http://www.ccmariners.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=36199
Newcastle Permanent “Mariners Active” Program kicks off
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 by Glen Lauder
Two Dooralong students participate in the Mariners Active program under the watchful eye of Damien Brown
Central Coast Mariners / Glen Lauder © Central Coast Mariners
The Central Coast Mariners new Primary Schools development program, known as “Mariners Active”, and supported by Newcastle Permanent Building Society, has entered classrooms across the Coast for the first time today, starting with the region’s smallest, the 11-pupil Dooralong Public School.
The program, aimed at students in years 3 to 6, is all about encouraging children to enjoy exercising through a fun Football program.
Run by former Mariner and the club’s Youth Development Co-ordinator Damien Brown, the program will enter two schools up and down the Coast every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and judging by the reaction of the football-mad students at sleepy Dooralong, its sure to be a major success.
“It was great fun. You always wonder what it’s going to be like when you open up all the new gear we have here, and meeting the kids for the first time, but I had a great time and once you’re relaxed it’s just like having a kick in the backyard,” said Brown.
In very warm conditions, the children at the quaint school, ranging from Kindergarten to year six, swapped their pens and workbooks for their joggers and footballs, as they took to an inflatable mini-pitch for an hour of fun, and in doing so, demonstrated the ability of the program to adapt to the needs of individual schools.
“It’s been good for the kids to learn skills that they can take on, and that we can develop further at school, and having that for all ages has been really good,” said Dooralong Primary School Principal Kerry Smith.
“Because it’s the Mariners it takes it to a different level. Having that representation means they will try harder, and try to emulate those role models. As you can see today they are giving 150%.
“It was great, it was well set up, the kids were looking forward to it ever since we booked it, so it’s just been a lovely community thing as well. We had some parents come down and watch and they’ll take it back to the other mothers and I think that’s a lovely thing for the Mariners and for sport in general on the Coast,” said Ms Smith.
The location for the first ever Newcastle Permanent Mariners Active session was indeed fitting, as the community minded Mariners headed to arguably the most community minded school on the Coast, which prides itself on not only impressive academic results, but a strong feeling of family in one of the area’s more remote locations.
“It’s a long drive out here but it was quite peaceful, I feel quite relaxed being out here. The behaviour of the kids was fantastic and you can see that they are very close knit group, so it made it an even more enjoyable session,” Brown said.
Primary Schools are able to register their interest for the Newcastle Permanent Mariners Active Program by calling (02) 4353 7200 or e-mailing info@ccmariners.com.au
