Geelong NeuroFooty Project launches

A ground-breaking new research project looking to make Geelong the neuroinclusive footy capital of Australia will launch at a community event at GMHBA Stadium on June 16.

The Coaching Young Minds event, presented by Read the Play and Manna Institute, will focus on inclusivity in sport, specifically in relation to neurodivergent youth.

The event will launch the Geelong NeuroFooty Project, a community participatory action research project seeking to find new solutions to inclusion in community sport.

Recently funded by Movember and led by the Manna Institute, the project is led by Associate Professor Erin Hoare, herself a champion netballer and former AFLW Geelong Cats player.

Geelong Cat Claudia Gunjaca will emcee the event, which will also feature Philllips Coaching chief executive Simon Lloyd and Sport4All’s Geelong inclusion coach Travis Zimmer as guest speakers.

Ms Hoare said given inclusion in sports happens in many forms, there would be “a place for everyone at the event”.

“We’re hoping for a community discussion to share insights and ideas, learn and collaborate together to understand how we can best support neurodiversity in sport in Geelong,” she said.

“So anyone involved in sports – parents who are coaches, people from other roles within sporting clubs, certainly leaders, and of course young people themselves – would be most welcome.

“And then those in the inclusion space as well. All-ability sports is the kind of space where this is done really well, so we want to try to learn from that expertise.”

Visit trybooking.com/events/landing/1398026 for tickets and more information.