Borrowing the words of Australian songwriter and musician, Paul Kelly 'from little things, big things grow', and that is what is happening at the Breakaways Netball Club in Hervey Bay.
The club has engaged in an inclusion and diversity program to break down barriers that stop players and officials from being involved in the sport.
It came about after club president Soraya Dredge; coaching officer Cheyenne Dredge and umpiring officer Harley Micallef attended a Netball Queensland coaching workshop last year.
Netball Queensland spoke about inclusivity programs to assist indigenous and other marginalised community groups.
"It resonated with us, and we believed it would be of benefit to our diverse community," Harley Micallef said.
The three club officials understood the need for the introduction of a program to the Fraser Coast region.
"We have families and players that struggle to play our sport due to the costs of playing fees and uniforms," he said.
The club implemented a payment plan system and assisted families with applying for Fair Play vouchers from the Queensland Government.
They have also started engaging with local schools to develop netball programs to encourage participation.
Breakaways have found an ally in Brady Bunch Early Learning Centre who have joined with the club to support the program.
"We want to support young women in sport and believe this initiative can do this," Brady Bunch assistant director Ebony Dowdle said.
She is proud that the Brady Bunch Early Learning Centre is part of the program.
"We believe that it is important to become part of the community and Breakaways are one of the many local sporting clubs we support," Dowdle said.
For eleven-year-old (nearly twelve) Sharljia Tildora the program assists her to play the sport she loves.
"I just love running around and having fun with my team," she said.
The club is encouraging any person who wants to play or become involved with the club to contact them via their website or Facebook page.
Thanks to FC Sports Media for the article.
