The Real Stars Of Optus

Perth’s Starkick kids took centre stage at half-time during last month’s showdown between the Fremantle Dockers and Gold Coast Suns game at Optus Stadium.

In total, 19 clubs and 88 children enjoyed a priceless experience of playing footy in front of more than 50,000 people.

Starkick is a program supporting children and families living with disability, connecting them to community through football.

Founded in in 2015, the Joondalup-Kinross Junior Football club (JKJFC) were the second centre to launch Starkick, establishing their first team in 2016.

Sam Spiers, JKJFC member and coordinator for the JKJFC Starkick group who participated in the half-time event, described how her son Thomas couldn’t fit in with the usual programs, whether that be Auskick or Cricket Blasters.

“He’s very anxious, so he’ll sort of stay back and [figure out] how everything works, and as a result he misses out on a lot.,” Spiers said.

“Since joining Starkick three years ago they’re helping him build his confidence, so he can join in and start to play with his peers.

“He loved it in his first year and though it took a while to get his confidence, this year he walks around like he owns the place!

“Starkick is just so accepting of, ‘okay, today you’re really not feeling like it, or today is a bit overwhelming.”

Beau has been one of Joondalup’s longest Starkick participants, joining in the inaugural year and recently celebrating his 100^th game.

Beau has Cerebral Palsy and ADHD.

Due to his physical disability, he was required to have major surgery two years ago.

His mother Kylie said Starkick became a platform to make Beau’s rehabilitation program manageable and more fun.

“It’s been an opportunity as a part of his rehab program to stand up,” Kylie said.

“It’s just two hours that we haven’t been able to get him to do, if we just say, for example, walk around the house, he won’t do it.

“Starkick is a fun way to embrace the physical side of his disability.”

Kylie believes Starkick is incomparable to other programs

“He has tried baseball, but it’s all about what they’re interested in,” she said.

“As someone that’s been doing it for 10 years, he’s obviously very passionate about football.

“It is about the volunteers and that families that are involved in Starkick.

“Also, there’s opportunities like the half-time take-over or the gala days or having the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers players that attend Starkick.”

Josh and his mother, Kim, moved from Canberra two years ago where he had previously taken part in Auskick.

As a kid with stage 2 Autism and a pending ADHD diagnosis, issues with his gross motor skills and social cues, he struggled going into Year 3 footy.

The contact aspect of the sport, as well as keeping up with kids without disability, made it hard for him to connect with his team.

“He’s just a very misunderstood child,” Kim explained.

“Kids and teachers don’t seem to understand him, because with his autism he can be a so honest, and a bit too honest.

“They seem to think that he’s a rude child, which he really doesn’t mean to be.

“He is a very kind-hearted boy and absolutely loves other children, but because he’s nine and is trying to get into the realm of being nine, he doesn’t understand if people have been serious with him or are joking with him.”

Then Kim met Sam, who introduced them to Starkick.

Josh’s first experience with the program was at the annual ‘Come and Try’ day held at the West Coast Eagles elite training facility, which for a hard-core footy fan like Josh, was a dream.

For the past year Josh has been a part of Starkick at Joondalup-Kinross JFC, and has slotted right in.

In comparison to other sports, where coaches, and teammates didn’t seem to understand disability, or have the capabilities to accommodate Josh’s needs, Kim says that joining Starkick felt inclusive.

“If a child is having a bad day, the coach or coordinator would come up and speak to him and make him feel like he was involved and wanted, like a part of the team,” Kim said.

For any footy kid, stepping onto the grass at Optus Stadium is exhilarating.

But for kids with disabilities who don’t get to see representations of themselves on the field, in a team, stepping onto that field can have a greater impact.

“When the coordinator asked if Josh wanted to do it, he had tears in his eyes because he was so happy.” Kim said.

Sam, who had the experience of being on the field with the Starkick players, saw effect the experience had on the players.

“They just loved it and Josh ran out there crying,” she said.

“We’d been worried because he’s very, very anxious being separate from mum, but he really wanted to do this.

“He’s like, ‘this is my dream to play at Optus Stadium.’

Kim described the post-match emotions.

“When Josh came back up, he was like, “mum, that was the most amazing experience and the best experience of my life.”

If being out on the field was the highlight of the day, the change rooms took a close second place.

“They were on cloud nine even being in the Eagles change rooms,” Sam said.

“They asked ‘Is this where Jake Waterman and Harley Reid go to the toilet?’

Starkick’s goal has always been to make sure kids and families not only can play footy but also connect to the local community.

Starkick runs with a simple but powerful mantra – “If you want to play, we’ll find a way.”

But it’s more than that.

It’s connection and sharing something many people take for granted.

Starkick is enabling kids, who otherwise might not have had the chance, to live out a dream, have some fun, and be with friends every weekend.

If your child, or someone you know, would like to participate in Starkick, head to their website at starkick.com.au to find out more.