A talk about healthy eating was on the menu recently when Gold Coast SUNS players Sam Day and Jackson Allen spoke to a group of year four students as part of the club’s SHINE program.

The club has developed the program to encourage students to live a healthy and active lifestyle, grow awareness of beach safety, and how to play AFL.  The unique program targets grade four students through a classroom environment with three weeks of classes for an hour at a time.

With help from GC SUNS players visiting these selected schools, children are able to grasp the ideas and ways on how to improve their lifestyles and knowledge for a better, healthier future.  

Day and Allen visited St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School in Clear Island Waters to help the students kick off the SHINE program at the school for 2014.

Allen said the SUNS played an important role in the community in encouraging children to get the most out of their young bodies.

“The SHINE program is a program that we put on through the club, the City of Gold Coast lifeguards, (McDonalds) and the Queensland government, just to promote a healthy lifestyle for the kids through their diet and activity they do day to day,” Allen said.

“One of the messages we get out to the kids is a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise a day, whether it be walking to school, the activities they play during lunch or any sports afterwards,” he said.

The program uses booklets and interactive lessons to encourage the children to participate in activities and have a better understanding of the concepts being taught.  Students will then get the opportunity to step on to the turf at Metricon Stadium with other schools as a way of celebrating the conclusion of the program.   

Day said the students soaked up the lessons being taught to them by the SUNS players.

“The kids respond well to what we teach them, most of them are pretty good already, so just reinforcing that and trying to teach them new things,” Day said.

With the students able to communicate and interact with the players it creates an enjoyable and fun environment, where the children can take a lot from.  The game of AFL is becoming more popular on the Gold Coast and students are becoming more interested in playing.

“Just to be able to have that option; it’s a new game up here in Queensland so it’s good to get that awareness out there and I’m sure once you pick up a footy you’ll really enjoy what you are doing.  It’s a dynamic game and there are lots of different skills you can learn.”

Students who take part in the SHINE program also get a tour of Metricon Stadium, watching a GC SUNS training session, enjoy the AFL playground, and undertake skills clinics and modified matches.