The Wollongong Hawks have endured a very tough season by anyone’s standards when it comes to injuries in 2012/13. While their moniker has remained the word “STRONGER” throughout this tough stretch, you could almost forgive them if they had wilted under the pressure. You would understand if the players and management’s collective spirits looked more fatigued than fighting.
Not this club however, as they continue to prioritise not only their commitment to the fans of their basketball team but also their local community as a whole.
Today the Wollongong Hawks visited kids at Edmund Rice College to spread an anti-bullying message as a part of their pilot program “Blitz on Bullying”. The program is all about the kids and the Wollongong Hawks players working together in a mentoring fashion to verbalise the potentially devastating effects of bullying.
These effects can have horrible implications for children both inside and outside the classroom, with statistics showing that 1 in 4 school kids are bullied across Australian schools.
In the midst of what is turning into a very trying season for the Hawks, it’s sensational to see such great role-model activity taking place. Newly acquired import Malcolm Grant was also in the spirit, tweeting the following after his team’s return home:
Today my teammates and I had the opportunity to go visit a school and we touched on a very sensitive subject..
— Malcolm Grant (@_3MG) February 12, 2013
I didn’t know bullying was SO BIG.. The videos and stories that were shown and told were very touching
— Malcolm Grant (@_3MG) February 12, 2013
Soo all the young kids who follow me or even teenagers who follow me if you are being bullied or know anyone who is being bullied
— Malcolm Grant (@_3MG) February 12, 2013
Don’t be afraid to help yourself or that person… Kids are committing suicide because of this immature act
— Malcolm Grant (@_3MG) February 12, 2013
Just another sign that we have great athletes in the NBL that possess community focus and genuine personalities. As mentioned on Twitter in light of Grant’s comments, perhaps the initiative can be taken to a league level? A “bullying awareness” round would certainly encourage kids and families from all over the country to get involved in the positive message that basketball can bring.
In light of the current issues facing the Australian sporting landscape over the past fortnight, more than ever teams and players such as the Wollongong Hawks and Malcolm Grant should be congratulated for their positive input.
Well done to all involved.
More quotes from the Wollongong press release…
Wollongong NRE Hawks Community Development Officer and assistant coach Matt Flinn believes the program is a unique opportunity for schools to utilise sports stars in the region to help provide a positive message against bullying and cyber safety through interactive sessions delivered to whole year groups.
“Statistics show that 1 in 4 students are bullied every week, sometimes daily across Australian schools. We believe that we can provide a positive message to all students and staff. We have the power to raise awareness of the real issues here and with a range of support we will continue to do so. Being “Bully Busters” is a mantra that fits well with our club when you look at where we are placed within the Australian professional sporting landscape” Matt Flinn said.
“Our Blitz on Bullying program is fantastic for high schools in the Illawarra. We come in as a team, with a plan and a goal.”
“We truly believe this program is one of the best in the state when it comes to teaching high school kids on the anti-bullying message. We want to find a way to implement this program all year round, hopefully we can do that by securing sponsorship that will help this community program flourish for years to come.” he added.
The program is delivered at many different levels throughout the 2 hour performance. The introduction gathers the whole year and explains that through the positive use of the Media, Social Media and word of mouth we can raise awareness for the subject.
Players then conduct 8 different tutorials with individual classes, discussing a range of topics like bystander behaviour, the consequences of Bullying and thinking about your digital reputation just to name a few. Classes then reform in the Gym and we brainstorm our ideas.
The second part of the session is about creating together with the players an anti bullying slogan that will be created onto a poster and displayed around the school. Kids get to shoot with their favourite player, win prizes and get autographs. All this in 2 hours delivered within the school environment with professional athletes has proven to be a huge winner.
The Hawks run a variety of community programs all year round, seeing over 10,000 school kids and over 150+ school visits per year. For more information on the Hawks community programs visit hawks.com.au.
For more information on how to support the Hawks community programs contact General Manager Mili Simic on 02 4229 7722.
