Harmony Cup to unite WA football community

The 2014 Harmony Cup Carnival will be played next Tuesday, September 30 between multicultural teams from the Edmund Rice Centre and community football clubs.

The event is proudly supported by the West Australian Football Commission, Edmund Rice Centre Mirrabooka (ERCM), the Department of Sport and Recreation, the Department for Local Government and Communities, City of Stirling, Subiaco Football Club, Fair Game WA, Anglicare, Balga Bombers JFC, Office of Multicultural Interests and the Clontarf Foundation.

The carnival aims to unite the community and celebrate the diverse cultures involved with football, while also showcasing some fantastic talent. The Edmund Rice Senior Lions will take on Multicultural All Stars (team featuring players from diverse cultural backgrounds mentored by Nic Naitanui) at 1pm, and a Curtain Raiser will also be held at 11am between the Edmund Rice Young Lions and Butler Falcons, which is an all-girls multicultural football team.

The ERC Lions teams are made up of young people born outside Australia. The ERC Lions are built upon three pillars:

1. The ERC Lions are a community football team, run by volunteers, offering community service and development opportunities for young players.

2. The team is youth-led, being run by the ERCM Youth Leadership Group and past ERC Lions players. After a probationary period, where the coaches are given extensive coaching skills training, there is a ‘hand over’ of responsibility to younger coaches. Past players are invited back to act as coaches and mentors for next year’s team.

3. The season is short. The Lions provide a stepping stone to local community football clubs and players are assisted to join local clubs after one season with the Lions. This helps in the integration of the young players into Australian society, while promoting a positive image of young people from diverse backgrounds.

The Edmund Rice Centre Mirrabooka has a proud tradition for delivering effective grass-roots sporting programs and has strong links with local sporting clubs. In the past four years, the team has transitioned many players into local clubs, including two that have progressed to WAFL clubs David Madut (Subiaco) and Agid Gardoud (East Perth).