Having a diverse range of personalities
at your club really makes it a strong club.
You have a lot of different ideas
that come with diversity.
Great ideas make great clubs.

People that now make up the community
has changed quite a bit over the last 30 years.
Their children have come into the club
at a very young age
and we now even have
them as parents sending their children
back to Ashburton.

Inclusive sports training gets everyone out there
just to get fit and just have fun with their friends.
So you meet a lot of people and 
if some people are nervous
you just gotta think positive meeting new people.

Having seen the direct affects of non-inclusivity
it’s made me really passionate about ensuring 
we have a welcoming and inviting atmosphere.
We have a fund players seeking mental health 
can tap into it which essentially eliminates
the financial burden which we found 
has been a barrier in place of people seeking help.

We look to get people involved 
from all sorts of backgrounds.
We have a goal umpire
who has an intellectual disability
we have players that are on the spectrum
and we really embrace these people
and they become a really important part of our club.

You don’t always have to be an athlete to be involved.
We have grandma’s that are coaching,
you can become an umpire,
they’ll help you, they’ll train you up.
You can become an official,
you can be on the committee,
there’s a million things
that you can do to help out
and they’re always welcome.

I think everyone’s aim should be
to leave the club in a better place
when you leave than when you got there.
In the future clubs
will continue to grow and become 
more diverse and inclusive places 
it’ll transcend sport and become
community centres and somewhere 
that you want to bring your kids.