Showing posts with label sport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sport. Show all posts

Sunday 24 June 2018

Australian Society 2018: male violence and sport


Counting Dead Women - 30 dead as of 14 June 2018

ABC News
, 22 June 2018:

State of Origin nights see a 40 per cent increase on average in domestic assault and about a 70 per cent increase in non-domestic assaults, research out today shows.

The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, which commissioned the study is calling on rugby league administrators to do more to reverse the trend.

The data was drawn from six years from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).

Researchers looked at the Wednesday nights from two weeks before the State of Origin series to two weeks following.

The study compared the rates of violence between State of Origin Wednesdays and regular Wednesdays.

Dr Michael Livingstone from the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research at Latrobe analysed the data for the foundation.

"It's not an usual thing to find spikes in violence or other problems around big events," Dr Livingstone said.

"But these are really quite significant jumps."

To explore the causal connection between the games and the violence levels, researchers looked at Victorian data, where State of Origin is not as big an event as it is in NSW.

They found levels of violence on State of Origin Wednesdays in Victoria were no different to other Wednesdays.

M LIVINGSTON, La Trobe University, School of Psychology and MentalHealth, June 2018, “The association between State of Origin and assaults in two Australian states”

Monday 16 April 2018

Yamba basks in the reflected glow of gold


Area News, 14 April 2018:

Cousins Donna Urquhart (right) and Cameron Pilley have won gold in the mixed doubles squash.

They already shared family, a hometown and their childhoods - but now cousins Donna Urquhart and Cameron Pilley share a mixed doubles squash title at the Commonwealth Games.

Urquhart and Pilley won gold after defeating Indian pair Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Saurav Ghosal on the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Both a product of Yamba in northern NSW, the Australian duo grew up together but only began dreaming of sharing a home gold after competing as a doubles pairing last year.

"I watched Cameron become a professional player while I was still at school but I knew that's what I wanted to do from seeing him do it," a speechless Urquhart said.
"It wasn't until later on that we ended up playing together, but it's worked out alright."
Dozens of friends and family had travelled up for the Games, while Pilley also had a group of ten in-laws fly all the way from his wife's home in Denmark as part of a capacity Oxenford Studios crowd.

It is the third Commonwealth gold of his career, having won doubles in Delhi and Glasgow.

"Every other gold I've won is so special but to play in front of such a great Aussie crowd, we never get the opportunity to," Pilley said.

"To do it in front of friends and family that never get to see you play, and we walk away with a gold medal, it makes it even better.".....

Tuesday 22 August 2017

Up Yamba way "a fine young fellow" plays soccer.......



The Sydney Morning Herald, online, 16 August 2017:


This is the story of Marc Reichler-Stillhard, a fine young fellow, born with Down syndrome up Yamba way, and immediately embraced by the local community of the mighty Clarence Valley, where the river flows fast, the fields grow green and the local folk are strong. Integrated with mainstream classes at the local schools and signed up with local sporting clubs, Marc has been a beloved figure who has learnt as much from the kids around him, as they have learnt from him.


Respected: Marc Reichler-Stillhard is a beloved figure in the community of Clarence Valley.
Photo: Enid Reichler-Stillhard

I recounted one story of Marc a couple of years ago, in The Fitz Files. On a sunny day in March 2015, see, the young lads of Yamba are playing the game of their lives against the boys of nearby Lawrence in the local under-12 cricket grand final. No quarter asked for or given, Lawrence has set a good total, but the Yamba young'uns are a confident breed and they go out hard after it. And they get there, too. The scores are level with two balls to go! Yamba's last man on strike is Marc, and as he walks to the crease, the crowd holds its breath.

What is going to happen?
The second last ball is bowled, Marc swings valiantly and ... misses. One ball to go. The Lawrence bowler, a good sport with a fine instinct that some things are more important than mere trophies, a credit to his town, sends down an easier ball. This time young Marc connects, and starts to run like a scalded hare, but the ball is in the air. The Lawrence fieldsman runs in to take the catch ... but drops it. Yamba wins. Marc is carried off the field on the shoulders of both teams, as the crowd roars.

What's not to like? What's not to weep about?
Marc's parents, and the Yamba community take a similar approach to soccer, a sport that Marc loves. For the past couple of years, Marc has been running around with the Yamba soccer club, as an extra – that is, at the suggestion of his coach, he's been taking the field as a 12th man, running out with the others and doing the best he can. Though he's now 16, he's been playing with the under-14s, as it is his best chance of making some contribution, given that he is a lot smaller than his peers and has issues of co-ordination. Every match, Yamba has asked the opposing team if it’s OK and the opposing teams have – bless their cotton socks – never had a problem. The people of the Clarence Valley are just like that.
"Marc does his absolute best and the kids are phenomenal," Marc's mother Enid Reichler-Stillhard told ABC North Coast Radio this week. "When you watch how they interact with Marc, they help him on the field and off the field and make him feel good about himself. He is valued and they want him to play. It gives you goosebumps. The team once gave Marc the ball and said 'go with it Marc' and he ran the length of the field with it, and the kids fell over their own feet not to take the ball off him."
What's not to like?
It has been wonderful for Marc and his family, great for the Yamba team who love to play with him, and make sure he gets to kick the ball, and the opposing teams in the Clarence Valley have respected the situation, and Marc, not taking advantage of his position in the team.
So it's all fun in the sun, yes, in a manner that would bring a tear to a glass eye, as the true spirit of community sport for kids is embraced? Yes, for nearly everyone.
Somewhere out there, however, last week, a complaint was made by just one of the opposing clubs that this was – wait for it – against the rules, asking North Coast Football to stop Marc playing as a 12th man.
NCF have upheld the complaint. Though they are OK to provide an exemption to him on grounds of age, they now insist that Yamba field only 11 players.
And so allow me please, a few words, NCF, and the club making the complaint....
Read full article here.

Saturday 30 January 2016

Yamba Triathlon Festival and Yamba Colour Run, Saturday 27 February 2016


This annual triathlon caters for all ages. From 7-9 year old competitors in the miniman up to adults running in standard, enforcer, sprint and enticer distance events.

Details of race event locations and start times here:
http://www.eliteenergy.com.au/event/yamba-triathlon-festival/#start.

A word from the sponsor Elite Energy:

Yamba is becoming NSW’s own North Coast festival with a difference and 2016 will be no exception with the ever popular triYamba returning to Yamba Bay.
With stylish village charm, pristine beaches, national parks and award winning restaurants, Yamba is a unique holiday or lifestyle experience for the family. Explore the myriad of waterways, stroll the uncrowded beaches, go swimming, fishing or surfing but most of all discover Yamba’s friendly hospitality all year round.
Yamba is situated at the mouth of the Clarence River in Northern NSW, the biggest river on the east coast of Australia.
Location, location, location. Located just hours from Brisbane, and even closer from the Gold Coast and only a 2 hour flight from Sydney (via Grafton), this sea side town has a relaxed lifestyle with access to all services and is within easy reach of Ballina, Lismore and Grafton.
This year the Yamba Triathlon Festival has a Facebook page at:https://www.facebook.com/YambaTriathlonFestival/.

There on 31 December 2015 Elite Energy announced:
In 2016, our team is excited to partner with Color Me Rad (the worlds 2nd largest event of its type). Color Me Rad is currently the only global colour event that combines both colourful gel and powder. We are looking forward to our national regional tour kicking off in the colourful and vibrant town of Yamba 28th February. Pre-sale entries opening 11 Jan - register your interest at http://www.colormerad5k.com.au/location/Yamba.

Wednesday 16 July 2014

2014 Indigenous Marathon Project and the Gold Coast Half-Marathon



12 IMP runners started, 12 finished Gold Coast Half-Marathon

In a ground-breaking first, all 12 members of the 2014 Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP) squad crossed the finish line of the Gold Coast Half-Marathon last Sunday. Team members exceeded their own expectations by not only finishing, but crossing the line well ahead of their goal times. Cairns representative Brendan Peeters completed the run in an astonishing 84 minutes, placing him 30th in his age category. In his first ever fun run, Dubbo representative and Western Region light-middleweight champion Nathan Riley finished in 89 minutes. Toni Daisy, who juggles training with work commitments and being a single parent, crossed in 1:51:43. Members of the squad have returned home to their communities to continue training ahead of the third camp in Sydney for the City to Surf in August.

The ASICS Half- Marathon had a total of 9,658 entrants and 8,527 finishers. The two IMP entrants from NSW were Raymond Ingram (Sydney) and Nathan Riley (Dubbo).

Raymond Ingram crossed the finish line at 1,340 position and was also the 43rd runner of the 158 male entrants in the 21-24 years age group to cross the line.

I’m sure that their communities are proud of both these young men and, hopefully in the next few years we will see young indigenous runners from the NSW North Coast competing in Gold Coast Airport Marathon events.

Monday 14 October 2013

Yamba Triathlon Festival 2013 - Day 2 on 12 October in pictures


A brief look at a wonderful day for competitors and spectators alike. 

































































































































































































































































































































































































































































From the camera of Vicki James......


























Just short of 550 competitors took part in the Yamba Triathlon at the weekend and CEO of Elite Energy Mark Emerton said they'd be back for more next year.... the organiser said Yamba was the "perfect place for an event like this". With a boost to the local economy and another event to add to the yearly calendar, the Yamba triathlon is here to stay..... Mark Emerton said he was overwhelmed by how much support both the event and the competitors received. "All the little cafes had posters in their windows," Emerton said. "And then when we went through Wooloweyah, people were all out on the picnic tables to show their support. "That is the sort of stuff that really makes an event. "The athletes are happy, the community was patient, and that just makes it all work well." [The Daily Examiner 14 October 2013]