Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-28T11:03:11.352Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Kickstart to Life: Australian Football League as a Medium for Promoting Lifeskills in Cape York Indigenous Communities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2015

Maree Dinanthompson ,
Juanita Sellwood  and
Felicity Carless
Maree Dinanthompson
Affiliation:
School of Education, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
Juanita Sellwood
Affiliation:
School of Education, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
Felicity Carless
Affiliation:
Health Promotion Unit, Tropical Population Health Cairns Network, Queensland Health, Queensland, 4870, Australia
Get access

Abstract

This paper presents evidence collected from an evaluatory study of the Kickstart program conducted by Australian Football League (AFL) Cape York in far North Queensland. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Kickstart program in meeting its overall objective of enhancing lifeskills of Indigenous Australians through participation in AFL. Evidence collected via interviews with Indigenous youth, parents, teachers and Kickstart stakeholders (including community representatives) suggest mixed meanings surrounding the interpretation of “lifeskills”, and yet improvement in the education, attitudes and lifestyle choices of Indigenous youth in the selected Cape York communities.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , 2008 , pp. 152 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, M. (2003). The national framework for improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males: The draftframework National Rural Health Conference, March 1-4 (pp. 1-5). Retrieved 19 August, 2004, from http://www.abc.net.au/rural/ruralhealth2003/stories/s798366.htm.Google Scholar
Australian Football League Queensland. (2000). AFL Kickstart. Brisbane, QLD: AFL Queensland.Google Scholar
Beneforti, M., & Cunningham, J. (2002). Investigating indicators for measuring the health and social impact of sport and recreation programs in Indigenous communities. Casuarina, NT: Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health.Google Scholar
Blitner, S., Dobson, V., Gibson, F., Martin, B., Oldfield, N., Oliver, R., Plamer, I. & Riley, R. (2000). Strong voices. Batchelor, NT: Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.Google Scholar
Botvin, G. J. (2003, 6 December). Substance abuse – school-based prevention program reduces smoking and alcohol use in children. Obesity, Fitness and Wellness Week, p. 29.Google Scholar
Burns, R. B. (2000). Introduction to research method (4th ed.). Melbourne, VIC: Addison Wesley Longman Australia.Google Scholar
Cameron, M., & MacDougall, C. (2000). Crime prevention through sport and physical activity. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 165. Retrieved 20 August, 2004, from http://wwwaic.govau.Google Scholar
Clarkson, J., Donovan, R. J., Giles-Corti, B., Bulsara, M. & Jalleh, G. (1999). Survey on Recreation and Health 1992-1998, Volume 1: Participation in Sport and Racing. Health Promotion Evaluation Unit. Department of Health and Graduate School of Management. Perth, WA: The University of Western Australia.Google Scholar
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Research methods in education (5th ed.). London: Routledge/Falmer.Google Scholar
d'Abbs, P. & McLean, S. (2004). Petrol sniffing in Aboriginal communities. In Healy, J. (Ed.), Indigenous health: Issues in society (pp. 33–36). Sydney, NSW: Spinney Press.Google Scholar
Danish, S. (2002). Teaching life skills through sports. In Gatz, M., Messner, M. A. & Ball-Rokeach, S. J. (Eds.), Paradoxes of youth and sport (pp. 49–60). New York, NY: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (Eds.). (1998). Strategies of qualitative inquiry. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). (2007). The Sporting Chance Programme. Retrieved 30 March, 2007, from http://www.dest.govau/sectors/indigenous_education/programmes_funding/programme_categories/sporting_chance_programme_school_based_sports_academies/sporting_chance_info.htm.Google Scholar
Don Morris, G. S. (2003) Social responsibility through physical activity. In Laker, A. (Ed.), The future of physical education: Building a new pedagogy. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Donovan, R. J., Jalleh, G., Clarkson, J., & Giles-Corti, B. (1999). Sponsorsbip Monitor Evaluation Results 1998/99. Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, Department of Health and Graduate School of Management. Perth, WA: The University of Western Australia.Google Scholar
Education Queensland (EQ). (1996). Resourcesfor studying ethics in primary schools. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Government.Google Scholar
Education Queensland (EQ). (2003a). Partners for Success Action Plan 2003-2005: Executive summary. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Government.Google Scholar
Education Queensland (EQ). (2003b). Partnersfor Success: School Information Kit 2003-2005. Brisbane, QLD: Queensland Government.Google Scholar
Gowell, D. (2000). Playing the game: Is sport as good for race relations as we'd like to think? Aboriginal Studies 1&2, 12–19.Google Scholar
Harrison, P. A., & Narayan, G. (2003). Differences in behaviour, psychological factors and environmental factors associated with participation in schools sports and other activities in adolescence. Journal of School Health, 75(3), 113–120.Google Scholar
Hellison, D. (1995). Teaching responsibility through physical activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.Google Scholar
Hellison, D. (2000a). Teaching responsibility through physical activity: ‘Experiments of one’ in the ‘swamp of practice’. Journal of Physical Education New Zealand, 33(5), 4–7.Google Scholar
Hellison, D. (2000b). Physical activity programs for underserved youth. ACHPER Healthy Lifestyles Journal, 47(2), 15–17.Google Scholar
Hodge, K., Cresswell, S., Sherburn, D., & Dugdale, J. (1999). Physical activity-based Lifeskills programmes: Part II – example programmes. Journal of Physical Education New Zealand, 32(2), 12–15.Google Scholar
Lehmann, D., Silva, D., Tennant, M., McAullay, D.Johnston, J., & Nannup, I. (2002). Impact of introduction of swimming pools on health of Aboriginal children and adolescents living in remote areas of Western Australia. Perth, WA: TVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.Google Scholar
Life's A Ball. (2001). Life's a ball. Retrieved 3 September, 2004, from www.lifesaball.net.au/info.Google Scholar
Luke, A., Lingard, R., Ladwig, J., Hayes, D. & Mills, M. (1999). Productive pedagogies. Brisbane, QLD: University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Martinek, T. & Hellison, D. (1998). Values and goal-setting for underserved youth. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 69(7), 47–52.Google Scholar
Moodie, R., & Hulme, A. (Eds.). (2004). Hands on health promotion. Melbourne, VIC: IP Communications.Google Scholar
National Health & Medical Research Council. (1996). Health-promoting sport, arts and racing settings. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Olsen, M., Rynne, S., & Macdonald, D. (2002). Gumala miruwarni: Meeting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in health and physical education. ACHPER Healthy Lifestyles Journal, 49(1), 11–15.Google Scholar
Queensland Government, Department of Communities. (2001). Cape York justice study. Retrieved 28 March, 2004, from www.mcmc.qld.gov.au.Google Scholar
Queensland Government. (2003). Meeting challenges making choices. Retrieved 19 October, 2004, from http://www.mcmc.qld.gov.au/community/.Google Scholar
Queensland Health Newsletter. (2004). QTMHC Mental Health Projects. Retrieved 16 April, 2004, from www.health.qld.govau/pahospital/qthmc/projects.asp.Google Scholar
Queensland School Curriculum Council (QSCC). (2001). Position paper: Lifeskills. Brisbane: The State of Queensland, QSCC.Google Scholar
Shilton, T. R., & Brown, W. (2004). Physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Physical Activity Supplement, 7(1), 39–42.Google Scholar
Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart And Winston.Google Scholar
Tatz, C. (1995). Obstacle race: Aborigines in sport. Sydney, NSW: University of New South Wales Press.Google Scholar
Timperio, A., Salmon, J., & Ball, K. (2004). Evidence-based strategies to promote physical activity among children, adolescents and young adults: Review and update. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Physical Activity Supplement, 7(1), 20–29Google Scholar
University of Melbourne. (2003). Media release 981. Accessed 28 August, 2004, from http://uninews/unimelb.edu.au/articleid_981.html.Google Scholar
University of Melbourne. (2004). Media release 1446. Accessed 28 August, 2004, from http://uninews/unimelb.edu.au/articleid_981.html.Google Scholar
Walker, R., & Oxenham, D. (2001). A sporting chance: An evaluation of the Rio Tinto AFL Kickstart Program in the Kimberley region. Perth, WA: Curtin Indigenous Research Centre, Curtin University of TechnologyGoogle Scholar
World Health Organisation (WHO). (1993). Life skills education in schools. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
World Health Organisation (WHO). (1998). Health promotion glossary. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
World Health Organisation (WHO). (2003). Health and development through physical activity and sport. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Wright, R. (1999). Skin taunts: Race discrimination in Australian rules football. Arena Magazine, August, 18.Google Scholar