President of the Junior Rugby League Club, Grant Bolling says, in fact, they are the first to adopt NSW Rugby League’s ‘Changing Rooms’ program to provide support and education in mental fitness.
The program is facilitated in partnership with expert presenters from industry-accredited mental fitness and well-being networks and delivered by the teams’ managers to young players over Zoom two nights a week.
“The program has become popular since it offers ways to deal with bullying, reducing stigma to depression and anxiety and being able to easily identify and help someone who may be suffering,” Bolling said.
“Young people are provided with valuable tools to assist them and their peers in dealing with difficult conversations and events in their lives on and off the field.”
He said it was a fantastic way to engage young players who are missing their footy and what happens in the sessions stays there so they can have full confidence sharing any fears.
“We pride ourselves on being a family club and they call us the United Nations since we have such a great mix of cultures including Kiwis, Maoris, Chinese, Indigenous, Arabic, Lebanese and Indian,” he said.
“There’s no better outlet for kids than footy.
“It’s there home away from home and we’re all looking forward to next year’s kick-off.”
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IT’S the second year in a row that Milperra Colts have not been able to complete a season due to Covid, nor were they able to celebrate their 50th anniversary last year, but that hasn’t stopped the club coming up with new ways to keep young players connected.