NeuroFooty Project launched

This article appeared originally in Manna Institute Trunk Line newsletter, June edition, found here.

Community sport is often the beating heart of rural and regional Australia. Which makes it a great vehicle for mental health promotion.

Having been successfully awarded funding through the Movember Sports Health Initiative, Manna Strategic Lead Associate Professor Erin Hoare and a host of local mental health, sporting and inclusion organisations will draw on these strengths to launch the pioneering NeuroFooty Project, aimed at building neuroinclusion in community senior men’s football in the Geelong region of Victoria. It is part of a broader program of work that will also seek to establish neuroinclusion in local women’s sport, and address both community and high- performance settings.

In partnership with Movember, the initiative recognises that people who are neurodivergent (including those with autism and ADHD) communicate, learn and engage differently – and they comprise a growing percentage of our population.

“Understanding, accommodating and nurturing neurodiversity can take many forms – from education, promotional material and resources to different styles of communication and adapted spaces,” Erin said. “It involves sporting clubs learning and unlearning.”

“By harnessing support and respect for differences, we expect our measures will promote an environment in which all young men can thrive.”

“We are committed to producing a blueprint for neuroinclusion in community football,” Erin said. “We believe this will be beneficial to the mental health and wellbeing of individual players, but also team and club cohesiveness and belonging, and team performances. This will have broad applications across sports and regions in rural and regional Australia. We acknowledge that the NeuroFooty Project simply would not be possible without the generous support of the Movember Men’s Health Charity.”

The project will be launched at a public lecture event by Read the Play and Manna at Geelong Cats, GMHBA Stadium, on 16 June.

Michelle Gerdtz (Read the Play), Erin Hoare (Manna Institute) and Travis Zimmer (Sport4All). Front row: Billie Trewin, Chloe Zimmer and Stehpanie Zimmer.