Auskick is a national program in Australia to develop and promote participation in Australian rules football by children. It has proven to be popular with both boys and girls.
The program was devised in 1998 and began in Victoria — the traditional home of the sport — under the name Vickick. It was supported by the Australian Football League, the national professional competition for the sport, which began to roll it out nationally.
Under current corporate sponsorship rights (as of 2005) the program is officially named NAB AFL Auskick and is sponsored by the National Australia Bank, while previous sponsors include Simpson[1], a whitegoods company and, even earlier, fast food giant McDonald's.
Auskick is a national football coaching network, with clinics held weekly (usually on Saturday mornings) run by volunteers. The program attracts over 100,000 primary school aged participants annually and, as such, is the largest grassroots sporting association of its kind in Australia. Auskick's effort to involve children in AFL could be a determinant in the fact that 65% of high school students consider it in their top 3 favorite sports. The AFL is a major supporter of Auskick and star players occasionally assist in training events. The AFL also invites various branches of the Auskick network to play short games during the half-time breaks of premiership season games at all grounds, with numerous matches played on modified fields simultaneously.
The AFL has introduced the Auskick program into schools and communities around the country to increase the AFL's profile in areas that traditionally support other football codes such as New South Wales and Queensland.[2]
In 2007 the program's slogan was "Where Champions Begin", with Jo Silvagni (wife of former AFL player Stephen Silvagni) and Robert DiPierdomenico, the 1986 co-Brownlow Medallist as the main ambassadors.[3] They also used the kick-to-kick tradition as part of their promotional television campaign, which shows kids from around the country kicking the football to each other to the tune of Gimme Dat Ding.
Without the help of parent volunteers, Auskick will not be able to be the success that it is today. Parents are involved in across the board in activities such as at skills sessions, as coaches and supervisors, administrators, helpers, coordinators and even first aid officers.
Throughout the year, there are parent orientation courses as well as coaching courses.