Ruby Fanoosh was a student at Prairiewood High School when she first had the chance to turn her interest in soccer into something more. But when Ruby, now a 21-year-old psychology student at Western Sydney University, told her parents she wanted to join a coaching program at school, they were not convinced.
“When I presented my parents with this idea, it was a straight no,” she said.
“Coming from an Iraqi Muslim background, they thought I should be focusing on studying, not working during school hours. But over time, they saw the results. Now my dad is so pleased with where it’s taken me.”
The coaching program was run by Creating Chances, an organisation that has been using sport to work with young people in Western Sydney for 20 years.
For Ruby, who describes herself as “a very, very shy person”, becoming a coach was a significant change. She had been disengaged during her early years of high school, but through a traineeship she began leading coaching sessions, managing emails and taking on more responsibility.
“That transition from student to traineeship was hard. I wasn’t really sure what to do, so they guided me into the right path,” Ruby said.
She went on to become a coach herself, teaching other young women the sport that first drew her to the program.
Creating Chances now delivers programs in more than 100 schools and community organisations across Western Sydney, the Central Coast, Illawarra, Lake Macquarie, Sunraysia, New England and the Central West. The organisation often works with young people from migrant communities, including recent arrivals from Afghanistan, Iraq and the Philippines, and with people facing disadvantage or at risk of leaving school early.
“We use sport as a hook, but what we’re really building is confidence, pathways into work, and a sense of belonging”, Assmaah Helal, Chief Operating Officer at Creating Chances said.
“The confidence they get from leading a session or supporting a teammate also helps them build stronger connections in their schools, families and communities.”
“We use sport as a hook, but what we’re really building is confidence, pathways into work, and a sense of belonging.” – Assmaah Helal, Chief Operating Officer, Creating Chances
Backed by a research partnership with the University of NSW, Creating Chances’ programs combine sports including soccer, rugby league and union with workshops where students learn self-awareness, communication, teamwork and leadership skills. Older students can also undertake vocational training and gain work experience.
One student who took that opportunity is Harrison Rosta. A student at Kanahooka High School, he completed a Certificate III in Sport, Aquatics and Recreation while training with the Australian Training Company and working with Creating Chances.
“Creating Chances has been an astronomical part of where I’m at today,” Harrison said. “I’m School Captain, I have a leadership role, and I train in jiu jitsu and boxing.”
As part of his role, Harrison delivers programs to younger students in different schools.
“We might pick a life skill, like having self-awareness, and then design a sports activity around it”, he said.
“There’s one thing I tell my students at Creating Chances: have a crack!”
Harrison was recently recognised by the NSW Department of Education with a school-based apprentice and trainee award.
Creating Chances coaches on a training day. Photo: provided.
“We might pick a life skill, like having self-awareness, and then design a sports activity around it. There’s one thing I tell my students at Creating Chances: have a crack!”
Student players mid-game on a Creating Chances training day.
Assmaah Helal is Chief Operating Officer of Creating Chances
Creating Chances coaches on a training day.
Creating Chances student graduate Harrison Rosta.
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Creating Chances also gives students opportunities to develop their own ideas. Through its Gamechanger Program, young people design and pitch projects responding to issues they see in their communities. In partnership with the Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre, which provides practical support by hosting the pitch events, selected projects put those ideas into practice.
For some young women, getting involved in sport can come with another hurdle: convincing their families.
Shegofa Hassani, now a head facilitator with Creating Chances, remembers facing similar concerns to Ruby when she first joined the program.
“As an Afghan Muslim girl, my parents weren’t sure about me travelling or being part of sports programs. But when Creating Chances Chief Operating Officer Assmaah sat down with them and explained the purpose, that flipped the switch,” she said.
Shegofa now works with other young women who encounter similar barriers. She also manages the Sydney United Afghan Girls team, a community soccer squad made up of young women and girls mostly from the Afghan refugee community in Sydney, which competes nationally.
“It’s not just about football,” she said. “It’s about life skills, networking, and keeping young people off their phones for a while.”
For Ruby, what started as a school coaching program changed both her relationship with school and what she believed she could do.
The confidence and communication skills she developed through her traineeship followed her beyond the football field, through university and into coaching other young women in the sport she loves.
The Creating Chances Gamechanger Program is funded by Multicultural NSW under the COMPACT program. COMPACT works across communities and sectors to inspire and empower young people to foster social cohesion, stand united against divisive forces and come together in times of need.
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