Football West’s Program Development Lead David Williams recently ran a pilot program to encourage indigenous children to get involved in football.
The program took place at the Sam Kerr Football Centre as part of the NAIDOC Week celebrations.
“Having these young indigenous kids here at the Sam Kerr Football Centre was great to see,” former Socceroo Williams said.
“The feeling they got running around the same pitch the Socceroos and Matildas have trained on was special for them and me, and they got a huge buzz out of our fun session.
“Seeing the smiles these kids produce is why I love doing this. After living out my dream as a professional player, to now being able to offer experiences like this and hopefully inspire the next generation of young Indigenous footballers is very rewarding. There is also a lot of talent that we can tap into.”
Mr Williams said the significance of holding the pilot program during NAIDOC Week was important.
“Creating a fun session for these kids during NAIDOC Week meant we could celebrate culture and sport in one go,” he said.
“Going forward, I would love to put on more of these programs throughout the year and get more indigenous youngsters playing football.”
