Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up | Athletics Australia relaunches First Nations programs

In celebration of NAIDOC Week 2022 and its theme of ‘Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up’, Athletics Australia is proud to relaunch its First Nations programs, allowing more young Indigenous people than ever to get involved in our sport.

Since 2010, Athletics Australia has delivered a number of programs to boost participation in Indigenous communities, including programs such as Raise The Bar, held in conjunction with the University of Melbourne, as well as the Athletics for the Outback Program delivered in regional and remote communities.

These programs provide athletics and educational opportunities to Indigenous participants and coaches by developing the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to pursue lifelong participation and enjoyment of the sport and exposing students to education pathways. Commencing later in July with the support of new partners, Athletics Australia will begin scaling the delivery of Raise the Bar and Athletics for the Outback nationally to a level that was not previously possible.

“The benefits derived from participation in sport and physical activity have a profound ability to contribute to improved social, health, and educational outcomes for all participants, including First Nations people, and it is a key priority for Athletics Australia to Get Up, Stand Up and Show Up for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples not just during NAIDOC Week but always,” said Athletics Australia General Manager, Growth and Development Adam Bishop.

“We’re incredibly proud to be relaunching our programs after a period of inactivity due to COVID-19, but what’s most exciting is the opportunity to scale these programs and to engage more First Nations communities and participants than ever before thanks to a number of new partnerships”, Bishop continued.

Athletics for the Outback will be delivered in multiple locations across the country, targeting both regional and remote areas in 2022. Three states will also join AA in its efforts to broaden the reach of the program, with Athletics NT, Queensland Athletics and Athletics West all committed to rolling out programs thanks to significant new investment from Athletics Australia over the next three years.

In Queensland, Athletics for the Outback will promote recreational running and social running events alongside visiting schools and engaging primary school aged children, while in WA, upskilling community members will become a priority. Through Athletics West, the program will help more coaches receive their Level 1 coaching accreditation, and will see a number of Come and Try events ahead of the North West Championships in Broome this September.

In the Northern Territory, Athletics for the Outback will become a more frequent occurrence, with the program visiting East Arnhem twice per school term. Groote Eylandt will be a week-long visit, with in-school and extra-curricular coaching at the four Groote schools.

Additionally, Athletics NT, Queensland Athletics and Athletics West will also run localised versions of Raise the Bar in the final quarter of the year, with the program moving from one national camp a year to one camp in WA and NT, and two in Queensland.

“Raise the Bar has achieved fantastic success in the past and so we’re excited to be able to make this program available to more First Nations youth. All students that have attended Raise the Bar when participating in Year 10, have gone on to Years 11 and 12, and nearly 20 per cent of students have been offered and accepted place at university and TAFE,” Bishop said.

“This is important when you consider that only 7% of Indigenous Australians aged 15–24 enrol in higher education institutions compared with 26% of non-Indigenous Australians. We’re really proud of the outcomes achieved by Raise the Bar participants and we know that the growth of these programs is going to further contribute to positive outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

To help drive the deliver of these programs and further Athletics Australia’s Reconciliation journey, Athletics Australia has employed a First Nations Programs Manager in Emily Broderick; a proud Ballardong and Wadandi Nyoongar woman. Emily has a background in teaching, with extensive experience in Indigenous education. Emily is a graduate of the Indigenous Marathon Project and will work closely with the three program coordinators in each of the respective states to execute the program’s plans.

To enable local engagement and delivery, Athletics Australia has also supported the employment of First Nations Program Coordinator’s within Athletics West, Athletics NT, and Queensland Athletics. Western Australia’s sprints champion Kyle Ennis is a First Nations man and will lean on his wealth of knowledge and experience to further opportunities in remote and regional parts of WA, while Girramay and Gooreng Gooreng woman and Indigenous Marathon Project graduate Rachel Dean will lead the charge for Queensland. Triple jumper Sam Aijsafe will use his experience as a teacher and athletics coach and program coordinator to steer both programs across the Northern Territory.

“I’m excited to be on board at Athletics Australia as the first full time Indigenous staff member," Broderick said.

“This year’s NAIDOC theme really ties into what we are implementing at Athletics Australia. A lot of work that has gone into ensuring we are active in communities and playing our part to create more meaningful opportunities in Athletics, while providing young people the opportunity to engage in an immersive tertiary education experience through Raise the Bar.”

“It’s been fantastic to work with our Member Associations to consolidate these initiatives and ensure we are creating relevant programs by way of community consultation.”

For more information on these programs, please email Emily.Broderick@athletics.org.au

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What’s NAIDOC week?

NAIDOC Week is a week that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are celebrated and recognised. We generally reflect and pay tribute to important dates and figures during Reconciliation Week, and NAIDOC week is a time to come together, connect to culture and make the most of the festivities surrounding the theme.

How did NAIDOC week start?

NAIDOC Week is usually held in the first week (a Sunday to Sunday) of July that incorporates the second Friday – which was historically celebrated as 'National Aboriginal Day'. This eventually shifted from a protest to a celebration of culture and survival.

How do I celebrate?

Easy! There’s always lots on during NAIDOC week. Have a look here to see what events are on near you. Alternatively, if you cant make it to an event, there are some options below.

• Get moving with the Indigenous Marathon Foundation’s Run, Sweat, Inspire virtual running event
• Watch ‘Off Country’, a documentary detailing the challenges of going away for school
• Read about the wide ranging experiences of Growing up Aboriginal in Australia
• Test out your knowledge of Aboriginal English
• Check out ‘Reconcile This’, an Indigenous Anthology covering all view points of many diverse topics and issues.
• Listen to some First Nations Music:
  • New tunes: Noongar Wonderland / Flewnt / Blak Australia / King Stingray / Deadly Hearts

Classics: Warumpi Band /  Yothu Yindi /  Yabu Band /  Coloured Stone

By Sascha Ryner and Emily Broderick, Athletics Australia
Posted: 4/7/2022