of Glasgow into lifelong participation.
“We hope watching our Aussie athletes on the world stage will encourage more Australians to join a sporting club, try a new activity, volunteer, coach, officiate or just reconnect with sport.”
Year 1 and 2 students from Florey Primary School took part in a Sporting Schools gymnastics session delivered by Gecko Sports, practicing tumbling, balancing and movement skills while discovering the joy of gymnastics in a fun and supportive environment.
Godwin and Moore were on hand to share some tips and show students that every elite athlete’s journey starts somewhere local.
“I started at a local PCYC on the Gold Coast, and it honestly looked a bit like this,” Godwin said.
“You can start sport as a kid for fun and anything can grow from that. If you get involved and do it for the right reasons, it can literally lead you to the Commonwealth Games and Olympics.”
Moore echoed that message.
“Sport should be inclusive and fun and accessible for everyone. Australia is such a culturally sporting nation, I think everyone should be able to achieve their dreams through sport.”
Sporting Schools is an Australian Government initiative delivered by the ASC, helping children become more active through sport programs.
It gives schools the flexibility to choose the sports that best suit their students and communities, including many featured at the Commonwealth Games such as gymnastics, basketball, netball, bowls and judo. Many can also be delivered through inclusive and modified formats.
“We’ve seen the joy, energy and enthusiasm from the kids today, and that’s being replicated in thousands of schools across the country giving kids an opportunity they otherwise might not have had,” Mr French added.
School visits will continue after the Games, connecting Australian athletes with schools and communities across the country under the banner of Play Well.
The Play Well logo will also feature on select Australian Team competition and delegation uniforms in Glasgow, reinforcing the Play Well message on the world stage.
Learn more about the CGA and Play Well partnership.
Learn more about Sporting Schools.
