GIVE KIDS SPORTING CHANCE
Recruiting drive to stop crime
STRUGGLING families have been told not to worry about the cost of signing up their children to football clubs after yesterday’s successful “Streets to Sport” motivation run.
The run from Mooroobool through Manoora to Manunda by 80 rugby league and union players was staged to guide troubled youth off the streets of Cairns and into sport.
Organisers pledged to do whatever they could to help pay for the fees and other costs for youngsters to join sporting clubs.
About 120 youths took part in the inaugural event.
COMMUNITY leaders are dedicated to reducing the financial strain on young families trying to get their children off the streets and into sports clubs.
The push for better access to organised sports comes after 200 rugby league players, community members and school students ran through the streets of Mooroobool and Manunda yesterday to encourage young people to join a local sporting team.
The Streets to Sports run was the first part of a threepoint plan devised by organiser Rob Hodge to tackle the alarming issue of youth crime across Cairns.
“Part of this initiative is to get these kids interested in sports and get their families down to their clubs, because there are a lot of different bits of funding around the place that we can help them out with," he said.
Councillor Cathy Zeiger said there were plans in the works to help Cairns kids get into sports without causing more financial strain for their families, who were already struggling.
“We know it’s not cheap to get into sport,” she said.
“We’re trying to get some grants to try to support these kids. It makes such a difference, because being part of a sporting team is like having a family.”
Yarrabah State School student Yasserie Kyle-Smith echoed those sentiments when he participated in the run yesterday together with his football team. The 11-year-old said he had never felt happier than when he started playing rugby league with the Clontarf Yarrabah Academy.
“I feel like I’m not alone,” he said.
“When I’m not by myself and I have my cousins and my friends with me they make me laugh. I would like every school to play footy.”