Flinders University: Reds and Flinders renew partnership with education program
A primary schools program focusing on increasing youth participation in sport, industry placements and embedding research is the mission of a renewed two-year partnership between Flinders University and Adelaide United.
Featuring Flinders University’s new logo on the front of Adelaide United A-League Men’s home playing shirts and the back of the A-League Women’s home and away jerseys for two seasons (2023/2024), the major partnership is encouraging young South Australians to lace up their boots by participating in physical education through an innovative schools program.
The curriculum will be designed to achieve outcomes outlined in the State Sport and Recreation Strategic Plan 2021-2026, including increasing physical literacy skills, mental wellbeing and developing positive physical activity habits with benefits for students’ overall health.
Activities will focus on group dynamics, understanding emotional behaviours, achieving goals, the importance of outdoor activities for health and leadership, optimism and resilience.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling says Flinders University is pleased to be supporting Adelaide United – with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup around the corner – by emphasising the importance of sport participation for physical and mental wellbeing, as South Australia battles declining school phys-ed rates.
“In strengthening our partnership with Adelaide United we’re intent on bolstering sporting and educational outcomes, with a focus on developing a curriculum for the schools program that will help lift participation rates in physical education. This is important when we consider evidence that participation in some places dropped 27% from 2019 to 2020 during Covid-19 and most significantly amongst young people.”
“Our sport and health students will have the unique opportunity to complete their placement hours by delivering this 5-week program in the classroom and out on the field for the first time. It’s structured to enable children to explore factors influencing their behaviours and health, safety and wellbeing, in step with the South Australian school curriculum.”
The renewed partnership is also expanding learning placements for 35 students across the A-League Men’s, A-League Women’s, and Youth League for up to two months, with opportunities for Flinders’ exercise and sport science students, as well as those studying business, marketing, social media, events and videography, to gain industry experience and professional insights by being embedded in the Reds daily business operations.
The partnership also continues to provide advantages for men’s and women’s teams collaborating with sports science researchers on nutrition and health projects maximising their physical and psychological advantages on the pitch.
Professor Murray Drummond, Director of the SHAPE Research Centre, says the agreement has established ongoing innovative research opportunities for leading sporting projects.
“Our renewed partnership will enable Flinders to continue ground-breaking research looking at exercise and sport science outcomes by collecting and analysing in-depth data from players at a leading professional club. It’s another win for Adelaide United, Flinders students and SHAPE sport researchers.”
As part of its ethos to achieve fairness of opportunity for all, the University is is also backing four Community Football scholarships for talented young South Australians who could otherwise miss out on life changing opportunities.
The agreement kicks off by featuring Flinders’ new logo on the Reds’ new kits for the Australia Cup quarter-final clash against Brisbane Roar on Wednesday August 31, 2022 at ServiceFM Stadium, Gepps Cross.