From Student to Trainee to Employee: The Pathway of Callie Walker

The motto of the VSwans programs is “At VSwans we are preparing our young people for the hardest game of all – LIFE.” A success story of the VSwans programs in Newman is that of Callie Walker.  Callie is a former student of Newman SHS who is now a fulltime member of the VSwans team, who provides an excellent role model for the students, both in and out of school.

Callie entered the Shooting Goals program as a Year 8 student in 2011. Callie credits the Shooting Goals program for teaching her how to be an athlete and a netball player, as well as this value of being a good student, and volunteering in the Newman community. This helped develop a passion for coaching and mentoring in Callie, which has helped her immensely in her journey. As a reward for her commitment to the program, Callie was able to participate in the incentive trips to Hedland, Broome and Perth, which she said was a real highlight of the Shooting Goals Program

In Year 11, Callie took the opportunity to improve her knowledge by completing a Certificate II in Certificate 2 in Sport and Recreation, which is offered as part of the VSwans program. This course opened her eyes to the possibility of a career in the Sport and Receration industry.

In 2015 Callie was selected to be the VSwans School Based Trainee. The Traineeship incorporates a Certificate III in Sport and Recreation Management, whilst working with VSwans Staff and Newman SHS teachers on the programs. Callie said that the traineeship taught her different coaching styles and different communication techniques, as well as gaining an understanding of how to plan sessions and classes, and how to communicate in an appropriate and professional manner.
At the end of the year, Callie was awarded the AFL Sportsready Rising Star Award for Western Australia, a massive achievement and one she is really proud of.

In 2016, VSwans, recognising the potential in Callie, offered her fulltime traineeship, with her focus being on event coordination and the Shooting Goals Program.
Callie completed her Certificate IV in Sport and Recreation Management, and had the following achievements as part of her traineeship.
- Coordinated the Volunteers for the Net, Set, Go program.
- Organised numerous VSwans events, including the VSwans Annual Fundraiser, The Volunteer Recognition Awards, and the Shooting Goals Perth Incentive Trip.
- Assistant Coaching the Year 7 and 7/8 Shooting Goals classes

Upon the completion of her Traineeship, Callie was offered and accepted the newly created role of Active Education Development Officer, which has commenced in 2017.  Callie is combining her job with completing a Certificate III in Fitness. Callie is now the coordinator of the Shooting Goals Program in Newman, working with the teachers and students to deliver the program.  Callie has also taken an increased role in the Netball community in Newman.

Callie’s major achievement in 2017 has been the establishment of the Strength 2 Succeed program for netball. Strength 2 Succeed is a development program designed to teach the skills and tactics of netball, whilst incorporating sessions on topics such as diet, injury management, goal setting, mental strength and positive relationships.
Callie’s progression from Shooting Goals Student to VSwans Development Officer is a positive example to the students of Newman SHS that hard work, dedication and a passion to learn can be recognised and rewarded. Callie is a fine example to the young people of Newman, and we at VSwans look forward to seeing her career continue to develop.