Warragul and District Specialist School students showed off their kicking and handballing talent at the launch of their school Auskick program.

The clinic hopes to help kids with a disability access their favourite sport by teaching them the skills to play football with community clubs.

Nine-year-old Axl Woolley is a huge Tigers fan and while he loves playing Auskick, grandfather Peter Lees said he might struggle to play football competitively due to his intellectual disability.

“Because of the difficulties he’s got, it’s mainly a social issue, he hasn’t got the confidence to get involved with that sort of team,” Lees said.

The school Auskick session aimed to replicate what would happen outside of school, while operating in a familiar environment. Principal Matthew Hyde said the students get a confidence boost after doing the same thing as their peers.

“If we can build up those skills and confidence, it gives them the stepping-stone to take that into Auskick in their local community,” Hyde said.

While Axl has tried Auskick before, it was the first time for many other students. Nine-year-old Michael Waide barracks for Geelong and was running through a circuit while working on his ball-handling. While he enjoyed working on his kicking, he also wants to get better at other skills.

The principal said participating in ‘real world’ activities is a central part to the school’s curriculum, in hopes students will go on to find jobs and live actively.

“What we’re looking for is our graduates to have done courses with their mainstream peers, such as TAFE programs,” Hyde said.

While there’s still many hurdles to overcome, it’s hoped community sport programs will continue to accommodate for kids with a disability. Lees hopes there will be an opportunity for Axl to keep developing his football skills when he’s older.

“I think that would be good for him in that regard as long as it’s still progressive,” Lees said.