Relevant Reading

1. You can make a difference
2. It’s official — Sport’s good for you!

Your support of the Geelong Cats Sports Foundation helps bring out the best in our community (and is a tax deductible gift, as well).  Everyone benefits. 

Starting young

Every year excited five-year-olds turn out for their first Auskick session.  And five-year-olds will also be having their first NetSetGo netball game, or fronting up for junior cricket.

They may already be comfortable in the water, thanks to Learn to Swim programs, or this may be their first encounter with organised activities. 


(Photo with permission from St. Mary's website)

Giving it a go

They may try several sports — or they may have already "picked their passion" and can't wait to follow in the steps of their idols.  Some may well have the potential to be the stars of the future, representing their club, their state, their country, becoming outstanding umpires, Olympians or Paralympians. 

Retaining those sporting interests, staying fit, healthy and involved will also encourage socially responsible behaviour as they pass through adolescence and their teens.  Geelong has a strong community of dedicated volunteers who give up their time and share their skills to ensure these youngsters have the support they need.  But they also need appropriate facilities that are accessible and safe.   

How we help them grow

The Geelong Cats Sport Foundation understands that sport  — and its benefits — isn't just for today.  It's for today, tomorrow and many more tomorrows to come.  Through prudent management of our core investment, the Geelong Cats Sports Foundation generates income.  The income on these investments funds grants to the clubs that  operate within Kardinia Park. And that's why we need your support.  As the core investment grows so does the income, and this means more opportunities and a solid long term future…for all those tomorrows ahead.   

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR 2010 ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN

Research proves it — sport creates healthier and more confident people.   

Sport brings out our best — it teaches skills, keeps us fit, develops both self-confidence and self-discipline, builds team spirit, improves fitness, provides stress relief and helps create a sense of belonging.   

Research on the contribution of arts and sport to children's development shows major benefits from both types of activities. 

Both require self-discipline and commitment. But there's one significant difference between the two.  Sport has the ability to teach young people about uncertainty and reaction.   

A sport may have set plays, but the athletes must still respond to what their opponents do, or to the unexpected bounce of the ball. The outcome of the game is uncertain, often until its final seconds.   It is this combination of total human exertion with an environment that balances control, spontaneity and uncertainty that leads to the unique excitement and satisfaction of sport, for both the athletes and the spectators. 

It's what makes sport so thrilling, so frustrating and so compelling.