Disadvantaged kids get footballs in bid to strengthen connections

A volunteer project from Melbourne is changing the lives of disadvantaged children, one ball at a time.

Footys4All delivers free sporting balls to disadvantaged kids globally. Here is Bryan in Melbourne. Philip Ly

Bryan excited to show off his new football. Source: Philip Ly

The Footys4All Foundation is targeting disadvantaged communities in Australia's southern city of Melbourne in a bid to improve the lives of the younger generation.

The project gives out free sporting gear from all codes during visits to schools with socially displaced children.

It hands out new balls to encourage more social participation, and it's all free. 

Foundation ambassador and top Collingwood supporter Joffa Corfe visited Ascot Vale Special Needs School on Friday meeting more than one hundred students. 

"[The initiatve] just reinforces my belief in how good sport is in bringing people together," Mr Corfe said.

"We saw today, smiles from ear to ear, they now own a footy, they were having a ball out here.

"So I think, with sport and the community in sport, we almost must [remember] the power it brings to all communities.

"Today was very uplifting."

Footys4All at Ascot Vale Special Needs School.
More than 100 school children were given a brand new, Aussie Rules football. (Philip Ly) Source: Philip Ly

School PE teacher Steph Ryan said having the project come to the school would mean a lot to the children. 

"A lot of our kids come from commission flats or homes that can't afford sporting equipment," Ms Ryan said.

"So when something like this happens, and they get that equipment, they take it home and it's gonna get used.

"School might be the only chance they get to be active so if they can take it home it's increasing the activity."

Social sports is more accessible to students outside of school, with each child now having their own football, she added.

The foundation has been kicking since 2012. In that time it has delivered 15,000 balls and 5000 books. 

Its founder, Michael Gallus, said the project was a way to drive better literacy and numeracy skills.

"Nelson Mandela said sport speaks to youth in a language that they understand," Mr Gallus said.

"It's more powerful than race, it's more powerful than religion, it's more powerful than governments in breaking down barriers.

"And then he went out and proved that in unifying his country through the rugby union world cup to defeat apartheid.

Michael Gallus
Michael Gallus of Footys4All said it's about changing children's lives one ball at a time. (Philip Ly) Source: Philip Ly

The project also works overseas and aims to distribute 100,000 more balls in the next three years. 

Footys4All ambassador Nathan Grills heads up a team working with disable children in northern India.

"Children with disabilities are often marginalised but when they got a ball, they're part of the community," he said.

"When a kid has a ball, they can take pride in it and they able to play, and interact with other children in the community that don't have disabilities."

Hanif for Footys4All
Hanif learns how to handball a football after getting his footy from the Footys4All project. (Philip Ly) Source: Philip Ly

Mr Gallus said sports professionals helped the initiative.

"We want to change their lives one ball at a time, because they see that on the TV," he said.

"They see their heroes, they see the balls that are out there and that's what we're giving them - that opportunity, that hope, and that sporting opportunity."

Next week, the foundation, which also works in Africa and India, will head to Fiji to further spread the message of "changing lives one ball at a time".

Footys4All
The project is already working in parts of Africa and India. (Philip Ly) Source: Philip L

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3 min read

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By Gareth Boreham, Philip Ly


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