Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sport has the power to bring people together. It has the power to teach confidence and it allows people to physically achieve more than, sometimes, they ever thought they possibly could. For those people who are involved in elite sport, and have been involved with it for some time, it also teaches a good work ethic and discipline and rubs off into many other areas of your life.

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of visiting the North Lakes Mustangs Soccer Club, a local sporting club in my electorate. The club was hosting their annual gala day, and it was also hosting the Brisbane Paralympic Football Program's Field of Dreams. It really was a fantastic day. The young boys and girls who were playing soccer were having a fantastic time and their parents were socialising with each other. It was a really good family day despite it raining later in the afternoon. Everyone was having a great time. This inclusive football program, that I had the chance to participate in, is all about ensuring that any child can have the opportunity to participate in the world game of soccer irrespective of their personal or physical circumstances.

I would like to particularly thank the Mustang's manager Kerri Hutchison and the coaches and parents for putting on the day for the local children, and for what they do for the youth in the North Lakes community all year round. The program receives no funding. It is run entirely on the time and know-how of dedicated volunteers. As Kerri explains, not having any funding is not such a bad thing. It means that the program is not reliant on the government or another third party.

In particular, I would like to thank the volunteers—some of whom have been working in the sporting industry and some who are studying. I would like to thank them for the time and effort that they put into that club, and many other clubs in North Lakes, all year round.

I would also like to mention and thank Jay Larkins, who established the Brisbane Paralympic Football Program in 2006. Jay became passionate about this program after his son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He now coaches more than 100 children with disabilities giving them opportunities to engage in team sport and exercise. Jay's 'never say never' attitude has inspired many of the program's participants, with four athletes representing Australia and others working towards qualification for the 2016 Paralympic Games. Congratulations to Jay, to Kerri and to everyone involved with the North Lakes Mustangs. I look forward to visiting again soon.