A new generation of coaches and administrators will soon be able to help more Australians living with disability to play sports after two prominent sporting bodies agreed to join forces.

Sports specialist secondary school, Growth Opportunity Active Learning (GOAL) College has partnered with national sporting body Disability Sports Australia (DSA) to provide GOAL students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful and practical experiences.

These include providing students the opportunity to attend Sport NSW and DSA’s Variety Activate Inclusion Sports Days and teaching them how to adapt sport delivery to be inclusive of all.  

Disability Sports Australia is one of Australia’s nine national sporting organisations for people with disability, all of whom share a common purpose to improve the lives of Australians living with disability through sport. 

The premise of NSW-headquartered GOAL is that it allows students to gain Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications while they complete their HSC.

Campuses

With two campuses based at Glebe and Sydney Olympic Park, students also gain experience working with experts and sporting ambassadors with high-level playing experience in select sports, including AFL, athletics, basketball, cricket, soccer, hockey, netball, rugby league and rugby union.  

Students in GOAL sporting classes also complete coaching qualifications as part of the HSC, allowing them to deliver free sports sessions for primary school students.  

DSA National Program Manager of Activate Inclusion Sports Days, Kristy Rohrer, said she believed the partnership will create a succession of inclusive sports leaders who will have first-hand experience in adaption and inclusion in the sport and recreation sector.

It would also help facilitate the opportunity to ensure all people living with disability have the opportunity to participate, she said. 

For her part, GOAL College principal Kate O’Donnell described the partnership as a “perfect complement” to the college’s focus on developing “well-rounded, skilled and empathetic young adults”.

“It will help us train the next generation of development officers with expertise in all-abilities sport delivery.” 

Sports day

The announcement comes just a few weeks after DSA announced a new partnership with the Y Victoria (formerly the YMCA). The agreement saw the Y host a Variety Activate Inclusion Sports Day.

The Activate Inclusion Sports Day program is a ground-breaking initiative focused on providing sporting pathways for students living with disability aged 5-18 years.

These programs encourage and empower children with disability to explore sporting and active recreation opportunities in their local community. They are fun, safe and inclusive.


Do you need disability support for yourself or a loved one? Just Better Care is designed to help people from diverse backgrounds with different lifestyles achieve their goals. Get started by talking to a local team member today.