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October 8, 2021
We are currently accepting entries for the fifth annual Courageous Use of Sport Award presented by WWE. In celebration, we are catching up with past winners to give us an update on their important community work, and to provide words of wisdom for those applying to this year’s award. This week, we spoke with 2019 Courageous Use of Sport Award winner Ayman Hill from Sydney, Australia.
Ayman is an avid footballer whose passion for going beyond his playing capacity led him to become a coach with Football United in 2016. Football United provides opportunities for youth through sport and helps build the capacity of young people in diverse communities in Australia and Myanmar. They have recently expanded their network into regional New South Wales (NSW) Australia, where they are coaching more students from all backgrounds.
Melbourne has been in lockdown since August 5 as Australia grapples with a third wave of infections fuelled by the fast-moving Delta variant that has also put millions in Sydney under strict stay-home rules. Sydney is due to exit lockdown on October 11 after a rapid vaccination program. During this situation, the team at Football United has continued to deliver online programs and coaching, which Ayman says are going well.
In Myanmar, he shared that programs have been challenging “given the troubles with COVID as well as the Military Coup that occurred. Regardless of this, our team is still able to deliver online programs and online coaching programs which have been received really well and have been effective in their missions.
Ayman said the most exciting project he is currently part of ensures that participants are able to attend programs through online resources and live Zoom sessions during COVID-19 and the lockdowns. The project also includes an online training platform where coaches and participants can log on and upskill with life-skill sessions.
Alongside this, he is heading into the final year of his bachelor’s degree in Primary Education and says that he’s looking forward to teaching and having his own classroom one day. “A personal goal of mine is to positively impact as many youth as possible through the fields of work.”
Ayman describes winning the 2019 Courageous Use of Sport Award as an acknowledgment of the work he and his organization are doing for local communities. “It has helped me recognize my goals and passion for teaching and coaching more, and enabled me to further develop areas of my professional life that can be improved.”
He encourages young leaders to apply for the 2021 award and stay true to their values and beliefs as they’ll draw the attention of the right people to get them to where they want to be.
“To be able to impact lives is powerful and the seed you plant in someone’s mind can one day grow into something beyond your thoughts. Don’t underestimate the power of your voice and the words you use, they will be a driving force in someone’s mind.”
Entries for the 2021 Courageous Use of Sport Award are being accepted through October 15. Click here to apply.
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