The West Coast Eagles recruited some new fans by participating in the Association for Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors’ Children in Cultural Transition program recently.

Community engagement coordinator James Grabski and schools and community development officer Joe Wear delivered an interactive sports clinic at Ferrara Park, Girrawheen as part of the CICT program.

The CICT program is a free, fun and shared educational program designed to support primary-aged children from refugee backgrounds transition into mainstream schooling.

Grabski and Wear taught the children a range of fundamental skills, including how to handball, kick and mark a football.

Grabski said it was rewarding to work with the ever-grateful ASeTTS children.

“The objective of these sessions is to utilise the capacity that sport, in particular Australian rules football, can have in bringing people together in a fun, healthy and safe learning environment,” he said.

“As well as the obvious physical benefits associated with being active and playing sport, participants have the opportunity to practice and develop other life skills, including leadership, teamwork, self-confidence and resilience through their participation.”

ASeTTS client services manager Michael van Koesveld said the children embraced the challenge of trying their hand at Australian rules football.

He hoped West Coast Eagles fans would rally behind the organisation and its children.

“ASeTTS works with children and youth that have survived trauma and hardship in some of the most difficult circumstance imaginable,” he said.

“Our responsibility is to help children and their families to feel safe in Perth. One of the ways our supporters can help us is by donating to ASeTTS to help us deliver future programs for children and their families.”