Sporting Programs

Sports without cultural barriers

Being a part of a sports team in your local community can help you forge friendships, improve your health and wellbeing, and learn a lot about the many and diverse cultures in Australia.

Our sporting programs are open to all young people.  No matter your sporting experience, understanding or ability, everyone is welcome!

AFL

“We came to Australia, we love AFL, come join us!”. This is the motto of the Butler Falcons, our AFL team.

We are very proud to have established the first ever multicultural AFL team in Australia in 2010. Called the Edmund Rice Lions, they marked the beginning of our popular AFL Program. A few years later we formed the Butler Falcons, which was Australia’s first all-African female AFL team. Since then, our AFL programs have grown to encompass young men and women from multicultural backgrounds across different several locations.

By providing opportunities to mix with other young people from a diverse range of multicultural backgrounds, our AFL program aims to break down negative cultural stereotypes and perceptions, promote community harmony and enable lifelong friendships.

AFL Locations

Soccer

Common Goal is a soccer program for young people. It began as a joint initiative between Edmund Rice Centre WA, Western Australia Police, Football West, local governments, and local mosques.

Run by the Common Goal Soccer Academy, the program involves weekly training sessions and weekend opportunities, including matches and excursions, as well as leadership training, education activities and opportunities to become physically active in a supportive environment. Now operating at several locations, Common Goal aims to provide pathways into local clubs and other development opportunities.

Common Goal Locations

Local Parks Project

If you are a young person interested in participating in sports, then the Local Parks Project could be just what you’re looking for.

Local Parks is a multi-sport program aiming to break down the barriers that can keep young people from engaging in mainstream sporting clubs. Throughout the year a range of FREE sports are on offer at different times across multiple locations. Our Local Parks programs are highly culturally diverse. They  offer a safe space for young people from diverse multicultural backgrounds who want to learn new skills and meet people.

Local parks are chosen in suburbs that tend to have low participation in sports clubs. The aim is to be a short walk away from your home!

And you can use the Local Parks Project as an entry way into our sporting pathways programs. These focus on a team-centred approach and provide long term development across three main sports: AFL, soccer and basketball.

Local Parks Locations

Coaching and Officiating

Are you interested in becoming a sporting coach or official?

We have been teaching and mentoring young people to be able to coach and officiate at various sports since 2008 when we launched our Coaching Academy. Since then, over 200 young coaches have achieved accreditation and have been active as volunteers across our Youth Programs. In 2017, we launched a specialised AFL Umpiring Academy with Brenda Amito, the first of its kind in Australia. Brenda would go on to win the WA Young Person of the Year for 2019.

At our Coaching Academy, we work with you to build your resilience, strategic thinking and skills so you can be employed or volunteer as a coach or official and give back to your local community.

Interested to find out more?

Get in touch for more information on any of our sporting programs on 9440 0625 or info@ercwa.org.au. Or you can fill out our contact form and one of our friendly team will be in contact with you.