Visiting Schools

[TimmyB]

WESTS TIGERS SEE 61 SCHOOLS IN A DAY
By Wayne Cousins
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Wests Tigers players took part in one of the club’s biggest ever junior rugby league promotions in the Balmain district on Wednesday, February 17.
More than 30 players from the NRL squad including Benji Marshall, Tim Moltzen, Chris Lawrence and Keith Galloway were joined by young guns Blake Ayshford, Robert Lui, Andrew Fifita and Jake Mullaney for the annual Wests Tigers Balmain Schools Blitz.

In just one day, Wests Tigers players visited 61 schools in the Balmain district alone - an incredible 52 Primary and 9 High Schools.
This follows on from more than 20 Wests Tigers players who were involved in the NRL Community Carnival Day at Campbelltown, Belmore, Parramatta and Penrith last Wednesday.
The figure of 52 Primary Schools and 9 High Schools is an increase of 29 schools on the 2009 Balmain Blitz, meaning more than 12,000 students and teachers were visited by Wests Tigers players and ARL Development Officers.
“There are 93 primary schools in the Balmain region and to get 52 involved shows just how popular rugby league is and why it remains the sport of choice amongst young people,’’ said Wests Tigers/ARL Development Officer Tony Ashton.
“The players spoke about playing junior rugby league, the benefits of exercise, and help spread the ‘Eat Well, Play Well, Stay Well’ message to children.
“Each child also received a Wests Tigers showbag full of rugby league material and posters. It was a big effort by the Wests Tigers players as each group saw at least four to five schools each between the normal school hours of 9am and 3pm.”
Wests Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall was again a star attraction with children. Marshall and Tim Moltzen attended Forest Lodge Public School, Nicholson Street Public School, St Brendans Primary School.
A highlight at each school was students and teachers trying their hand at doing the ‘Benji Marshall side-step’ where the roar of approval was deafening at times.
“It is a pretty effort by the club and the players. It is important to give back to the schools and try to get a few more kids playing junior rugby league,’’ Marshall said.
“Today is all about the kids and showing them how much fun you can have in rugby league.”

The article below on the Wests Tigers' website caught my attention. I know people will say this should be in the WT forum blah blah blah, please don't bother. I want to make a more general point.

How often do clubs visit schools? To be perfectly honest, I can't think of anything more important in ensuring kids remain interested in Rugby League. I remember being visited by Nigel Roy and Greg Florimo when I was a kid in primary school. It, in conjunction with my dad's support of the game, was a primary reason why I am a Rugby League fan today. I sometimes wonder if there is a big enough commitment from the teams in the NRL. To be perfectly honest, I'd like to see the NRL mandating a certain amount of community work, in particular getting young kids into the game, each year. One area where we have a massive advantage over the AFL is that we have 7 teams in this city. We should be using this advantage.


As it is, I'm glad the Tigers' visited all these schools. At the end of the day though, it's nothing the club should be proud of; I personally feel it's incumbent upon them to do so. There shouldn't be a primary school in the city that isn't at least offered by an NRL club.

 

[Bulldogs_4_Life]

The Bulldogs visit schools very often. They even send out players to be teachers aids etc.

And I remember seeing a Souths piece on fox sports a week or so ago about a program they have set up where they spend a year helping out kids at the schools. It might not be a rugby league camp, but as they're big footy players the kids are of course going to get excited so in the end it's also good promotion for the NRL and to keep kids involved.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

When I was in primary, Penrith quite often sent players out to my school. At least once a year, they ran clinics, signed stuff, it was great and I dont even support them. We also had AFL come once and only once. I remember one of them getting angry because we kept playing League with their balls. HAHA good times.

 

[Red Bear]

We used to have the Steelers come round a bit when i was in my very young year (kindy-year 2) so about 95-97. No one i can remember after that and never anything in high school (although we wern't much of a sporty high school).

 

[Spot]

The article below on the Wests Tigers' website caught my attention. I know people will say this should be in the WT forum blah blah blah, please don't bother. I want to make a more general point.

How often do clubs visit schools? To be perfectly honest, I can't think of anything more important in ensuring kids remain interested in Rugby League. I remember being visited by Nigel Roy and Greg Florimo when I was a kid in primary school. It, in conjunction with my dad's support of the game, was a primary reason why I am a Rugby League fan today. I sometimes wonder if there is a big enough commitment from the teams in the NRL. To be perfectly honest, I'd like to see the NRL mandating a certain amount of community work, in particular getting young kids into the game, each year. One area where we have a massive advantage over the AFL is that we have 7 teams in this city. We should be using this advantage.


As it is, I'm glad the Tigers' visited all these schools. At the end of the day though, it's nothing the club should be proud of; I personally feel it's incumbent upon them to do so. There shouldn't be a primary school in the city that isn't at least offered by an NRL club.

Nigel Roy - ah the memories

 

[babyg]

All good points. People are still saying players have too much time on their hands. part of the role of a NRL player should be to promote the game and doing community service and visiting schools

 

[DeeJ]

I remember as a young boy the South Queensland Crushers visited our school and handed out season ticket passes. Everyone was unimpressed since we were all Broncos fans.

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

Back in primary we'd have Steelers in all the time, Brett Rodwell, Paul McGregor and Rod Wishart were regulars. Pretty exciting for kids to have Origin and International stars right in your school.

 

[JT_]

Wish we had league players come to my high school.

All we ever had was some of the Swans players back in '03, Jared Crouch and a few other guys talking about how cool AFL is. We had some kids asking them more NRL questions lol.

 

[Ianc]

Wow, I thought this was normal for all clubs.

The Cowboys have an "Adopt a Cowboy' program where each player is linked with a school in Townsville. They spend 3hrs per week/fnight, depending on the players schedule, at the school. The school has a contract with the club & player & its planned out what they do each visit.

The Cowboys have also just completed a 'Community Carnival' in which they traveled all round the North visiting schools. They sent 2 or 3 players to each town & they visit as many schools as they can over a couple of days. The school I work at had Willie Tonga & Steve Rapira. Willie spoke really well to the Indigenous kids.

On top of that is the normal hospital/community visits. The Cowboys are very busy in the community up here & not just in Townsville.

 

[Loudstrat]

We have the Knights coming to our schools next week.

 

[innsaneink]

I would often see WTs preparing to hold what they used to call Balmain Blitz, I'd alert my sons old primary school....they were never interested. Bitch principal

 

[TimmyB]

Wow, I thought this was normal for all clubs.

The Cowboys have an "Adopt a Cowboy' program where each player is linked with a school in Townsville. They spend 3hrs per week/fnight, depending on the players schedule, at the school. The school has a contract with the club & player & its planned out what they do each visit.

The Cowboys have also just completed a 'Community Carnival' in which they traveled all round the North visiting schools. They sent 2 or 3 players to each town & they visit as many schools as they can over a couple of days. The school I work at had Willie Tonga & Steve Rapira. Willie spoke really well to the Indigenous kids.

On top of that is the normal hospital/community visits. The Cowboys are very busy in the community up here & not just in Townsville.

That's excellent. I suppose the Cowboys have an advantage in that they're probably covering a smaller population, but ideally it's what you'd want to see. Rather than just making one visit that may be forgotten by some of the kids, it's really building a rapport. I imagine for some of the kids it's almost like the school adopts a player rather than vice versa. I'm sure they get a real buzz out of seeing the player and in person and then on the field on the weekend.

 

[Ianc]

I'm not sure how the kids react to the adopt program. I live out of Townsville & we can't get an adopt a cowboy cause it's to far out of Townsville.
Your right though it is a smaller population so it's easier for the cowboys. I think RL needs to see more of this in the media especially in Sydney.