A group of Hunter students have partnered with disability service provider Endeavour to teach each other about sport’s ability to conquer divides and hold up the best parts of the human spirit.
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For [Endeavour] it's about inclusion, it's about basic sport skills from kicking to sharing. But for [the students] it's a chance to see how capable our guys are... It teaches the stigma of disability doesn't need to be out there.
- Bec Curtis
Hunter Valley Grammar School’s year 8 spent Tuesday afternoon teaching Endeavour’s clients, who have varying physical and mental disabilities, sport and fitness basics.
“It’s an opportunity for our guys to become more citizen-aware, make a positive contribution,” sport teacher Amanda Osmond said.
“Sport is a good medium for interaction for people of diverse backgrounds.
“Things like speech is not a barrier.”
In return, those from Endeavour gave the young students an insight into living with a disability.
Chiefly, Endeavour’s regional co-ordinator Bec Curtis said, the capability and strength they possess.
“For [Endeavour] it's about inclusion, it's about basic sport skills from kicking to sharing,” she said.
“But for [the students] it's a chance to see how capable our guys are.
“It’s a learning session for both sides.
“Both sides are having fun but it teachers [the students] the stigma of disability doesn't need to be out there.”
Both Ms Curtis and Ms Osmond agreed, a critical path to breaking down barriers and promoting social inclusion for people with disabilities was to give people without disabilities plenty of opportunity to interact and engage, face-to-face.
To realise the divide is not so wide.
Ms Curtis said sport played a positive, transformative role in many of the client’s lives.
Among those is Michelle Price, a self-confessed Knights die-hard fan.
Ms Price and year eight student Alex Gibb both spoke glowingly of their day spent together on the basketball court.
“It’s been a really different experience,” Miss Gibb said.
“It’s been really fun and good to spend time with all these lovely people.”
“Sport’s made me stronger,” Ms Price said.
“It’s helped me make friends and get out more.”
