During the school holidays, KARI Foundation and the Wests Tigers held an Elite Pathways Camp for a select group of Indigenous Youth.
The Elite Pathways Camp consists of a week long schedule of activities, including fitness testing, practicing specific skills used in Rugby League, as well as educating the youth on their culture and what it takes to be a leader.
Shaun Spence, from the Wests Tigers, took them through extensive training drills in order to help them develop as players.
These drills focused on some key elements of a football players game, including tackling, passing and one of the most important things, working as a team.
They were taken through a number of drills where they practiced skills such as tackling and passing. However, one of the most important things they were taught, was how to work as a team.
Beau Champion, Ambassador of KARI, took them through some goal setting exercises and focused on just how important it is to set goals in order to progress in life.
Their hard work and achievements did not go unnoticed. One night consisted of a trip to Luna Park as a reward for their efforts. Other nightly activities included learning about their culture and carving boomerangs.
As a part of the cultural aspect of the camp, boomerang carving was a challenging activity for these youth to participate in. The real challenge would be whether they could work together to complete this task. With some guidance, they were successful and were incredibly proud of their achievements.
Dean Widders, NRL Indigenous Pathways Manager, was a special guest who took the time to teach the youth the Indigenous War Cry. This is the same War Cry that is performed by the NRL Indigenous AllStars each year. These youth were able to use the hand made Boomerangs during their performance of the Indigenous War Cry. This was before the Tigers vs. Rabbitohs match at ANZ Stadium. It was a powerful performance and a very exciting experience for the boys who attended the camp.
Watch their incredible performance below:
https://www.facebook.com/KARI.AUS/videos/1771857842883558/