CTV in South Africa > Tyson Goldsack reflects on the Cape Town community campCTV in South Africa > Alan Richardson discusses the coaching seminarWhile in Cape Town for Collingwood’s community camp, collingwoodfc.com.au caught up with Allison Simons, the AFL’s provincial development manager of the Western Cape in South Africa.
Simons’ role is to oversee and manage the delivery of AFL South Africa development programs in what is Collingwood’s designated development region. All the development programs fall under the over-arching banner of FootyWILD, including FootyWILD Big 5, the introductory primary school program, FootyWILD Game Day, the Friday primary school competition, FootyWILD High, the high school program, and FootyWILD Extreme, the Open Age program.
While Simons’ role is fascinating and extremely challenging, her journey to come to work in Cape Town is just as interesting. An archaeologist by profession, Simons grew up in Kenya and attended boarding school in England, before moving to Australia when she was 17. Her love for AFL football blossomed while living and studying in Western Australia, and while Simons never planned on volunteering, an opening as an AFL development officer initially attracted her back to Africa, and from there her responsibilities have grown considerably.
AFL football in South Africa is still very much in its infancy, and relies heavily on local volunteer coaches, who often come from some of the most under-privileged parts of the region, ravaged by high unemployment, high crime rates and high levels of HIV/AIDS. Providing small but significant ‘tangible gains’, such as t-shirts and travelling allowances, enables AFL South Africa to attract greater volunteer numbers, while the ongoing generosity of Collingwood in providing t-shirts, caps, training guernseys and footballs is also imperative.
collingwoodfc.com.au spoke to Simons to learn more about the game in South Africa and the impact of Collingwood’s community camp, which followed the club’s two-and-a-half week high-altitude training camp in South Africa.
collingwoodfc.com.au: AFL football to the black South Africans living in the vast, mostly disadvantaged communities seems to be a privilege, not a right. Do you think this is an advantage for the code in terms of being able to develop the game and lure new participants?
Allison Simons: Absolutely! Youth in the townships have little or no access to organised sport and I think this is why our programs are so successful. We provide well-organised, regular programs that are about mass participation and having fun. I think this is what attracts participants to our code in the first instance. Once they attend one session, they then find out what the game is all about and start to build a real passion for the sport. You have to remember that, unlike in Australia where almost every kid has heard of footy and can turn on their TV and watch a game, the youth in the townships have never even heard of the sport, let alone ever watched a game.
collingwoodfc.com.au: How much of an impact did Collingwood’s community camp have on the growth and development of the game in the region?
AS: I cannot begin to describe the impact that the Collingwood Community Camp has had on the development of footy here. Although the visit was very brief, so many of my staff and volunteers have benefited from the experience. They have learned so much useful information that they can apply to their coaching and talent identification methods but most importantly, they were given the opportunity to interact with the coaches and players which has bolstered their enthusiasm and passion for the game. They realise that it was a great honour to meet some of the stars of the game back in Australia and to get to know them and learn from them. This has done wonders for motivation, commitment and passion levels, things that are so important for our programs that depend almost entirely on volunteers. The visit has also helped to promote Collingwood FC in the region, resulting in some passionate Collingwood supporters in the group! Collingwood FC is now a reality, a tangible entity for my staff and volunteers, rather than just a bunch of players they see on the screen when I show them games. It is this passion, both for Collingwood and for the game itself, that will be the driving force behind the growth of footy here.
collingwoodfc.com.au: How important is it for Collingwood to continue with ongoing support and involvement?
AS: I think I have outlined above how important it is for us to continue to build on the partnership between AFL Western Cape and Collingwood. I believe that Collingwood’s involvement will be instrumental in building a real passion for the game and for keeping our volunteers motivated and excited. There are so many ways that we can achieve this, with positive outcomes for everybody involved.
collingwoodfc.com.au: Where do you see the game in South Africa in five years?
AS: In five years time, I am certain that footy will be a well-recognised National sport in South Africa, delivering quality footy programs for participants of all ages. We will have a well-established Talent Pathway and I have no doubt that within 5 years, a South African player will be playing professional football in Australia.
collingwoodfc.com.au: On a personal level, what is the most rewarding aspect of your role?
AS: The most rewarding aspect of my role is to see the game that I love embraced so passionately by South Africans. The smile on a kid’s face when he kicks a perfect drop punt, the celebrations when a team scores the winning goal, the passion in a coach’s voice when he describes a new drill or a game plan, those are the things that I will remember.
