Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Local communities and sporting clubs benefit from Active After-school Communities program extension

The Active After-school Communities (AASC) program, developed by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), provides primary school aged children with access to free, structured physical activity in the after-school timeslot. The AASC program is designed to engage traditionally inactive children and to build pathways with local community organisations, including sporting clubs.

This Australian Government initiative is celebrating the recent budget announcement confirming the program’s extension to 2010. By the end of 2007, up to 150,000 primary school aged children will participate in the program and around 20,000 local community members will have completed the Community Coach Training Program.

Research conducted to date indicates that the program is hitting the mark in terms of targeting those children who need it most —
inactive children.

The research also found that:

• participating schools and out of school hours care services are overwhelmingly satisfied with the program and agree that the program is having a positive impact on the development of fundamental motor skills
• participants believe that the attitudes of inactive children towards structured physical activity are improving, and that there are other desirable flow on effects, such as positive changes to children’s social skills and behavioural conduct, including an increase in self esteem, confidence and
  concentration; better sleep patterns; less truancy; and greater teamwork.

A key element of the program’s success, research shows, has been the appointment of Regional Coordinators.

“The placement of the Regional Coordinators in local communities aims to provide hands on support in implementing the program through a network of staff who know and understand their community,” said Judy Flanagan, Director, Community Sport at the ASC.

The research shows that over two thirds of AASC program deliverers believe the program is stimulating local community involvement in sport and physical activity.

Communities are supported through the training model, which has seen nearly 20,000 community members including parents, teachers, secondary and tertiary students, senior citizens and local sporting clubs members trained by AASC staff.

“This training provides communities with a greater ability to offer more opportunities for children to participate in sport, and will grow and strengthen the coaching base of local community organisations, including clubs,” Judy Flanagan said.