VCAL students from Catherine McCauley College are taking part in a program designed to connect them with people from all walks of life, and to learn the rules of wheelchair football.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Each Friday, the students meet clients from SCOPE disability to take part in a competitive adapted version of football.
The games take place indoors, and all clients are on wheelchairs, pushed by students and SCOPE staff.
OTHER NEWS: Victorian COVID cases dip on Sunday
The program has been running for over five years, and has been a huge success for both the students and the clients.
Organiser and CMC teacher Jan Miletic said it's part of the VCAL major project.
"They do a lot of work on SCOPE, they research the rules, and we look at lots of different types of disability, and we also tie that in with their literacy too," she said.
Ms Miletic said the students learn to do everything, from pushing the clients on wheelchairs, to time keeping, to boundary umpiring.
"The very first time they came here, they huddled in the corner, and they were like 'oh my god, what am I getting myself into?'," she said.
"And the clients feel the same I think, they sort of see all these strange, young people and must wonder who they are."
Ms Miletic said slowly but surely, the students and clients form relationships and are keen to get involved.
"But the kids that are here really do quite enjoy it now, the absentee rate is very low and they've become more and more skilled in all the aspects of the game," she said.
"One of the skills that they're really learning is communication," Ms Miletic said.
"We challenge what their understandings of inclusivity are because we've got a whole variety of different disabilities here.
"The SCOPE motto is you see past the disability and you just get on with it."
The wheelchair football grand final will be held later in the year, and it looks like the Bulldogs are in with a shot.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Download our app on iOS and Android
- Bookmark bendigoadvertiser.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter @BgoAddy
- Follow us on Instagram @bendigoadvertiser
- Join us on Facebook
- Follow us on Google News