Strong On and Off the Field: Wellbeing and Leadership at the Heart of Kimberley Spirit
Kimberley Spirit is more than a football program. It’s a place where young people build confidence, strengthen connections, and step into leadership - supported by culture, community, and strong partnerships.
Across 2025, Kimberley Spirit continued to bring Aboriginal young people together through weekly hub training, regional carnivals, leadership camps and Perth pathway opportunities. Football is the driver, but the outcomes go deeper. Through a holistic approach, the program supports wellbeing, life skills and readiness for the next step, on and off the field.
Football as the gateway to wellbeing
In remote and regional communities, sport remains one of the strongest and most trusted ways to engage young people. Kimberley Spirit uses that connection to create safe spaces for learning, conversation, and growth, including social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) education that feels relevant and strengths based.
As the Kimberley Population Health Unit reflected after delivering nutrition and healthy relationships sessions at the Young Women’s Leadership Camp, working alongside Garnduwa helped create the right conditions for genuine engagement.
“Garnduwa are a trusted service where young people already have a rapport… these groups are already established and make engagement easier as the young people already feel comfortable within these settings.” Katina Coffin, Health Promotion Officer, Kimberley Population Health Unit (WA Country Health Service)
That same theme came through consistently across participant feedback: young people valued the energy, the culture of training together, and the feeling of belonging.
“The intensity of the sessions and the energy.” (participant feedback)
“The good energy from everyone.” (participant feedback)
“Training with boys I don’t normally train with.” (participant feedback)
Building leadership and life skills
Kimberley Spirit is designed to grow leadership in real time, through travel, training standards, mentoring, and learning to show up for others.
Throughout the year, players were supported to build age-appropriate independence: confirming attendance, being punctual, reading itineraries, and looking after themselves while travelling away from home. Over time, those small responsibilities build confidence, resilience and readiness for future opportunities.
“When players engage outside of their community it can seem overwhelming at first… it will often take a day or two for players to feel settled and that’s where the magic happens.” Casey Hanlon, Kimberley Spirit Program Coordinator
Partners delivering SEWB sessions also saw the value of creating safe environments where young people can speak openly and support one another.
“Embedding a seed for our young men to grow is essential. Our sport is where our connection, identity, and healing are done.” Change Em Ways Program facilitators
Strong partnerships that back young people
Kimberley Spirit is strengthened through relationships that bring the right support around young people, including partnerships with the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), Healthway, Fremantle Football Club and Claremont Football Club.
These partnerships help ensure young people have access to high-quality development opportunities and culturally safe support structures, whether they are training locally, travelling for exposure opportunities, or considering a transition to Perth.
Claremont Football Club’s Talent Manager reflected on the importance of early exposure to Perth-based environments, paired with consistent care and follow-up for young people navigating life away from home.
“Giving players exposure to life in Perth at younger ages… will be of benefit moving forward. Ensuring transitioning players are continually checked in with and cared for is something the club is more than wary of.” Lachlan Davis, Talent Manager, Claremont Football Club
Claremont also highlighted alignment between wellbeing and performance, with intentional support for cultural identity and connection to family and community.
“The club environment recognises and respects cultural identities… and is intentional about building and maintaining genuine, positive relationships with players and their families and broader support networks.” Lachlan Davis, Talent Manager, Claremont Football Club
A year of pride across the Kimberley
From the Kimberley Colts Championship to leadership camps and Perth trips, Kimberley Spirit created moments that communities could rally around and young people could feel proud of.
At the Kimberley Colts Championship in Broome, over 120 young men took part in bite-size Healthy Lifestyles workshops before taking the field, learning about nutrition, healthy relationships, recovery, strength and conditioning, and football pathway expectations.
“These young men represented their regions with pride and provided the community with an epic display of football talent on show.” Casey Hanlon, Kimberley Spirit Program Coordinator
Looking ahead
Kimberley Spirit will continue to strengthen opportunities for Kimberley young people grounded in culture, led with community, and supported through partnerships that respect local knowledge and local authority.
Whether a young person’s future is in football, education, training or work, Kimberley Spirit is building the foundations: confidence, connection, and leadership.
“Kimberley Spirit is an opportunity, a pathway, an education provider and ultimately a way of positively supporting our youth within the Kimberley, where big dreams can become a reality.” Casey Hanlon, Kimberley Spirit Program Coordinator