More than 100 children with disabilities from across the Illawarra have had the opportunity to show off their sporting skills at an Activate Inclusion Sports Day on Monday.
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The sports day introduced the children from 12 schools to six sports with the hope that students will continue playing sport throughout their childhood.
With many children with disabilities unable to integrate into able-bodied sports teams, Sport NSW Disability Inclusion Manager Murray Elbourn said the day was an important opportunity to create lasting, positive memories for the children.
"Days like this are really important," Elbourn said. "They don't have these opportunities in schools because of a lack of resourcing and adaptive coaching equipment.
"The goals are really to get kids to enjoy sport. Oftentimes they've failed to play sport or enjoy sport in their mainstream school or in a sports club and they have a negative connotation about sport, so getting them here in the right environment with the right adaptions gets them really enjoying sport again, and that's the first step."
Mitchell Bonner from Corrimal High School was one of the children to attend, with Bonner having a keen interest in Australian football.
The teenager plays for the Northern Districts Tigers and said it was great to meet so many other children.
"I can't believe I'm actually here," Bonner said. "It's actually pretty fun, seeing how many support units are around here with every other school, it's really cool.
"I love how sport is lots of fun and I can make heaps of new friends that you don't know before. It's very enjoyable and you can learn new skills every year."
While Elbourn is hopeful a future Paralympian or two may have been in attendance on Monday, he is most looking forward to seeing the benefits of participating in sport flow into other areas of these children's lives.
"Sport is really a by-product," Elbourn said. "The real benefits are their improved confidence in their ability to do an activity, to be part of a team and to have improved balance, coordination, fine and gross motor skills."
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