Man on a Mission –
Cameron Dare
Cameron Dare is a semi-retired family man with two adult daughters. Fitness is a priority, as is socialising, time with friends, and playing sport. Yet he is also a man on a mission in his role as Director of TeamSports4All, an organisation helping disadvantaged children access organised sport. ‘All families supported by TeamSports4All are financially disadvantaged,’ Cameron begins. ‘They’re often from single-parent families on welfare, typically living in government housing. Many are refugees; some of the mums and kids are fleeing domestic violence.’ For many families, the sheer cost of organised sport presents an insurmountable barrier. ‘Sport costs $300–900 per child annually, which is well out of reach if you’re struggling to put food on the table.’ It’s this level of consideration that makes TeamSports4All about far more than sport. ‘Children without access to sport lack access to many other things as well,’ Cameron points out. ‘Those from disadvantaged backgrounds are much more socially isolated, which significantly disadvantages their education levels, health, and development.’ In contrast, becoming engaged with sport brings multiple benefits. ‘A sporting team is obviously an active and healthy pursuit, but it’s also a community,’ Cameron says. ‘Kids who have the chance to join a team can form connections with others, reducing social isolation. They meet friends, coaches, parents, and team managers, gaining enormously beneficial access to role models and informal mentors. For that reason, we see a sporting club as a “good gang” for potentially vulnerable kids.’
of dropping out of sport. So we allocate each child a volunteer to check they’re getting to training and playing, with the benefits really accruing as they play each following season.’ While Cameron didn’t establish TeamSports4All, he’s worked hard to expand it since joining. ‘TeamSports4All was started in 2011 by a couple of dads I knew,’ he says. ‘While watching training, they noticed a few kids looking on from the sidelines. They asked them why they weren’t playing, and the kids told them they didn’t have the fees. That event initiated TeamSports4All.’ Fortunately, Cameron was in an ideal situation to make a difference. ‘As I’m semi-retired, I was at a stage of life where I had more time to devote to important causes like this one,’ he says. ‘As TeamSports4All was small, local, and sport-related, I felt I was able to make a direct difference instead of simply writing a cheque.’ The charity continues to grow. ‘We currently support over 100 kids, predominately in the Bayside area, and we’ve just launched in
To get kids into sport, TeamSports4All first has to connect with families in need. ‘We find out whether a family needs support, then determine what they’d like to play,’ explains Cameron. ‘We’ve formed relationships with community clubs, so we can connect the kids with a team, coach, and manager. After paying their subscription fees, we source their uniform and kit – whatever they need to get them going.’ To build confidence, TeamSports4All strives to be unobtrusive. ‘We try to disappear at a club level once kids are established in a club, because we don’t want teammates to know they’re receiving our help,’ Cameron confirms. ‘Socioeconomically disadvantaged kids often face challenges that put them at higher risk
20
