Phoenix Soar Principal’s Event

Bringing principals together to understand the year five and six Phoenix Soar program, created by the South East Melbourne Phoenix, was on the agenda for the Phoenix Community Team last week.

Through Phoenix Soar, schools are supported with the facilitation of social and emotional learning by combining athlete storytelling, in classroom discussions and activities with on court and real-life scenarios. This merging of physical activity and social and emotional learning enables students to understand themselves and others, and manage their relationships, lives, learning and challenges more effectively.

One in seven primary aged children experience mental health illness, and when help is eventually sought, it is often years after the problem’s onset. Phoenix Soar sets students up for success by enabling them to build their own coach’s handbook with strategies to manage their mental wellbeing now and into the future.

(Guests heard from Broekhoff on his own mental health story.)

Principals across the south east were invited to enjoy afternoon tea whilst listening to Phoenix player from 2019 – 2023, Ryan Broekhoff share his journey with mental health and Meredith Thornton, Acting Principal from Andersons Creek Primary School, talk about her experience when Phoenix Soar visited her school.

Broekhoff shared stories from his childhood and life events that had significant impacts on his mental wellbeing. He spoke of how the Phoenix Soar program would have been beneficial for him when he was in grades five and six.

“This program means a lot to be part of. To be able to go out to schools, not so much talk about what I went through, but just to tell them it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, we all have these challenges. We all have things happening in our personal life that is difficult to deal with and to understand. This program has been really good to help to recognise your emotions, and to be able to find your support system. Being able to talk about things that don’t come easy to kids and have a program that can draw their attention and encourage them to seek that sort of stuff out; it’s something I wish that I had at a younger age,” said Broekhoff.

(Acting principal, Meredith Thornton spoke about her school's experience with Phoenix Soar.)

Meredith Thornton, Acting Principal of Andersons Creek Primary School, spoke on her school’s experience with the program and the benefits she has seen first-hand of what Phoenix Soar offered her students.

“When we saw Phoenix Soar, it was really fantastic program. The curriculum is so crowded, but it was something that we thought was so important and it is linked to physical education and wellbeing across the board. The fact that the kids have gone home and talked to their parents about this program is sensational. We all struggled with the pandemic, our kids did, and making time for these things is important. Our grade five and six students think they are so big and grown up, but they’re not, and this sort of program gelled with them,” Thornton commented.

“The whole concept of being the coach of your own life was exactly what grade five and six students needed to hear and what they were ready to understand. I think it is so important for our kids to hear from people other than the teachers, and to hear from basketballers about these issues, they sit up and listen. It brings a realism to it all,” she said.

Phoenix’s Education Programs Coordinator, Catherine Rossiter, and Community Manager, Claire Castle, shared more about Phoenix Soar before answering questions from those in attendance.

If you are interested in attending one of our Phoenix Principal's Events or would like more information about Phoenix Soar, please email catheriner@semphoenix.com.au

Primary Schools still have the opportunity to register for the remainder of the 2023 school year. If you would like to register your school, please CLICK HERE.

Phoenix Media (05/04/23)