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< Back The Huddle's 2023 Iftar Join the local community in breaking fast during Ramadan Cassandra Hadson Previous Next

The North Melbourne Kangaroos Welcome New Fans to Aussie Rules Footy. < Back Kicks, Marks and Cultural Connections Previous Next

Bringing footy and STEM together for an action-packed learning experience < Back GOAL! Kangaroos Kicks Off at Werribee Primary School Jasper Menor 21 Feb 2025 Bringing footy and STEM together for an action-packed learning experience The Huddle’s latest GOAL! Kangaroos lessons officially launched on Monday, February 10, during Community Camp at Werribee Primary School. These FREE , footy-themed STEM lessons , aligned with the Victorian Curriculum , bring learning to life in a way that’s both engaging and educational. What is GOAL! Kangaroos? Designed for year levels 3-5 , GOAL! Kangaroos blends football, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to make learning dynamic and interactive. These lessons are: Free for educators Aligned with the Victorian Curriculum Hands-on and engaging , perfect for active learners and footy fans. Students put their goal-kicking accuracy to the test, simulating shots from nine different angles to analyse the best position for scoring a sausage roll (a goal). The activity combines practical STEM principles with the excitement of footy, creating an unforgettable learning experience. Adding to the fun, North Melbourne Kangaroos players joined in, sharing tips and encouraging students as they kicked goals both in the classroom and on the field. Why Schools Love GOAL! Kangaroos Teachers and students alike have embraced these lessons because they: Make STEM exciting through real-life applications Encourage teamwork and problem-solving Get students active while learning key skills Bring GOAL! Kangaroos to Your School Want to bring these footy-inspired STEM program to your school? Click HERE and get access to 6 brand new footy themed lessons to get your students in the game today! Plus they're completely FREE! Previous Next

< Back Participant profile: Ayden Bartlett Ayden takes part in the Guard of Honour during AFL Indigenous Round Riley Goodwin Previous Next

As The Huddle’s impact in the Wyndham area continues to grow, our volunteers and their connections to the community are vital in helping young people learn, grow and belong < Back Volunteer Get to Know: Eli Riley Goodwin 18 May 2022 As The Huddle’s impact in the Wyndham area continues to grow, our volunteers and their connections to the community are vital in helping young people learn, grow and belong As The Huddle’s impact in the Wyndham area continues to grow, our volunteers and their connections to the community are vital in helping young people learn, grow and belong. One such volunteer is Eli. Since joining The Huddle in December 2021, Eli has been instrumental in building our Huddle Up volleyball program on Friday nights at Eagle Stadium in Werribee. We sat down with Eli to learn more about how he came to be a volunteer at The Huddle and his journey with volunteering so far. How did you first learn about the Huddle? I’ve always been really passionate about sport (particularly volleyball) and I was actually running my own volleyball session out in the local park because I wanted to increase engagement with the community and give people a place to go. Some of the youths who were coming down each week said they heard about The Huddle running a volleyball activity at Eagle Stadium, so I went down one night and spoke to Steph (Head of Sport & Recreation at The Huddle) and asked if they were looking for volunteers. She said yes and I applied on The Huddle website that night! It worked out perfectly to be honest. As much as I enjoyed going down to the park, it is nice to not have to lug around my own equipment and playing inside means we can keep going regardless of the weather. How long have been involved in Volleyball for? I played growing up back home in New Zealand. I was lucky enough to go to a volleyball school which meant I got to play pretty much every day! I continued playing during my time in the Defence Force and Army as well, so it’s been a big part of my life that’s for sure. I’ve been getting more into coaching these past few years as I’m getting a bit old. Although I still play on a Wednesday night in Altona, so I haven’t completely stopped yet. What’s your favourite part about coaching? Seeing improvements from people each and every week. It’s really rewarding watching people gain more and more confidence and doing things they didn’t think they were capable of. It’s great building that sense of community and supportive environments as well. What would you say to anyone who’s interested in volunteering but hasn’t done it before and doesn’t know where to start? I think an important thing is to find something you’re passionate about and volunteer in that space. I have always loved sport, so a lot of my volunteering has centred around that. But I think there’s always opportunities to help people with everything really, whether it’s education, helping people write resumes and apply for jobs, etc. You can help people in so many different ways. Most importantly, give it a go! You have nothing to lose. The feeling you get from helping people is unmatched and I wish everyone could experience it. You can also make a really positive impact on an individual or a group of people’s lives. Previous Next

< Back 2023 Autumn Huddle Holidays Rock Climbing, Reptile Encounter, Multisport Superclinic, Barista Course Previous Next

Moukhtar grows into a community leader through Game Changers < Back A Game Changers Story Previous Next

< Back Celebrate National Science Week Download free sports themed STEM lessons to celebrate National Science Week Previous Next

< Back Strength to strength How The Huddle’s free tutoring program in Werribee is flourishing in 2022 Josh Raymer Previous Next

Connecting the future footballers with elite athletes in Tasmania. < Back AFLW Community Camp Inspires the Next Generation Ella Marsh 30 Aug 2024 Connecting the future footballers with elite athletes in Tasmania. North Melbourne Football Club and The Huddle's annual AFLW Community Camp connects elite athletes with aspiring young footballers and local coaches in Tasmania. This year’s event partnered with McDonald’s and provided a unique platform for elite athletes to engage with the Tasmanian community. This annual event not only inspires young female footballers but also supports local players, coaches, and umpires with developmental opportunities. The 2024 camp featured: Engagement with 30 unique junior girls' football teams. Training sessions and match simulations for 10 senior Tasmanian women players. Skill-building clinics for 67 Under 12 girls and support for nine local female umpires. Prior to the AFLW Community Camp, there was a noticeable gap in opportunities for young female footballers in Tasmania to interact with elite athletes and experience high-level training. The camp aimed to address this gap by: Providing junior girls and aspiring athletes with direct engagement from AFLW players. Offering training and development opportunities to senior Tasmanian players, coaches, and umpires. Fulfilling an obligation of the AFLW’s agreement with Events Tasmania to promote and support the growth of the game in the state. The AFLW Community Camp effectively bridged the gap between elite football and local community members by: Engaging Young Athletes: AFLW players attended junior girls' games, actively participating as goal umpires, coaches, and supporters. This interaction provided motivation and inspiration for the young players, reinforcing that a career in AFLW is within reach. Training Opportunities: Local Tasmanian athletes experienced high-level training session and match simulation alongside AFLW stars, enhancing their skills and understanding of elite-level play. Coaching and Umpiring Development: Tasmanian coaches and umpires benefited from specialized training session led by AFLW and AFL experts, improving their knowledge and skills in their respective roles. The AFLW Community Camp achieved significant outcomes, fostering a sense of community and belonging among participants: Youth Engagement: Over 67 girls attended the Under 12 all-girls clinic, where they engaged in drills and activities with AFLW players, significantly boosting their confidence and enthusiasm for the sport. Player Development: 10 senior Tasmanian women players participated in match simulations, enhancing their game readiness and experience. Coaching and Umpiring Enhancement: nine local female umpires gained valuable insights from AFLW umpire Sam Ritchie, and coaches improved their techniques through workshops with Darren Crocker and his team. “The North girls were amazing tonight! Please pass on a massive thank you to all of them from the Sandy Bay Lions. Loved that they learned their names and were so interactive.” - Emma, mum of Sandy Bay Lions U9’s player Lulu. “As elite athletes and players of AFLW, I think it’s really important that we are in the community and can show these young girls that there is a pathway to the elite level.” - Nicole Bresnehan. The AFLW Community Camp aims to build on its success by enhancing the program each year. The focus will remain on deepening community connections and providing continuous development opportunities for local athletes, coaches, and umpires. Don't miss the opportunity to experience AFLW live! Join us for the upcoming AFLW games in Tasmania: Week 5: NMFC vs Richmond, UTAS Stadium, Sunday, September 29th, at 1:05 PM Week 7: NMFC vs Sydney Swans, North Hobart Oval, Sunday, October 13th, at 1:05 PM Get your tickets here and support local talent while witnessing the excitement of AFLW action! Previous Next

We met up with past Huddle Participant, Arsema, to hear about her journey of gaining employment. < Back Arsema's Journey to Employment Previous Next

Akram’s journey to become a community leader < Back Providing opportunities to learn, grow and belong Maddy Ware and John King 17 Oct 2022 Akram’s journey to become a community leader Prior work experience, or specifically lack thereof, continues to be a barrier to employment for young people. This is especially the case for young people from multicultural backgrounds who must compete with cultural biases and other barriers (VMC, 2021). In this current climate, young people struggle to gain employment without previous paid employment experience and therefore often get into volunteer or internship roles to build their skill set. However, a lot of intern and volunteer roles are largely unpaid which leaves young people at risk of exploitation and therefore continue to struggle to gain paid employment experience. Many young people also lack mentors or role models who can provide guidance or inspiration to strive for improvements in education and career pathways. Mentors and role models can also provide insights and help broaden the horizons of young people still navigating their education or employment journey. The Huddle engages with young people through a variety of program options which are considered “soft entry points”. This provides an opportunity for staff to observe the growth of young people and to identify the talent, skills and qualities they possess. By encouraging those talented young people to participate in more structured courses and programs with The Huddle, young people are exposed to a variety of networks and opportunities where they can further develop their skills in safe and supported environments. Young people who succeed in programs like Game Changers, which have tangible and visible real-world outcomes, not only serve as inspiration for their peers, but also provide a template on how young people can develop valuable skills and experiences while serving as positive community role models. Akram began his journey as a participant with The Huddle in 2019, taking part in our True North Mentoring and Huddle Up! programs. I found the programs interesting. I got to meet the North Melbourne players during True North. They were really open and down to earth. They made us feel involved and kept encouraging us to participate and think outside the box. - Akram Since that time, he has also attended regular Study Squad sessions, for education support, and in 2021 registered for Game Changers, our employment program. The employment opportunities were appealing. So was the involvement of other organisations like Young Australian People and Ubuntu Project. They all provided good resources and connections which could lead to other opportunities after the program. I Highly recommend Game Changers – just make sure you attend all the sessions. If you miss out on sessions, you’ll miss out on something good! - Akram Following years of connections with multiple program coordinators and volunteers, Akram had been able to display many of the qualities and traits required to contribute his skills and expertise in several our regular programs. In 2022, Akram was offered a casual role as a Program Support Officer in our Huddle Up! program. It is really good working with The Huddle. It’s a great team and I enjoy the programs that we run (Huddle Up! Junior). I love seeing the kids progressing and having fun. I also like working with other groups in collaborative projects. - Akram Akram was also able to further develop his project management and transferable skills as a Huddle Holidays Project Officer, a role which was created for successful participants within Game Changers, whose community project ideas were deemed appropriate and feasible by a volunteer panel of experts from the YMCA, City of Melbourne and the Melbourne Youth Alliance. Akram worked in partnership with two other Game Changers participants, The Huddle’s Careers Coordinator and Education Coordinators, North Melbourne Football Club staff, and volunteers to create ‘The Race’, an amazing race for young people aged between 13 and 18 which contained a series of personal development and wellbeing themed challenges and activities. Akram and his group were responsible for the design of the project, budgeting, creating the marketing and promotion strategy (including design of all collateral), registration of participants and delivery of the activity as part of The Huddle’s Winter Huddle Holidays. It was pretty difficult, not going to lie, but I enjoyed doing multiple tasks, working in a team and learning how to manage a project. It was great to put a whole lot of skills I didn’t know I had into a project and completing something meaningful. - Akram Throughout the project, Akram took on a leadership role with his team and was able to keep his group on task and accountable. He was able to ensure tasks were allocated fairly and according to skills, abilities and availability of those within his group. He also provided regular communication and feedback to those in his working group and the staff at The Huddle who coordinate Huddle Holidays. Akram’s journey from a participant in the Huddle’s social inclusion programs, through to accessing more individualised education and career support and, finally, into employment is an example of how young people learn, grow and belong through the various initiatives provided by The Huddle. Akram is a young leader within the North Melbourne community, he provides inspiration to others and has made significant personal and professional developments by taking advantage of the opportunities available to him through The Huddle. Previous Next