Moree Plains Shire Council held a junior touch football clinic on Wednesday, January 23 as a junior competition is set to return this year.
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The rain didn’t stop kids from turning up as they practiced their skills in the training session run by NSW Touch Football’s Matthew Kiddle.
The program is part of an initiative created by the Moree Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) which was formed in 2018 thanks to a $10,000 grant received from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) to establish a drug action plan for the region.
Council’s community development officer Ros Laws is excited about getting a junior touch competition up and running again, with a major focus to remain on education.
“Kids will go in first and do a living school program, doing everything from drug and alcohol education to brushing their teeth or personal hygiene and then they’ll play,” she said.
“So if they don’t do the workshop they don’t play.”
Senior community development officer of the ADF Denni Scott Davis said the LDAT program engages with 220 communities across Australia, consulting with each community to see what they want to organise, with Moree focusing on a touch football competition.
“Junior touch footy was the idea they suggested, the consensus,” she said.
“It’s great because it cuts culturally across and it’s gender equal. Anyone can play. Everyone is welcome.
“The other idea is to offer referee training which is accredited for community parents and members and to invite people to get them onto the committee and run the competition.
“The main thing is to promote wellbeing while educating and informing around the impact of alcohol and other drugs in the community.”
The competition is set to begin in February/March 2019 and is free of charge for the duration of the season.