TAC youth safety message extended through groundbreaking girls’ football initiative

The number of AFL Victoria Youth Girls’ football academies is set to double this year with a new partnership announced between the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and AFL Victoria.

This development program will see Youth Girls’ football academies double to six by the end of 2014, with approximately 93 girls aged between 13-18 years old now actively involved in the initiative since its inception in 2008.

“The Youth Girls’ football academies partnership is paving the way for Victoria’s best underage footballers to train alongside their local TAC Cup clubs and provides them with an opportunity to further develop their football skills,” TAC chief executive officer Janet Dore said.

“The girls will take part in a road safety program that includes club and community-based driving activities, improving their road safety knowledge.

“We have already seen the success of the creation of girls’ football academies at Calder Cannons, North Ballarat Rebels and Sandringham Dragons, and soon Dandenong Stingrays and the Murray Bushrangers will welcome the best local young female talent in regional and metro areas to join training sessions during the season.

“Women’s football is the fastest growing area of participation in Aussie Rules and as the Youth Girls program continues to thrive, the audience and support base for girls’ football strengthens,” Ms Dore said.

The Youth Girls’ Academies bring together Victoria’s best young female footballers to learn training techniques from some of the best underage coaches, giving the Academies their own dedicated high performance coaching staff

Personal and off-field development is a key part of the program and the new partnership means all players from the TAC Cup and AFL Victoria Youth Girls Academies, family networks and local communities are now involved in a road safety program as well. 

“The TAC program encourages club and community-based driver activities supporting the TAC’s speed, parental influence and learner campaigns, especially encouraging eligible driving-age players to get their 120 hours of driving practice in all conditions,” Ms Dore said.

“It allows the TAC to speak to both young drivers and their parents about how to best to work together as they transition from learners to P-platers.”

Research shows that Victorian P-platers are 30 times more likely to crash in their first six months of solo driving, making this a critical time in a young person’s driving career. 

The additional youth girls’ academies are expected to be developed over the next two to three years.

Continuing to improve the safety of young drivers is a key component of the Victorian Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2013-2022 and to find out more, visit www.roadsafety.vic.gov.au

For more information contact Nick Price 0439 433 847.