Welcome
Welcome to this new arts/charity/sports interactive site. The purpose of this website is to link together my previously separate interests in the arts and sports while giving those involved in each a pointer towards community-mindedness through charitable involvement. It is the feeling of those at the Not Just Footy Club that art and sport should encourage creativity (particularly in the young), bring people together (that is participants, spectators, family and friends - even officials) and encourage individuals to look outside of themselves to the wider community through charity. On that point, check out the advertisement for HMT's most recent Charity evening. Contributions to this webpage are especially encouraged, particularly in areas where these three things merge.
teamSUPPORT
teamSUPPORT is Not Just Footy Club’s way of trying to get young artists and sporties to give something something back to the wider community. It is a simple concept where any individuals or teams wishing to engage in a charitable act can contact us and Not Just Footy Club will line you up with a charity and/or a charitable act to do. As gratitude you will receive absolutely nothing but an appearance in the lists below and a strange, fuzzy feeling of well-being. Inspired by the film/book "Pay It Forward", teamSUPPORT is our idea for world change put into action with the hope of creating a domino-effect of good deeds for those in need.
In 2005: Radford Soccer collected, cleaned and then sent some balls and strips to East Timor.
In 2006: a teamSUPPORT crew of Year 10 leaders from Radford
* undertook leadership training under GH
* assisted in Wests Wacky Day for students from Black Mountain and Woden School in September
* participated in the YMCA's excellent RAID (Recreational Activities for young people with Intellectual Disabilities) Basketball Program at Dickson College
* assisted with the HMT Blues Brothers/Soul Sister gig this time for Hartley Lifecare, and
* organised a Xmas-theme event for Black Mountain and Woden Schools in early December.
In 2007:
* the Radford teamSUPPORTten crew undertook leadership training and are hoping to run a sports activity day for Black Mountain and Woden School in September in conjunction with Wests Rugby Club, as well as paying regular visits to the RAID program at Dickson
* the Radford teamSUPPORTeleven crew are hoping to help with the organisation of Camp Quality's Christmas function and assist with the set-up of HMT Charity events
* GH is also hoping to create an e-friendship between teams in the UK, USA and Australia who will participate in a simultaneous teamSUPPORT charity event in their respective countries.
In 2008:
*
the Radford teamSUPPORTcrew will welcome its third functioning group. The trio aims to continue its services to the community through the running of sports days, attending RAID, assisting with preparations for HMT charity concerts and expanding to special projects involving the elderly.
Books
Not Just Footy Club's founder George Huitker has written two books which may interest visitors to this website based on his sporting philosophies and numerous coaching journies. In late 2006, his most recent work "How to Succeed Without Really Winning" won an ACT Writing & Publishing Award (for Memoir) while in 2007, Zek Patafta launched the third edition of "Not Just Footy" - complete with new cover, additional photographs and a moving foreword by his son, Kaz Patfta (currently on loan to Melbourne Victory from Benfica FC, Portugal). More information on the books can be extracted from the BOOKS section. Both are available for order simply by hitting the 'GINNINDERRA PRESS'' button to the left!
GH is currently working on a new book, tentatively titled "Little Life" which is looking at those small but lasting moments of existence which profoundly affect the direction of our lives. Among other things, it will look at teamSUPPORT and its impact, childhood mortality and his mother's battles with vascular dementia.
New Futsal Club and Newsletter
November 2005 saw GH’s new futsal club, BELeast play its first games across a range of divisions, age groups, shapes & sizes in the BJISC competition. The fledgling club has had up to 18 teams competing, 12 boys & 6 girls sides. A club webpage is available in the BELeast section of this website. BELeasters can be largely seen sporting the bright orange Netherlands outdoor strips at Daramalan College, the Lyneham Netball Centre or the Woden basketball Centre – a nod to Gus Hiddink for his assistance to Australian soccer during the recent World Cup.
Constitution
Not Just Footy Club aims to maintain, celebrate and promote humanity, better living and kaizen (continued development as opposed to continued winning) through sport, over and above any other association, affiliation or whatnot. It will have no dull, wordy and loop-hole-ridden constitutions, no dreary monthly meetings and minutes, and cost nothing to join. In fact, anyone can offer membership to anyone else, anywhere, at any time. It will be a loose ‘kind of marriage of people’ (thanks Bill Shankly!) who will recognise and look out for each other everywhere, particularly on weekends. It will go to games to enjoy the beauty and distraction of sport... and for no other reason. It will leave politics, religion and other social concerns to fight amongst themselves in boardrooms until they spontaneously combust. It will refuse classification or definition and need not be sanctioned by any bunch of suits. No jackals allowed.
Dear Reader, you are already a life member.
(Taken from George Huitker’s How to Succeed Without Really Winning, Ginninderra Press, 2005.)
George's books can be ordered here.
