Canberra’s senior all-abilities touch football team is best known for its on-field skills, playing in competition like the national touch league. Now, some of the are passing on their knowledge of the game to the next generation of touch played with a disability.
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00:00Caden Williams Arena is once again getting ready for touch football, but instead of running
00:08out to play, this time he's stepping up as a coach.
00:11Most of the kids have the same sort of disabilities that I've got, so they know what it's like
00:17to live with ADHD, whatever it is that that specific person has.
00:22You ready boy?
00:24You ready?
00:26Caden began playing touch football around nine months ago as part of the Senior All
00:30Abilities team, and is one of several players helping coach the next generation at the weekly
00:38Abilities Unlimited Australia session, something he never thought was possible.
00:43Especially with my disabilities that I've got, I sort of put myself down at times, don't
00:48think I'm that smart.
00:51Alex Simonelli is head coach of the senior team and junior sessions.
00:56He says having children with a disability connecting with adults like Caden has clear
01:00benefits.
01:01When that young child breaks away from the group and has a meltdown, one of the other
01:05coaches who has that will then engage that child and bring him back.
01:09So we've seen that a number of times.
01:11And it's not just the children who benefit.
01:13It's also been really good for the coaches, they're now learning how to convey information
01:21to someone younger with a disability.
01:23So it's been helping them with their social cues as well.
01:25Creating an environment kids like Archie look forward to every week.
01:29I love touch football because it's a great way to make new friends and get involved in
01:35a group.
01:36Learning life skills through a game that's more than just a ball sport.