Pictured: Elite Athlete Pathway students from Camberwell Grammar School participating in an AFHA Discover Workshop, and hearing from AFHA Co-Founder Iain Roy, Melbourne City FC athlete Jamie Young and AFHA Chief Impact Officer Julia Symons.
The Elite Athlete Pathway group at Camberwell Grammar School in Melbourne are no strangers to holistic athlete development. With a carefully designed program in place to cultivate the physical, psychological and social aspects of sporting performance, the young men who joined our Athletes For Hope Australia Discover Workshop in August brought a keen interest to explore the causes and charities they connect with, and the ways in which they can personally give back.
The kindness, curiosity and generosity we saw on display amongst the group was inspiring, with senior students proactively supporting the younger cohort as they worked through brainstorming activities to create a charitable project. Nathan Bower, himself a former athlete and now Senior Head of Sport - Strategy and Programs at Camberwell Grammar, feels strongly about the opportunities that a lifelong commitment to community contribution can create for athletes.
“The workshop aimed to identify that athletes are more than just their sporting profile and performance. That holistic development is a primary concern for all of our Camberwell Grammar students. Sporting ability and performance are but one aspect of an individual’s persona and contribution to the world around them.”
“Nurturing a philanthropic spirit helps shape students into conscientious leaders who are prepared to tackle the challenges of tomorrow with integrity and generosity…all while enhancing their sporting performance! That’s a powerful possibility," said Nathan.
Melbourne City FC goal keeper Jamie Young joined the workshop to share his sporting and community leadership journey, having contributed to charities both in Australia and abroad as an ambassador, volunteer and philanthropic donor.
Working through the AFHA Athlete Impact Plan, the students considered:
1) The causes they are passionate about
2) The individuals that inspire them
3) The different types of contributions they can make, and what those contributions might be according to their own interests, strengths and preferences
4) The communities and networks that can support their community contribution efforts.
5) The short, medium and long term actions they can take to create impact for the causes and charities they have identified
Thank you to Nathan, Jamie Watson and Camberwell Grammar School for hosting us. We look forward to supporting the continued development of this group, and to seeing the impact that this group can create for the community around them.
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