Following a successful Asian Cup for the Socceroos and record football participation levels, AIA Australia is joining forces with Football Federation Australia to launch a new grassroots football initiative for kids.
The introductory program, branded ‘AIA Vitality MiniRoos’, is a modified version of football that provides boys and girls aged 4 – 11 years with a fun introduction to the world game. Designed for kids of all abilities, the nation-wide program uses short, game-based sessions to introduce football to children in an inclusive way.
Today’s launch comes as AIA Vitality, the incentive-based health and wellness program, nears its first anniversary since its launch in March 2014. In that time, a total of 1,195 financial advisers have written at least one AIA Vitality-attached life insurance policy.
Speaking at today’s launch, held at Socceroo Tim Cahill’s former Primary School in Sydney, AIA Australia Chief Executive Officer Damien Mu said that the AIA Vitality MiniRoos can have a huge impact on the long term health of children, parents and, ultimately, families across Australia.
“Nothing is more important to a parent than the health and wellbeing of their kids. It provides the foundation for them to grow into healthy adults in future, and to achieve the most out of their lives.
“As a life insurer, we see first-hand the impact that poor health can have on the community and on quality of life, both for children and adults. By supporting the health of thousands of kids through one of the fastest growing sports in Australia, we can help them in establishing healthy habits early on in their lives, and can assist in addressing Australia’s preventative health issues,” he said.
Today’s launch comes as record numbers of Australians are taking up football, with an estimated 1.97 million participants. 193,000 boys and girls took part in grassroots football in 2014, an increase of five per cent from 2013. An estimated 220,000 children are expected to take part in AIA Vitality MiniRoos this year, which will be delivered by over 1,600 local football clubs.
David Gallop, FFA CEO, said the program comes at an ideal time for football’s growth in Australia.
“There’s no doubt that the game is on a strong growth trajectory at the moment,” said Gallop.
“AIA Vitality MiniRoos is a great way to introduce kids and parents to the game of football.
“In addition, the partnership with AIA Vitality will provide a huge boost to the health of football at the grassroots level and indeed the community more broadly.” he said.
AIA Vitality is a health and wellness program that aims to influence behaviour related to chronic diseases and obesity. Sold in Australia through financial advisers to lives insured under eligible AIA Australia life insurance policies, the program uses incentives and rewards, such as discounts on gym memberships and flights, to encourage people to adopt and sustain healthy behaviours.
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