Avondale teams place highly at university games
Josh Dye
Public relations intern
Avondale College of Higher Education
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
The touch football team from Avondale College of Higher Education has finished fourth in its first appearance at the Eastern University Games. The netball team finished sixth. The experience helped the students form a close bond. Credit: James Dawson.
Two teams of Avondale students outperformed those from larger institutions at the college of higher education’s first appearance at the Eastern University Games.
The mixed touch football team came fourth out of 18 tertiary institutions, finishing ahead of teams from Australian National University, Macquarie University and The University of Sydney. The netball team also performed well, finishing sixth.
“We underrated ourselves, which holds us in good stead for the future,” says touch football team captain Mark Tipple, a third-year Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching student. He helped organise Avondale’s participation in the games, describing the experience as one of the best he has had at Avondale. “Being a small institution, we were the underdog no one had heard about. Within days, word had spread we were a Christian institution; it made us feel so proud to be Avondale students.”
As Avondale notched up wins, “representatives from other universities began asking, ‘Where are you from?’” says director of student services Kevin Judge, who served as manager.
Nineteen students—down from the original estimate of 40 as many students had previously committed to serving on one of four mission trips—represented Avondale in Tamworth, which hosted the games from July 1 to 5 this year. They formed a close bond. “Eating together, sleeping in basic accommodation, playing sport and socialising provided a great environment for building community,” says Kevin.
Mark not only enjoyed connecting with his classmates but with his peers, too. “I met people I might never have had the chance to get to know,” he says. “The week had all the elements of life the way it’s meant to be—community, physical exercise, representing a cause and being part of something bigger than ourselves.”
The support of the Tamworth Seventh-day Adventist Church proved “a real blessing,” says Mark. The members there provided their hall to accommodate the students.
Mark hopes Avondale’s participation in the games is ongoing—organisers granted Avondale free entry in expectation of it becoming a full member next year. He wants to see more students entering more teams. “We have a chance of winning the trophy for best performance per capita,” he says.
Kevin hopes Avondale’s participation is ongoing, too—he and Mark see the games as an opportunity to witness. “It gives the students a chance to step outside of their community and share their faith.”
The games featured more than 2000 participants from 20 universities and TAFE institutions across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It serves as a qualifier for the annual Australian University Games.