Young Queenslanders changing the game on Brisbane 2032 legacy
Online gaming could be the answer to engaging young Queenslanders to help create a legacy for the city from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The University of Queensland recently held its first Youth Game Changers Summit, a collaboration between UQ’s Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies, Flinders Discovery Institute at Matthew Flinders Anglican College and the Queensland Academy of Sport.
Over three days, 42 high performance athletes from Matthew Flinders College and Wavell State High School brainstormed legacy-building projects to create an impact before, during and after Brisbane 2032.
Dr Stephen Townsend from UQ’s School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences said the aim was to encourage students to think differently about Brisbane 2032.
“We wanted to discourage them from viewing it as just a sporting event, and instead consider the opportunities it brings for change in the community,” Dr Townsend said.
“It’s important for school students to engage with legacy building because in another 10 or 20 years, they’ll be leaders and they’re the inheritors of this legacy.”
Using UQ’s St Lucia Campus as a home-base, the students participated in a range of learning activities surrounding legacy building in sport, infrastructure, sustainability, business and First Nations culture.
Students had a hands-on experience at Queensland Academy of Sport and then pitched their 2032 legacy ideas to a panel of industry leaders on the summit’s final day.
Head of Flinders Discovery Institute and former UQ academic Dr Louise McCuaig worked closely with UQ to develop the summit.
“UQ’s campus and researchers are second to none, so I knew it was the place to go,” Dr McCuaig said.
“We wanted the students to develop an understanding of the role research plays in sport, and how they can leave their own legacy.
“We also wanted them to have fun and experience what life is like as a student at UQ.”
Dr McCuaig said the students were selected for both their athletic and academic achievements.
“Every one of these students is a high-performance athlete, who competes in sports including rugby, gymnastics, surf-life saving, basketball and athletics.
“However, many young athletes don’t realise how they can translate their passion for sport into a career pathway, and we wanted to make that connection through this initiative.”
To kickstart the summit, representatives from UQ’s Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, UQ Ventures, Queensland Academy of Sport, Queensland Government, and industry bodies, presented the students with the key issues that needed to be addressed in the lead up to 2032.
“These legacy areas include sport for culturally and linguistically diverse people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sport, environment and sustainability, athlete performance and infrastructure development,” Dr Townsend said.
“The students were then introduced to the burning question for their team projects: how can we promote young people’s engagement with – and leadership of - the 2032 Games Legacy initiatives?
“Hearing from these industry experts provided them with the knowledge, tools, and inspiration needed to build positive legacies for Brisbane 2032, as well as explore the issues that are important to them.”
Wavell State High School Year 11 student Keyarn Pene and his team pitched the winning legacy initiative - an online game called ‘Gabbafication’ targeting young people to think about the Games and sustainability.
“We wanted to use a game to raise issues such as climate change and CO2 emissions,” Keyarn said.
“We are the ones who are going to be the change, so we need to target other young people like us.”
Dr Townsend said he was impressed with the variety of ideas the students presented.
“It was pleasing to see the students engage with the issues of First Nations people, sustainability and the environment in creative ways,” Dr Townsend said.
“They weren’t prompted – these are the issues that they really cared about.”
Tom Basford, a year 11 student from Matthew Flinders Anglican College and surf-life saving competitor, said he and his team felt there was more work to be done to educate young people about Indigenous culture.
“Our pitch was designed around supporting Indigenous culture for the Olympic Games, but also creating a legacy that will continue after that,” said Tom.
“We wanted to create projects where people can walk along the Brisbane River and do different activities along the way, that would bring new life to the Brisbane landmark, while also educating young people on Indigenous culture.”
He said the summit opened his eyes to the world of opportunity the Olympics can bring for the future.
“As athletes and students, we don’t often look at things from such a wide perspective, but now I have a broader understanding of how young people can make an impact in our communities.”
Matthew Flinders Anglican College year 10 student Grace McManis has a bronze medal from the Australian Nationals 2km run under her belt, and the site tour to Queensland Academy of Sport during the summit was a highlight for her and many of her peers.
“The QAS training centre is the pinnacle of sport, and it was so inspiring to see we could be performing at that level one day,” Grace said.
The students trialled the biomechanics and physiology equipment, participated in a seminar on athlete health and wellbeing, and learned about the role research plays in sport.
Dr Hedda Giorgi, QAS Sport Scientist, said it was important to showcase the career options that exist beyond the track and pool.
“We aim to broaden students' awareness of the work that goes into athletic performance, aside from their training and the work they do with their coaches,” Dr Giorgi said.
"We need to inspire future generations to move into areas supporting sports performance, particularly the sport science disciplines, and consider the possible career pathways that are available to them."
There are plans for the UQ Youth Game Changers Summit to grow in coming years.
Dr Townsend said the goal was to expand to other schools in South East Queensland, and into Asia Pacific regions.
“We want as many students as possible to have the opportunity to build a legacy surrounding the games – after all, young people are the ones who will create change.”
Media: UQ Communications: communications@uq.edu.au, +61 429 056 139
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