USQ Indigenous and Sudanese Volleyball/Basketball Sports Clinic

The Multicultural Centre was successful in receiving a grant as part of the USQ Competitive Grants Scheme under the area of Equity Incentives Fund to organise the USQ Indigenous and Sudanese Volleyball/Basketball Sports Clinic.  The main objective of the sports clinic was to increase young students self esteem, confidence and commitment to setting and achieving goals in addition to learning the importance of team work.

The USQ Indigenous and Sudanese Volleyball/Basketball Sports Clinic took place on Friday 12 March 2010 at the Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre.  There were three secondary schools involved, St Saviour's, St Josephs and The Glennie School.  A total of 35 students participated.

After completion of the clinic participants were treated to a barbecue hosted by the Centre for Australian Indigenous Knowledges (CAIK).  Crocodile, kangaroo and chicken were on offer and the students were delighted to try some food they never experience before.

Mrs Maree Toombs, lecturer from CAIK and Mr Torben Marcussen, USQ senior scientist and coach of the Toowoomba state league team the Mountaineers provided the students with a brief talk about the importance of higher education.  Entertainment was provided by Mr Cameron Dickman who played music on the Digeri Doo and performed some Indigenous traditional dances.

Additionally, the project was supported by the Toowoomba Police Department with senior constable Alex Singleton, senior constable Donald Graham and police liaison officer Tanya Dallinger getting involved, also supporting the project was Mr Ajak Manyok, president of the Multicultural Cultural and Multilingual Student Association.

Listed below are the coaches who generously volunteered their time to instruct the participants:

• Mr Torben Marcussen, basketball coach
• Mr Harry Spencer, OAM, basketball coach
• Mr Graeme Russell, basketball coach
• Mr Mark Norman, volleyball coach
• Mr Grant Norman, volleyball coach

Participating students all received training jerseys promoting the USQ sports clinic and certificates of participation.