Mental Health & Wellbeing
Ormond JFC Mentor Program
Ormond Junior Football Club, in partnership with A Path To Follow (a local mental well-being initiative), offers a free program that leverages off young players’ common passion for football to introduce the concept of mentoring (via coaching), building relationships within the club and community, and promotes kids’ mental health and wellbeing.
Infographic - 2019 Mentor Program
The Ormond JFC Mentor Program is set for a huge 2020 following on from its success in 2019. This fantastic program is run by OJFC Committee Member Kirstie Edwards under her "A Path To Follow" program and aims to develop young coaching talent @ Ormond JFC while offering opportunities for young people to connect with their community and develop life skills.
The above infographic shows the amazing results from 2019. If you or your child would like more info and/or to get involved in 2020, contact Kirstie @ mentor@ormondjfc.com.au or message us on Facebook and we will be in touch.
Free Program
There is no cost involved in participating in the Mentor Program, which includes training and support for junior coaches and mentors in their roles of coaching players in Junior Football, Auskick and Fair Go Footy. Support is provided by The Mentor Program Sub-committee, a working group of the Ormond JFC committee, lead by Kirstie Edwards (A Path To Follow Founder and Ormond JFC Child Safety Officer).
The benefits of Peer-to-Peer Mentoring:
Mentoring offers a wealth of benefits to both mentors and mentees (Junior Coaches), and, in footy-mad Victoria, sport is a great vehicle for this.
Benefits for the Mentors and Junior Coaches include:
- a greater feeling of connection to their team, club and community
- improved empathy and conflict-resolution skills
- increased confidence and organisational skills.
For all Junior Coaches, having an older mentor or role model who has ‘been there’ can help with:
- improved social skills, sporting skills and coping mechanisms
- increased confidence and self-esteem
- behavioural problems (with mentees found to engage in less ‘risky’ behaviours)
- a greater feeling of wellbeing.
To express an interest in becoming an individual mentor or to request an individual mentor for your child, please contact Kirstie mentor@ormondjfc.com.au or 0478 310 145.
A Path To Follow
A Path To Follow is a community where young people, families and workforce members are supported in their wellbeing journeys. The initiative provides specialized wellbeing support via mentoring programs in sporting settings (like the Ormond Junior Football Club) and one to one mentoring partnerships.
A Path To Follow begun in 2013, by founder and Ormond Junior Football Club member Kirstie Edwards. Her aim was to "see her boys grow in a community where mental illness was less stigmatized and more readily supported, than the one she grew up in.
Learn More
A Path To Follow provides customised and flexible wellbeing mentoring and support to young people, their families and to small businesses.