Students from Central Yorke Academy recently competed in the annual SAASTA Aboriginal Power Cup – and what a week they had!
Monday
The week began with travel to Adelaide to the Lights Community and Sports Centre, where students were involved in a Career Expo. With 50 sites to visit, the providers gave students a variety of information that could assist them with future career opportunities.
Tuesday
We travelled to Flinders University where the Stage 1 students were involved in career workshops, experiencing some of the study choices that
they could make, whilst Stage 2 students worked with the Port Adelaide Football Club on football skills and cultural identity.
Wednesday
Adelaide University became the venue on Wednesday for more career workshops for the Stage 1 students. Stage 2 students visited Adelaide Oval for sessions on leadership and empowerment to end violence against women. As a relaxation session, the students travelled to Zone Bowling and Timezone Woodville for a game of 10-pin bowling followed by Laser Tag – an enjoyable and entertaining time.
Thursday
We had now arrived at the much awaited football carnival at Karen Rolten Reserve/Kaurna Yarta for 2 days of 9-a-side football games. The day began with a Welcome Ceremony, official speeches and then the games started. Both the boys and girls fielded teams of 9 players, which put extra pressure on both to perform consistently thought the carnival. Both teams were required to play 8 games, with 7 wins and a draw for the boys and 7 wins and a loss for the girls – an outstanding effort by both teams. As well as their participation in football, the students also practiced a cultural dance for performance on Sunday at Adelaide Oval and filmed a Think Road Safety 15 second video which they had created prior to the week.
Friday / Sunday
The group travelled home on Friday afternoon, before meeting at CYS on Sunday morning for a return to Adelaide and an official formal lunch and awards ceremony in the Magarey Room, Adelaide Oval, where award winners in a variety of categories were announced. Following the luncheon, students from all schools performed in a cultural dance for the football crowd.
To win the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup, students need to have completed a variety of tasks leading up to the APC and to have earned points from involvement in all expected tasks, both before and during the week. The top 2 teams in both male and female are decided and the cup is awarded to the winning team following a football game on Adelaide Oval.
Both of the Central Yorke Academy teams were highly successful in this final point system. Of the 23 SAASTA Academies involved in the APC, the girls were ranked 4th, whilst the boys finished 2nd. Congratulations for an outstanding effort by both teams. This effort resulted in the boys playing in the final against a team from the Riverland.
The boys were strongly motivated to do well and that they did, defeating Riverland 14 goals 8 points to 2 goals 3 points!!! This awesome display was then followed by Kane, as team captain, presenting the AFL game match ball to the umpires and then the team lining up for the Port Adelaide players to run from the player’s race through a guard of honour.