Developing a positive life cycle for young Indigenous men*
G. NeeshamClontarf Foundation.
The APPEA Journal 51(2) 691-691 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ10071
Published: 2011
Abstract
The Clontarf Foundation believes that inadequate education and failure to experience achievement when young, coupled with a position of under-privilege, creates and drives a cycle of disadvantage that can lead to alienation, anger and then to more serious consequences. Disadvantage will transfer and increase from generation to generation as long as the causes are allowed to persist.
As a prelude to tackling these and other issues, participants in the foundation’s programs are first provided with an opportunity to succeed. This is an opportunity to raise their self-esteem and re-engage these young Aboriginal males in the school environment. We use the existing passion that Aboriginal boys have for football to attract them to attend a Clontarf Academy. Members are not selected on football ability; though obviously most of them have some aptitude for the game. But this is not a sporting program; it is a sophisticated behavioural change program.
To remain in the academy, members must consistently endeavour to attend school regularly, apply themselves to the study of appropriate courses and embrace the academy’s requirements for behaviour and self-discipline. The approach has proven to be very successful, not only in attracting young men to school and retaining them, but also in having them embrace more disciplined, purposeful and healthy lives.
The Clontarf Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, self-esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men and by doing so, equip them to participate more meaningfully in society.
Clontarf academies are formed in association with selected schools and colleges. As well as coordinating the football program, academy staff mentor and counsel students in a range of behavioural and lifestyle issues, while the school caters for their specific educational needs.
Clontarf’s Chief Executive Officer Gerard Neesham will discuss: the methodology of the foundation’s programs, which aim to develop positive life cycles for these young men; the outcomes being achieved; and, many of the obvious questions, such as: why football? and what about the girls?
Gerard Neesham is the Chief Executive Officer of the Clontarf Foundation and has been instrumental in the coordination and sustainability of the Foundation’s programs. After graduating from Christian Brothers College in Fremantle, WA, Neesham qualified as a teacher in 1974. He worked as a teacher from 1975 to 1983 which included two years at Clontarf Aboriginal College in Perth in 1981 and 1983. However, his first love was sport, in particular water polo and later football. He was determined to represent Australia at the Olympic Games but was ‘last man cut’ from the 1976 National squad. Despite this, his notable involvement in water polo includes: 300+ A-Grade (State Level) games; State Representation 1973–1979; Australian Representation: 1976 and 1979. Gerard then concentrated on Australian Rules football, in both the Western Australian Football League (WAFL) and the Victorian Football League (VFL). After retiring from playing, he displayed his leadership skills as coach of the Claremont Football team in the WAFL and as the inaugural coach of the Fremantle Dockers in the national competition. Through these coaching roles, Gerard established a connection with young Aboriginal footballers and became aware of the disadvantage and disengagement experienced by many Indigenous youth. Gerard developed a vision of using football to encourage young Indigenous students to re-engage with education. Gerard was acutely aware of the cycle of disadvantage confronting Aboriginal people and the largely negative image of them held by many in the wider community. Gerard’s experience with Aboriginal footballers and their families had been anything but negative. He recognized that the football environment was one in which Aboriginal people had traditionally excelled. This clearly had an impact upon the self-esteem and self-concept of the individual players, their families and the wider Aboriginal community. Gerard witnessed young Aboriginal footballers grow into fine men in this environment where they had great success and which offered terrific support structures. |
