East Ringwood Auskick

What do you think Auskick is about? Learning football skills? Getting some exercise? Letting kids live out there sporting fantasies, emulating their favourite AFL heroes for a little while?

Well, exactly.

Auskick is about all these things. I like to think though, that East Ringwood Auskick also about community. Being involved in one's local community is something important.

What do you think Auskick is about?

Learning football skills?

Getting some exercise?

Letting kids live out there sporting fantasies, emulating their favourite AFL heroes for a little while? Well, exactly.

Auskick is about all these things. I like to think though, that East Ringwood Auskick also about community.

Being involved in one's local community is something significant, and extremely rewarding. It's also something that we, in 2012 must consciously teach our children. Never in Australia's history, has there been so many distractions from the simple joy of just getting together with people. There's more to do, but lots of it on your own.

There are less organised community gatherings, and less natural social groups in which to be involved. Take a look through the scout halls and churches of Australia, and you'll see what I mean. Getting together regularly is less popular than once was.

That's a real shame. It is in these scenarios that the classic Australian cultural underpinnings of camaraderie, mateship, commitment, and self-sacrifice in service to a greater good are demonstrated and learned. The things we love about the way we behave as Australians, and just as a species of social animals (humans), cannot be instilled without introducing our children to a lifestyle that includes community participation as a norm.

Ok, so this is no “Convoy email”, but without getting too heavy (no, football has not placed Jesus), whether it’s Auskick, ballroom dancing, a choir, a charity, pottery classes or cooking, mixing with other people is good for us and good for our kids.

It is here that the tribal nature of community can be taught, for along side the noble spirit of sportsmanship lives the cut-throat, never-say-di us-and-them, scratch-their-eyes-out, can’t-stop-us, death-before-defeat attitude of the mighty East Ringwood Football Club!!!!