Making Sport More Welcoming for Migrants with Michelle Hage - PTE030

Pushing The Edge with Greg Curran

Just imagine, you're a newly arrived refugee or migrant in an unfamiliar country: your new home.

How do you build your self-confidence? How do you make new friends outside your community? And how do you start to feel more like a local?

For the Refugee Council of Australia, SPORT is key. It's an important bridge to the new culture

But what about the language barriers and dress codes for sports?

And what about the opposition or resistance, both within and outside your community? Aren't these significant hurdles to overcome?

Our guest Michelle Hage, from the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, has practical insights and strategies in all these areas. Plus there's a few challenges to our presumptions along the way.

We also chat about the importance of role models, and the link between diversity and growth for sports clubs.

There's also the Lightning Round where we're pushing the edges of belonging, traditional sports, language and sport, participation, and mindset.

And one last thing, Michelle's organisation The Western Bulldogs made history in 2016.

They won their first Australian Football League premiership in 62 years. It was an sporting event that captivated people right across Melbourne and Victoria, highlighting the unique role that sport can play in uniting people, regardless of their differences.

Episode Run-down

? Michelle Hage introduces herself

? Why making sport inclusive matters to Michelle

? What barriers affect refugee and migrant participation in sports and how can we overcome such?

? Why role-models in sport matter

? How we can respond to opposition or push-back

? The power of making friendships outside one's community

? We're all teachers and learners - How we can learn so much from our participants

? Why sports organisations should reach out to diverse communities

? How you can step up and lead change in sporting environments

? The Lightning Round - where speed and agility are key

? Michelle's sporting journey - the unifying power of sport

Episode Links

? To connect with Michelle Hage and the sports programs we discussed, go to http://pushingtheedge.org/30

? For Physical Education and Sports Resources - with a Social Justice edge, go to http://pushingtheedge.org/sports

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