The Kedron Junior Australian Football Club has enjoyed a fantastic start to 2013, with strong clubs numbers and more than 50 participants involved in their club NAB AFL Auskick program
A huge part of the success of the program can be attributed to the club’s Auskick Coordinator, Jon Breeden.
Breeden grew up in Richmond, Virginia in the United States and has lived in Australia for the past nine years.
After first moving here, Breeden said he watched a few AFL games here and there, but admitted it wasn’t until his son Darby started Auskick that he really took an interest in the game.
“Last year when Darby started Auskick and really got into AFL was when I found a passion for the game,” Breeden said.
“Darby’s passion for the game is amazing, he always has a ball in his hands and has stopped watching cartoons since he discovered the Fox Footy Channel.”
“He studies the game and I have now caught the bug with him.”
“AFL has given him this amazing self confidence that he desperately needed in his first year of school, so I owe a lot to the game for how much it has helped my son.”
After getting involved with Auskick last year, Breeden enjoyed himself so much that he took up a role as one of the coaches of the Under 6 teams at the club.
“None of the Queensland dads had really played much AFL before, so I had about as much experience as anyone else even though one of the dads is on the board of directors for the Brisbane Lions,” Breeden said.
“I absolutely loved last year watching the kids go from barely being able to kick a ball in the first game, to now being able to do banana kicks, over head marks, handballing it off and starting to learn to run to space.”
“I was fortunate to have a good mate who has been coaching for years, we had a footy in the office and he would show me how to hold it correctly, where to kick it on the foot, how to handball and bounce the ball.”
“He would teach me then I would practice with Darby and then with the rest of the kids, so I was really able to understand how the kids were learning because I was learning also.”
Breeden said coaching younger kids was not that difficult as long as you showed a genuine interest and engaged with them.
“Kids can read your intentions like a book… if you are not sincere in your passion and enthusiasm they can tell, if you are excited they will be excited,” he said.
“I had a great time and I can tell I have helped create some confidence in the kids.”
“I am really looking forward to watching them grow again in the Under 6’s and am already looking for ways for improving what we did last year.”
Jon is a great example of one of the many volunteers across the state whose passion and tireless work are producing fantastic Auskick club environments and instilling confidence in young kids.
Thanks to the enthusiasm and passion of Jon and everyone else at the Kedron Football Club, they are looking to field at least four Under 6 teams in 2013.
