Although winged Eagle Mark LeCras will spend the next couple of months on the sidelines with an adductor injury, he is certainly making the most of his time off the field.

As part of the club’s commitment to the community, LeCras was happy to head up north to Hedland and help out with Kicking Goals, one of Australia’s largest regional AFL mentoring programs.

Combining sport-based initiatives to help high school students in the Pilbara achieve better educational and employment outcomes, Kicking Goals utilises a reward system, whereby students are required to maintain certain key standards to be eligible for various incentives.

LeCras joined club staff members and Eagles legend Chris Lewis at a training session for the South Hedland Swans, before a question-answer session with staff and employees of the region’s Environmental and Support Solutions.

The following day, the travelling party visited Hedland Senior High School for a Kicking Goals class, focusing on goal-setting and life skills. This was followed by a  two football coaching session, where LeCras was impressed by the skill level and enthusiasm of the participants.

Each year, BHP Billiton, Swan Districts and the West Coast Eagles combine forces to deliver this quality education program.

Since its inception in 2005, Kicking Goals continues to deliver impressive academic and social results for the Pilbara, including improvement in attendance records and literary and numeracy. There has also been a marked reduction in antisocial behaviour and criminal activity.