The Dolphins NRL club has formed a development partnership with Bundaberg community organisation The Waves Sports Club that will provide extensive benefits for the Wide Bay area.
The partnership will fund the establishment of a full-time Game Development Officer to provide assistance at schools and clubs in the local catchment.
A recruitment process will now start to select the right person to fill the Game Development role.
A valuable resource for the local community, the Game Development Officer will be charged with a range of tasks that will benefit young people in the Wide Bay region.
These include school student engagement, growth of community sport participation, development of sporting club administration, and coach education that will include advice from elite academy coaches and high-performance staff.
The Dolphins are already heavily involved in game development in the area, establishing pathways for junior players and providing specialist coaching for the local academy squad from people such as multiple NRL grand final-winning coach Wayne Bennett.
The announcement of this dedicated role continues an important week for the Wide Bay region, which will also witness the debut of the Dolphins Cup schoolboy competition this week.
The Dolphins Cup will give locals schools Bundaberg State High and Shalom College the opportunity to compete against Central Queensland teams for the right to progress to the Queensland state finals.
The two schools will face off in both the under-15 and Open age groups from 5pm tomorrow night.
The Waves Sports Club chief executive officer Brendan Royall said they were proud to be a partner of the Dolphins in the implementation of a Game Development Officer in the Wide Bay Region.
“This Partnership aligns strongly with our charter to foster, promote, support and encourage competitive and recreational sport activity,” said Mr. Royall.
“We strive to be a total entertainment provider and bring communities together at quality sporting and recreational facilities within a family environment.
“The Waves’ socio-economic contributions to affiliated sports clubs, non-affiliated sporting organisations and local community organisations averages $1.2 million annually and has exceeded $6.3 million over the past five years.
“The Waves is excited about our partnership with the Dolphins NRL team and the implementation of a Game Development Officer in our community, which will benefit rugby league and many other sports in the region.”
Dolphins’ NRL chief executive Terry Reader said the new position would be a valuable resource for the community in Bundaberg and the Wide Bay region.
“This role will mean someone is dedicated to assisting rugby league and other sporting clubs in the area to provide better coaching and development,’ said Mr. Reader.
“But it is not just about assisting rugby league – it also has multiple other benefits for the community.
“This partnership will include the implementation of a primary school engagement program focussed on gratitude, communication, healthy habits and staying active.
“We welcome The Waves Sports Club to the Dolphins partnership, and are excited about the outcomes this program will produce and add to the already wonderful work they do for the local community.”
