Football, soccer, netball, basketball, bowls and even frisbee were all under the same roof last week.
The head honchos of more than 70 Wyndham-based sports clubs gathered for a Sports Presidents’ Night to socialise and trade tips and ideas.
Hosted by federal Lalor MP Joanne Ryan, the event was a celebration of local sport and athletes.
“It’s been an unbelievable year for athletes bred in Wyndham,” Ms Ryan said.
“We’ve had an Olympian, a gold medal Paralympian, a record-breaking debutant Bushranger and a bunch of really talented AFL players who have great seasons.”
Ms Ryan, a long-time netballer, said the gathering was important to her because sport had the capacity to solve issues in the community.
“Sport teaches you to think quickly, to be accountable for your actions, to be a part of a team,” she said. “It teaches you about respect and it makes you proud to be a part of the community.”
Guest speaker Cameron McLeod, general manager of community engagement at North Melbourne Football Club, spoke about how sports could provide a pathway for young people and newly arrived communities, connecting them regardless of where they came from. “Sport makes them feel like they belong in a community.”
Werribee Wheelchair Basketball president Nikki Van Ryan was among sports leaders attending.
“I went to tap into the minds of other presidents,” she said. “It was a fantastic networking evening, a chance to talk to like-minded people.”
High achievers in Wyndham’s sports clubs who received federal government Local Sporting Champion grants earlier this year were acknowledged at the gathering.
