ETHAN’S HEART IS TITANIUM
The culture of the club is best summed up by the smiling face of Ethan Sloane. The young man has overcome his disability to become an inspiration to all the players.
A MASSIVE amount of fanfare accompanied the signing of one of the greatest players of all time, Mal Meninga, as head of performance and culture with the Titans for the 2019 season.
But quietly, within the club, the biggest hire of the off season was Ethan Sloane.
“He’s the chief morale officer of the Gold Coast Titans, particularly when we’re doing it a bit tough – as we are now,” Titans executive chairman Dennis Watt said.
Ethan is the heart and soul of the Gold Coast Titans. He lights up the office with an infectious smile, going from desk to desk speaking with staff. Out on the field the players get around him, he runs water at training and the players hug him and high-fives are dished up constantly.
On game days he can be seen in the sheds going about his job. The Bulletin is told he calls players and club management asking them if they’re ready for the game – calls that are always answered.
At 18 years old, Ethan has achieved much, his disability not standing in the way of how he lives his life. A local character within the Titans for years, playing in the touch football specialised programs and around training, it was late last year when the club hired him.
Asked about his love of the job, Ethan simply replies: “Yeah man, I love it.”
He doesn’t need to say much more. You can tell in the way he holds his head high around the office, his attitude and how he interacts with the staff: it’s his home away from home.
His eyes light up when the talk turns to footy and his favourite players: Ryan James, Mitch Rein, Jarrod Wallace and Anthony Don – “They’re the best.”
According to staff and players, the two days a week Ethan is around are the best part of their week. For them, this is what they see as the greatest part of their club – the community.
“He lifts the place immeasurably every time he comes through,” Dennis Watt says. “He’s really happy. Ethan loves everybody and everybody loves Ethan. He’s got a great sense of humour, he’s very affectionate and very loving.
“It’s just joyful when he’s around the place.
“The players get around him and keep an eye out for him. They certainly welcome him as one of their own.”
He said what Ethan gets out of working for the club is far outweighed by what they get from him.
“We get more out of it than he does, I think. It’s great that he does meaningful work while he’s here, but he keeps us grounded.
“It also reminds us of that love of rugby league and the Titans, and how privileged we are and the players really get that.
“He’s a reminder that there’s more important things in life than those 80minute results every week.”
Community and game development manager Renee Cohen said Ethan was a joy to have in the office.
“He brings so much joy to the place. I’ve been working with Ethan for close to six years. He’s part of our touch
football specialised programs,” Ms Cohen said. “As he finished school, we were lucky enough that Dennis offered him a job and from there he’s just become part of the furniture.
“I have players asking me what day he’s coming in and wanting to know his whereabouts at all times. I think it’s because he brings a smile to everyone’s face, he’s very uplifting. He’s helping us as much as we’re helping him.
“All the players love him. There will be some days I can’t find him, and they’ve taken him up for a coffee. And they love having him here for the Captain’s Run.”
Ms Cohen said other organisations were now asking for the Titans to take Ethan along when they go to schools or events.
“He might come out and do a school visit – he did World Down syndrome Day – and we’re now getting requests from people for Ethan to come to things.
“He helps out across the office, whether it’s filling up drinks in the boardroom, donation requests, working out what music Dennis and Jason can play for the day. He makes everyone smile, that’s the biggest thing.
“His whole family is part of our family. I think Ethan is a true testament to them, he’s an absolute pleasure to be around. I think they’ve raised him in a way that he feels like he can do anything and he can do anything.
“A big part of Ethan being who he is, is because of his family.”
Ethan’s mum Lisa Sloane was worried her son would end up lost when he finished school.
“We had that fear. It’s really scary because he was leaving the security of school and he went to a special school. He started there and went all the way through. He's literally never been to another school,” Ms Sloane said.
“It’s very daunting. Basically the decision about where he was going and what he was going to do was down to me. I felt a lot of pressure choosing programs for him that would make him happy. I didn’t want him going somewhere just because he had to be there. That’s not a life for anybody.
“I needed him to be happy, for it to be productive and I needed it to be life skills, and he’s obsessed with rugby league and the Titans, so for him to be given the opportunity to work there was bigger than our wildest dreams.
“It felt like 18 years and all the hard work that we as a family had put in and the amazing person he developed into were being recognised.”
She said she hoped Ethan and the Titans would be a shining example for other employers.
“They are capable, they are able, there are really positive things they can bring to a company.
“For parents who are just starting on this journey, there is a lot of fear and emotion and anxiety when your kids are little, because you have no idea what the future holds for them.
“If they see what Ethan is doing it can give them a sense of hope. It’s not all doom and gloom. Given the right opportunity, there are lots and lots of positives.
“I’m very proud of him.”