Fair play: Frank Costa, councillor Rod Macdonald and Nathan Vardy launch Read the Play this week.
A LOCAL youth health awareness program aims to reach more than 2000 young sportspeople this year.
Read the Play’s organising committee said the program could also be extended nationally.
The program runs in football and netball clubs throughout the Geelong region.
Geelong ruckman Nathan Vardy helped launch the seventh annual Read the Play season as a replacement ambassador for retired Cat Brad Ottens.
The program has appointed former Geelong Cats president Frank Costa as patron.
“It is essential to improve mental health awareness and encourage help-seeking behaviour, to enable early intervention and treatment,” Mr Costa said.
“If Read the Play helps just one of our young people to do this then we have succeeded.”
Vardy, who has been battling a long-term hip injury, said he had gone through the program himself.
“Read the Play is an important and valuable health program that’s making a difference in our young people’s lives”, he said.
“It’s okay to ask for help and a true mate will always ask whether their mates are okay.
“The first step to recovery is actually having the courage to seek help.”
Netball star Eloise Southby-Halbish, who helped launch the program, said mental illness was common among young people.
“It’s less scary to talk about it if you’re not alone,” she said.
