Photos: Supplied.
FROM REDLANDS TOUCH ASSOCIATION
The Redlands Touch Association is a hive of activity on Thursday nights, but it’s the smiles, infectious laughter and camaraderie of the all-abilities team that truly brings the club to life. Between 12 and 45 members of the Untouchables meet weekly to learn entry-level drills and how to play the game as part of a six-week season. Importantly, the players feel included and accepted as a valuable part of the club’s sporting community.
All-abilities coordinator and coach Mark Daly said some of the squad also play on Tuesdays in the mainstream competition with another Redlands team.
“We have a conversation with the team we are playing and ask them not to go easy on us, but please play to a level that our all-abilities team can compete with,” Mark said. “Every team so far has been fantastic, and to allow us to play and compete as opposed to just practising, is a great thing for our team.”
Mark said the Untouchables were all ages and abilities with an emphasis on just picking up the ball and getting involved.
“Our players range in age from eight to 53, and we’ve also got people who played basketball and swam for Australia at the Special Olympics,” Mark said. “We just take what comes every Thursday night. When we first started we had four participants and my son, Tom, was one of them.”
For the past 16 years Mark has been heavily involved in Redlands Touch as a coach, committee member and a player. The club is like a second home to Mark, with the father of two flagging the idea of setting up an all-abilities team a few years ago.
“My son Tom has cerebral palsy (CP) and I guess the whole impetus for me wanting to get this program up and running was so he could enjoy the game as much as I do,” Mark said. “Tom’s CP affects him physically, but mentally he’s sharp. He’s also just got his P’s so is driving himself to practice every week.”
Mark said Tom has played touch for nearly 10 years, taking part in the under 10s to under 16s in the main competition on various nights.
“All teams are inclusive here and they treated Tom like any other player. No one has ever said, ‘no you can’t play with us’ and when he’s got the ball he’s been given a decent run,” Mark said.
While Tom enjoyed playing in the mainstream competition, Mark wanted to set up a team environment where no compensations were made for people with disability.
“I also know many parents have tried to get their kids into other codes but they’ve been turned away because no pathways exist for people with disability,” Mark said. “It’s heartbreaking when a parent can’t get their child into their favourite sport.”
Mark said he leaned into Toowoomba and Brisbane Metropolitan touch associations to get their insights and thoughts on insurance, safety and security, and how to make an all-abilities program work at Redlands. Both offered invaluable support and resources, and Mark was also supported in his learning journey by Queensland Touch and Touch Football Australia.
“I’m a big believer of that, I’ve got something to contribute, but if people have been there before me, why not draw experiences from that,” he said.
Mark said no accessibility adjustments were required at Redlands because the club’s change rooms and other amenities were already accessible. Fees have been reduced for people with disability, most of whom are on fixed incomes, and the club covers the cost of volunteers to get inclusive training.
Last year the team travelled to NSW to compete in the National Touch League (NTL) in Coffs Harbour.
“We trained for three months before the NTL, on Thursdays, as well as with other players from within our district on Sundays,” Mark said. “Tom was captain and we had such a good time and it was just all about participation, giving it your best and seeing improvement.” The team got beaten in the grand final but the players won the hearts of the crowd.
“There were 2500 people in the grandstand. They stopped all the other games so everyone could watch and they made a big tunnel on to the field for them,” Mark said. “We had the Australian open men’s and women’s captain high fiving everybody, it was just magic.”
The Redlands Touch Association all-abilities program runs for six weeks. To find out when the next season kicks off email Mark on [email protected] or call 07 3286 5841.
