Launching "Rugby in the Park" in East and West Dubbo - an excursion for Airds High School Coach Mentors

During the July school holidays the Airds High School ‘Rugby in the Park’ youth coach/mentors traveled 6 ½ hours by train into the Central West of NSW to the town of Dubbo. The aim of the trip was to promote ‘Rugby in the Park’ in the East Dubbo Apollo Estate and West Dubbo Gordon Estate. The youth coach/mentors ran rugby union skills and drills for primary school aged children from the two estates as part of a sport and recreation holiday program. They also had the opportunity to meet possible youth coach/mentors from the Dubbo area and discuss the benefits of participating in the program.

While in Dubbo we also took the opportunity to visit Dubbo’s Western Plain Zoo. On an early morning walk we visited the Elephants, Hippopotamus, Meerkats, Sumatran Tiger and fed the Giraffes and Black Rhino.

Throughout the trip the youth coach /mentors developed their already extensive leadership skills and this can only result in a more established program for the Airds community.  The students should be congratulated for the way in which they conducted themselves over the course of the three day excursion.

Andrew Phelan from Airds High School commented on the experience as follows:

“I just thought I would send you a note to say how grateful I am for the opportunities that you, Brett and the ‘Rugby Youth Foundation’ have provided for the Airds coach/mentors.

The excursion to Dubbo provided the Airds coach/mentors with opportunities that they otherwise may have never explored. The coach/mentors were able to develop interpersonal skills such as teamwork, cooperation, communication, interaction with people from other community and culture groups, compassion for the people of East and West Dubbo housing estates.

By travelling to a foreign community it forced them to utilise all of the skills they have developed during ‘Rugby in the Park’ over the past three terms. They were back to square one. They had never met the kids who they were about to teach, like they had at Airds, and were unaware of their skill level. They had to keep an open mind about what activities they were going to use and have the ability to modify the activities if the need arose. They learnt the need to be flexible. They had a session plan but it had to be modified for both East and West Dubbo. At East Dubbo they had to scale down the activities as there were only 15-20 participants. At West Dubbo they had to change from teaching 15 kids, to 50 within the space of 3 or 4 minutes.

The coach/mentors displayed many admirable qualities that have been developed over the course of Rugby in the Park. The coach/mentors displayed that they were responsible, mature and trustworthy young adults throughout the entire trip. They displayed initiative at every given opportunity by offering to help cook breakfast at the zoo and by starting up activities at the field. They displayed that they were courteous and well mannered by offering to help elderly people off the train with their luggage. They also showed on many occasions how grateful they were for the opportunities they were given.

The trip to Dubbo brought the coach/mentors closer together and will assist them in working even better as a team for the benefit of the children of the Airds community. The skills that they learnt form the trip to Dubbo will have a substantial impact on their ability to run weekly session at Airds High School. After observing the quality of work that they were capable of in Dubbo, I am now looking for another lift in their performance as coach/mentors at Airds High School and believe that the Airds program will only strengthen as a result. 

'Rugby in the Park', and in particular, the trip to Dubbo with the coach/mentors from Airds High School, is the most fulfilling and satisfying activity that Rebecca and I have been involved in as teachers and has brought us even closer to the children of the Airds community. To see the all round development that is taking place within the coach/mentors individually and as a group as a result of 'Rugby in the Park' is inspiring. I hope that other communities are able to benefit as much as we have as a result of this community based program.”

Andrew and Rebecca Phelan