An idea to build an inclusive cricket carnival sparked a corporation’s journey to support overall community wellbeing through sport. The carnival was set up to bring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages together: to have fun, be healthy and be together, in honour of living legend, Stan Alberts. Ten years on, and it has become a feeder to professional leagues and a networking opportunity for sporting organisations as teams of under 7s up to Masters converge on the town of Rockhampton in Queensland.
Putting the idea to the test
When Robert Garrett and a couple of friends thought up the Stan Alberts Shield Indigenous Cricket Carnival, there were a lot of football carnivals around. There was nothing for cricket.
The carnival became an annual event, growing in popularity to 38 teams participating before COVID. At the outset, Robert wanted to make sure the carnival was professional and offered a meaningful experience for the community – at no cost to participants. Becoming a corporation was the way to do it.
‘I was approached by another mate who said, “let’s incorporate”, which would open us up to funding so we could build this event,’ Robert remembers.
‘We were 3 young blokes and didn’t know what we were doing but ORIC was always very approachable and willing to help teach.
‘They have given us good advice too. It’s all about understanding the constitution – your rule book – and following it. Now we understand how important governance is for the viability of your corporation.
‘We had to be disciplined if we wanted to do properly and so it benefits the community as a whole.’
Batting for community spirit
Over 10 years, sport has been the way Team Indigenous has created new opportunities for supporting the community.
Instead of focusing on the success of individual players, Team Indigenous looks to use sport as a vessel for positive benefits for the community as a whole.
‘We use sport as a tool to access funding to do community-based projects. So instead of seeking funding for a single kid going away for big representative opportunities we look at how we can fund a cricket net for all the kids to use,’ says Robert.
‘We’ve used netball, basketball, boxing, soccer and touch footy to bring community together. The money we raise in our kitty, we pass it down to someone else. We have a golf day coming up and funds raised go to a local church to offer services to the community, to help people facing disadvantage and young people at risk to experience something positive. Those little things can have a big impact on a young person.
‘It includes sports participation too. If they’re happy and healthy, they’ll take more part in sports.’
Going beyond the boundaries
The Stan Alberts Shield has a partnership with Queensland Cricket, feeding players through to the league. It has also provided a pathway into the Imparja team who play annually in the NT’s Imparja Cup – Steve Roser is one player who’s now employed professionally to play cricket in Darwin. It has also had more unexpected benefits for the people who attend.
‘A bloke came along who hadn’t been home to Rockhampton for 30 years. He had fallen out with his family a long time ago and hadn’t seen them. He saw this event was on and wanted to play. So he came back and reconnected with his family – and hasn’t left.’
For one player, it was a special experience to connect with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when he hadn’t had the opportunity before.
‘A young man who was in care in the NT came to play. He didn’t know his family and had grown up in a non-Indigenous family. He came and sat beside me for an hour and told me it was the first time he’d seen so many Indigenous people in one place.’
Creating the game plan
With Robert as chairperson, Team Indigenous Corporation is now looking for ways to keep improving and growing. With more training and skill building through ORIC, Robert says it can employ staff and do even more for the local community through sport.
‘While we have that attention and 9 years of hard work, we started asking how we build on this,’ he says.
‘The next hurdle is to turn our corporation into a funding body which can employ people and get some more people on the team.’
Being a corporation has given Team Indigenous the chance to govern its events in a more flexible and inclusive way.
‘We have drug and alcohol-free events and men sometimes question that, but they also respect that we set the parameters as the corporation,’ says Robert.
‘We do also adjust. For example, we had a Masters competition for older men. But we noticed teenage boys wanting to play with the Uncles in the competition. So we’ve wiped the parameters off Masters to be a community competition. This took down the barriers so everyone could play together.
The Masters rugby league team
‘We can do that as a corporation because we’re hosting our own competitions. It puts us in charge of the rules.’
Team Indigenous also makes flexible arrangements so people don’t miss out, such as paying fees for paid competitions. If someone can’t pay, Team Indigenous works with them to find a self-determined solution, for example, setting up and packing down equipment.
Running up the scoreboard
Team Indigenous Corporation itself is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary along with its inaugural event, the Stan Alberts Shield. They’re not looking to pull up stumps any time soon. The event remains an open, inclusive and free event for the community to attend.
Whether a person is local, visiting or even just passing through Rockhampton – they can show up and have a tidy uniform provided and play on nice fields.
‘Our event is quite significant. We supply everything. You turn up and play and don’t have to bring any gear or uniforms,’ Robert says.
‘The event not only provides a pathway into local cricket. It’s about being active and keeping traditional values. We have storytelling, dance, Welcome to Country – it’s about keeping customs going and keeping community together.’
Team Indigenous hopes to keep expanding on this success, finding more and more ways to invite people to build a connected and healthy community. The next golf day is on 18 October for Indigenous Business Month and they’re seeking players to join in the fun and fundraising.