Former Bendigo Bombers AFL player Ash Humphrey moved from Melbourne to Bendigo when he was 18 to pursue his dream of playing football.
“Growing up without a dad can leave you with questions around your own identity. For me, sport was a place where I received pats on the back for my efforts. Consequently, I took on an identity based around sport,” Ash remembers.
But building his life on sport wasn’t quite working out. Ash struggled with the move and needed support. The coach referred Ash to the club chaplain, Bruce Claridge.
“After meeting Bruce, my perspective on life changed,” says Ash. “I knew that football wasn’t the be all and end all, that there were more important things to life.”
Ash now firmly believes that chaplains are essential for a healthy club culture:
“Things could be going well on the field, but if they’re not going well off the field, that’s going to catch up with you. Having someone that cares for you as a person, as opposed to someone that just cares about your performance, is so important for sports people … Having someone to speak to is so essential.”
Together with you, SCA is investing in players like Ash to take their performance – on and off the field – to another level. Thanks for your support to make success stories like this possible!
