Sport and Recreation Victoria are passing on knowledge of traditional games to help more Victorians stay healthy and connected.
Kate Corrigan and Peter Montga from Sport and Recreation Victoria's (SRV) Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Program recently teamed up to teach traditional games to innovative Aboriginal business Spark Health.
Spark Health is delivering health promotion and education programs through schools, community groups and prisons, and now plan to pass knowledge of traditional games like Marngrook to students across the state.
Linked to the development of Australian Rules Football, in a Marngrook game, a stitched possum skin ball is kicked from player to player and participants leap to take high marks.
Kate and Peter coached Spark Health on the games, and presented them with a traditional Indigenous games kit bag. Kate said sport was a fantastic way for people of all backgrounds to connect. 'When you’re with all those people participating in traditional games, you feel like you’re coming home,' she said. Laura Thompson, Managing Director of Spark Health was equally enthusiastic. 'Using sport as a way to communicate history is a great way of getting in and of helping people connect with our history and ancestors.'
Using the skills and tools SRV has provided, Spark Health are now running even more traditional Aboriginal games sessions in Community.
You can see the full article from SRV here!
Article courtesy of Department of Health and Human Services, Sport and Recreation Victoria.