FOOTBALL across the Geelong region is becoming more inclusive, with expanding all abilities programs opening the door for people with disability to take part in the game.<\/p>\n
A partnership launched late last year by Football Victoria Geelong, in collaboration with Football Victoria and local leisure networks, has already made a strong impact in the community.<\/p>\n
Backed by state government funding, four pilot programs were delivered across Armstrong United Football Club, Geelong Soccer Club, North Geelong Soccer Club, and a southern hub run jointly by Deakin Ducks and Colac Otway Rovers.<\/p>\n
The free six-week program attracted more than 60 participants, with its success paving the way for further sessions this year at FC Leopold and North Geelong Warriors Football Club (FC).<\/p>\n
Each program focuses on building skills and confidence while fostering social connection in a supportive, inclusive environment for participants of all ages and abilities.<\/p>\n
North Geelong Warriors all abilities coordinator Rob Pehar said creating accessible pathways into the sport remained a priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cNorth Geelong Warriors FC is committed to ensuring no child or adult is left on the sidelines,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith adaptable programs, a skilled volunteer base, developing community partnerships and a strong inclusive culture, we are well-positioned to support participants across the full spectrum of abilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome collaboration with councils, local schools, health professionals and families to continue growing our inclusive capacity and ensure football is truly for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Armstrong United volunteer Robin Walker has been a driving force behind the program\u2019s development and was recognised at the Victorian Football Gala, receiving the Community Inclusion Award.<\/p>\n
Football Victoria Geelong plans to build on the momentum, with a focus on expanding the program across the region and creating more opportunities for people of all abilities to get involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FOOTBALL across the Geelong region is becoming more inclusive, with expanding all abilities programs opening the door for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":589771,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,596,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-589770","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-football","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/589770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=589770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/589770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/589771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=589770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=589770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=589770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}