The q4 team hosted members from the Rangers Netball Club and three expert panellists in the first session of our Giving More from q4 Webinar Series.
Hear from Paula Sale – President of the Western Districts Netball Association, Demelza Fellowes – Australian Diamond #135, Liberty Jones -Social Impact and Inclusion Coordinator, Queensland Rugby League and Cloudina Saunders – Rangers Netball Club Coach.
Watch now:
Giving More Webinar Panel Recording
If you are interested in supporting the Rangers Netball Club, you can do so through this link here.
Our new Giving Program initiative is underway for the first fiscal quarter featuring a local netball club that works to empower young women through sport. The Ranger’s Netball Club is a fully volunteer-run non-profit organisation supported by the community and supporting its community.
This grass-roots netball club, founded in 1979, has a mission to provide a friendly atmosphere to play netball. They also instil in the players’ strong values of being inclusive, supportive and respectful of all others. The Rangers have their ‘Core Value Awards’ which build a safe, equally opportunistic & resilient atmosphere for all the young players.
Sport, such as netball, provides a supportive network of female role models who positively influence the female youth of today. However, according to Suncorp’s 2019 Australian Youth Confidence Report, statistics show that nearly 50% of girls stop playing sports by age 17. While there are many factors driving this drop-out rate, the most prominent reason girls stop playing is because they think they’re not good at it. This is so unfortunate given the benefits that can be realised by both the individual and the community.
According to Australia Sports Foundation “sport provides individuals, communities, and the nation with benefits that go beyond just health”. Mentally, sport brings positivity and calmness into a person’s mind, building resilience and reducing anxiety. The social aspects are simply apparent: creating meaningful relationships, building networks, and gaining key social skills. Sports also teach critical thinking and teamwork skills. One benefit that is unanimously agreed upon by researchers, parents, and players alike, is that playing sports builds confidence.
The Rangers Netball club aims to combat this dropout. They encourage their players to “stick with it” either as a player or evolve into coaching or umpiring. The club works hard to empower these young women with opportunities to build leadership skills, learn from other female role models, and gain invaluable life skills they can take into their life and careers.
Additionally, the Rangers also strive to eliminate barriers to play. They have recently created the Tracey Bruce Bursary Fund intended to financially support players where financial means would exclude them from joining. The fund was set up in honour of Tracey Bruce who has committed her time and effort to support other athletes to be able to play. The fund is a unique opportunity for members of the community of all ages. It creates opportunity to be involved in netball and experience the benefits.
The q4 team have a strong, personal connection with the club, with many of the team’s daughters playing netball and our own Meg Crisafulli having been a participating member for over eight years. The q4 team is proud to support such a great club and its initiatives.
Together, we strive to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5. Goal #3 is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Goal #5 is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
By supporting this club, q4 strives to empower women through sport. Doing what we can to raise awareness of the important of good health and healthy lifestyles. As well as support the empowerment of women and girls as an essential means to uplift our community.
If you are interested in supporting the Rangers Netball Club, you can do so through this link here.
If you want to learn more about the q4 Giving Program, you can find out more on our Impact page, here.
