Battle as kids crave action
BEFORE sport was brought to its knees by the coronavirus pandemic, Tyerys Bates had found his groove.
Now, deprived of a sporting outlet that embraces him and his teammates, the 10year-old is lost.
As community sport seeks to get off the ground following State Government guidelines, the buzz of imminent competition has returned to athletes across Townsville.
While codes often laud their inclusiveness, the reality is some programs – such as the Brothers Modified Rugby Program – may need some leeway to be able to deliver their product.
The MRP is designed to give children living with autism, Asperger’s and other intellectual disabilities the opportunity to partake in the game in an environment that would have eluded them in regular club settings.
Participants are also paired with a teenage “player mentor” who teaches them the skills of the game and helps guide them on the field.
Tyerys’ mum Rhiannon Taylor has seen the profound impact involvement in the program has had on her son.
No longer shy and anti-social, Tyerys had found a place where he was not treated as an outsider.
However, COVID-19 has held no prisoners and, like all sports, the program shut down.
Taylor said the biggest concern for her son was the regression.
Living on the autistic spectrum, routine becomes a crucial component of Tyerys’ life and his mother said it is difficult for him to understand why sport has been taken away from him.
Taylor said the Brothers outlet was the only one in Townsville – without it, the children who participate and the parents who have found this support network have no other option.
“We’ve explained it but the understanding is very limited. Not only Tyerys but the other kids can’t understand why they can’t play footy together,” she said.
“We kind of say some people are getting sick but they don’t understand the risks of it or the impacts of it if we go against the rules.
“The likelihood of him picking up a football is slim to none because he wants to be with his friends.
“Trying to get him to engage at the moment is very difficult, there’s no fun in for him.”
The Gingercloud Foundation, which conceptualised the Modified Rugby Program, has an application pending with Queensland’s Chief Health Officer and through Qsport to restart the sport.
In these applications, the organisation has asked for a relaxation in the number of people on the field to allow each player with a disability to have their player mentor on the field to support them.
It also acknowledges that Gingercloud will adopt the appropriate risk mitigation strategies in line with the federal and state requirements of the COVID-19 environment. it
Gingercloud Foundation and MRP managing director Megan Elliott said there were limited group activities available for the children to embrace the community inclusion that sport provides.
She said as community sport continued its road map out of the health crisis it was imperative these children did not slip through the cracks.
“Never before has the mental health impact of isolation on families with children with autism, Asperger's or other learning and perceptual disabilities been more acutely felt than right now,” Elliott said.
“For our Gingercloud and Modified Rugby Program families, so many opportunities on which we rely daily for connection, conversation and community are currently unavailable.
“There are limited number of group activities in which our children can participate, our families are under increasing pressure as time goes on and our community inclusion opportunities – particularly community sport – are in hibernation.”
THE LIKELIHOOD OF HIM PICKING UP A FOOTBALL IS SLIM TO NONE BECAUSE HE WANTS TO BE WITH HIS FRIENDS.
RHIANNON TAYLOR