Finding your tribe
A DEFINING feature of a country town is their footy and netball team. They carry the town name as part of the team name. They bear the town colours and they represent the town with every kick, throw and goal.
Geelong may be a big city but at its heart is still a country town with many different community clubs.
When our eldest daughter Bella was in year four and her school netball team had grown out of a primary school competition, several parents wanted to move the team to a community netball club where the girls could get continued training and development. These same parents had a strong connection to a local club and so we found ourselves there, playing netball.
The parents in Harv’s year had the same idea but a strong relationship with a different community club and so we went there when he started club footy in year two.
Two kids, two different clubs, two loyalties, one problem.
The first time I realised local teams in Geelong were tribal was one cold wintry Friday night when we arrived late to a footy game to watch Harv play. Bella was with me. She was wearing a hoodie from her club. As we walked towards the parents for Harv’s team she was repeatedly booed, or more to the point, her hoodie was booed.
While no one thought it was OK to boo an 11-year-old girl we did get cautionary remarks from our group about her choice of attire.
Lesson learnt. Not just about a hoodie but also about the sense of tribe that comes with community sport in Geelong.
This year, after many years of singing different theme songs for different children, and carrying different club beanies in the car and trying not to forget to swap them over as needed, Harv changed footy clubs. We now cheer one club each weekend; netball or footy.
It’s logistically easier — everyone trains on the same night at roughly the same time on adjacent sporting grounds — and the added benefit is the sense of connection we now have with our club. We’re getting to know the club characters and stalwarts, who whose love of the club provide colour, history and humour. For these people the commitment to the club spans generations. They’ve played in club colours, and have watched their sons and daughters follow suit.
During the season they introduced themselves to us after games, gave Harv some positive feedback and then provided some practical footy tips for him to work on. It felt like he had been adopted by many new grandparents.
A netball club stalwart has on several occasions over the years made the effort to compliment Bella on aspects of her game.
After a hard-fought elimination final recently, she grabbed me postsiren to tell me Bella was now officially her second favourite player (after her granddaughter), and that her passing was “on fire”.
She had come to support Bella in her 100th game. When I thanked her for making the effort she said “when you love the club, it’s never hard work”.
These interactions, which happen weekly on the side of playing fields of all types and across so many community clubs, build connectedness, community and a wonderful sense of tribe for our children.
The coaches, assistant coaches, team managers, umpires, club stalwarts, families and friends all contribute to create the village that helps raise our children.
This weekend there are netball grand finals at Kardinia Park.
If your community club is playing dust off that old beanie or club scarf you had when your children or grandchildren used to play, head to the court and barrack for your club and the wonderful athletes that have the privilege to play in a grand final in Geelong this weekend.
PS: Go St Mary’s! Rachel Schutze is a Principal Lawyer at Gordon Legal, wife and mother of three. [Ed’s note: Rachel is married to Corio MP Richard Marles.]