Swan Districts FC Wooroloo Prison Farm team ready to play
31 Mar, 2011
This Saturday, April 2, the Swan Districts Football Club team from Wooroloo Prison Farm, play Wanneroo Football Club in round one of the Western Australian Amateur Football League season.
Steve Nowotny, General Manager of the Wooroloo Swan Districts FC team, said that having a team from the Wooroloo Prison Farm in the competition added a lot of depth to the competition and was also a great form of rehabilitation for inmates.
“For the players, who are all minimum security inmates, it is something they can focus on during their time in prison, and the game gives them all a great deal of direction”, said Nowotny.
The team receives its support from the Swan Districts ‘V Swans’ department.
The V Swans set up a program for Wooroloo Prison Farm inmates called New Horizons, which aims to deliver a number of objectives including teaching football skills, workplace skills, developing individual self esteem and self-efficacy, teaching the importance of goal setting and aspirations, team work, leadership, education and more.
V Swans Development Manager, Peter Matera, is an integral part of the New Horizons program and is behind it one hundred percent.
“We are helping these guys regain the confidence and life skills needed to become valued members of the community”, Matera said.
“The New Horizon program provides inmates with a level one coaching accreditation in addition to knowledge relating to health, nutrition, drugs, fitness, goal setting, self esteem and more”.
The New Horizons program is supported in partnership with Chevron and non government provider of crime prevention services and programs, Outcare.
Chief Executive Officer from Outcare, Peter Sirr, said that sport and football offered a great pathway for social inclusion and crime prevention.
“This is the first year that Outcare has supported the Wooroloo Swan Districts football team”, said Sirr.
“The fit between what Outcare do and what the V Swans are trying to achieve with the Wooroloo Swan Districts footy team is directly inline with Outcare’s objectives”.
“One of Outcare’s core objectives is to provide rehabilitation for offenders and allow them to re-engage with the community”.
Swan Districts play Stirling in round two of the WAAFL season at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday, April 9, from 2.30pm.
The WAAFL Swan Districts Football Team play each Saturday in the E1 grade.
