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New educational program

24 August 2011

One of a kind educational program visits Subiaco

A team of specialists from SportsMed Subiaco are helping a group of disengaged students achieve their career dreams by taking part in an innovative new educational program.

Bunbury Behaviour Service Centre, together with Bunbury Senior High School and AFL Schools Ambassadors, have developed a program that helps disengaged students with a keen interest in football to find their ‘niche’ and work towards their future careers.   

It is the first program of its kind in Australia, where Year 10 students take part in Certificate I in General Education for Adults that is specifically focused on employment opportunities within the AFL structure and associated health care careers.

As part of the inaugural program, a group of 16 students will visit the Hospital on Friday 26th August to see where some of Western Australian’s top AFL players are treated for injuries and take part in valuable information sessions.

Michael Devine, a Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist for SportsMed Subiaco, says the sessions are a great opportunity for the students to learn about and understand how integrated medical and therapy services work in providing healthcare to athletes.

“Hopefully the sessions will not only encourage and motivate the students towards a career in health and fitness, but also help them to understand how through further education they can achieve their goals,” Michael said.

The sessions will cover the role of sports doctors and physiotherapists in sporting teams, and will focus on the player’s healthcare, diagnosis of injury, medical management and rehabilitation.

Elizabeth Walters, Principal of the Bunbury Behaviour Service Centre, says the program will give students who would usually lose interest and drop out of school at an early age valuable literacy and numeracy skills, and will provide a gateway to TAFE, apprenticeships and further training.

“We are very thankful to the team at SportsMed and St John of God Hospital Subiaco, who have been very willing to help out and ensure the first year of this new program is a great success,” Elizabeth said.

Whilst in Perth the students will also have the opportunity to experience the inner workings of Paterson Stadium, take part in football clinic and attend the Fremantle Dockers game on Friday night.