Giants Netballer Amy Sligar joins the ranks as ChildFund Australia Ambassador
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Amy Sligar, 20-year-old Giants netballer, is the latest to join ChildFund Australia’s Ambassador program. Bright, ambitious, and determined, Amy’s love for netball began as a young girl.
Inspired by her Mum, an avid netballer, Amy and her twin sister started playing netball at school as soon as they were old enough to sign up. Like many other young girls around Australia, they spent most Saturday mornings of the winter months on the netball court.
As she got older, her passion for netball grew. Amy began to compete on a regional, state and then national level. Before long she was chosen as a training partner for the Giants Netball Squad and at the end of 2021, she signed her first professional netball contract with the team.
Amy first heard about ChildFund Australia through her teammate. “My teammate, who does a lot of work in the charity space, recommended me for the ambassadorship. She is someone I’ve always looked up to and seen as a role model. So, for her to have supported and encouraged me to take on this role was exciting,” said Amy.
She was particularly excited to learn about Sport for Development – a curriculum that uses sport to teach children and young people vital life skills. “Sport has been such a big part of my life, and if I can be a part of creating positive change, then that’s pretty cool.”
She believes that sport teaches teamwork and gives people a sense of community. Amy says she has experienced firsthand just how much sport can change and influence your life.
“The power that sport has, and the reach that it has, can truly change people’s lives. Whether you’re playing professionally or just playing with your mates, it has so much to offer. It teaches you so many different skills, not just the physical skills but the mental skills too.”
Both of Amy’s parents are teachers and her family spent living overseas throughout her childhood. Amy shared that this gave her the opportunity to learn about different cultures and meet people from diverse backgrounds.
Becoming a ChildFund Ambassador isn’t Amy’s first time working with children. Growing up she taught swimming. “I loved teaching swimming. It was fun but it was also teaching the kids such a vital life skill.”
She has also spent many hours coaching netball. “I just love seeing the kids just having fun and getting involved and learning about the sport.”
Off the court, Amy is studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at UTS. Amy thinks that one day she’d like to become a paediatric doctor and continue working with children.
Every child needs a childhood.
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