Community » Youth

On The Ball

On The Ball is a school-based health promotion program - run by the Bill Hutchison Foundation in conjunction with the Essendon Football Club - that uses elite athletes as role models in the delivery of a resiliency program.

On the Ball Objectives:

The objectives are built upon those factors that contribute to achieving the ultimate health goal described above and are:

To develop the coping strategies, problems-solving and decision making skills of participants
To develop greater awareness amongst participants of the support networks available to them
To broaden knowledge of the options available to participants in their local community to join sporting and other groups
To increase the understanding and awareness of families, schools and communities about the nature of health morbidities, especially depression, obesity and substance use

"For a whole host of reasons, participation in sport provides significant benefits for the mental health of our adolescent community. We can now add to the list of benefits, its potential life-saving role in the prevention of obesity and substance abuse,"Associate Professor Michael Carr-Gregg.

On The Ball participants at Windy Hill in 2005