It’s been a big three weeks for the kids at Coolangatta State Primary school with the year six students receiving regular visits from emerging Aquis Gold Coast Titans star Karl Lawton.
Recovering from a serious leg injury suffered just forty-six minutes into his NRL debut for the Titans, Lawton didn’t waste a second of his time away from the game, enrolling in a Youth Work course with Club Sponsor and registered training authority Gold Training.
“I’m doing a youth working course through Gold Training," Lawton said.
"It just really helps you put the theory into practice and learn what you are actually going to be doing when you go into youth working groups and how to deal with kids in a certain manner.”
It has been a great opportunity for the Coolangatta State School students to learn resilience self-management strategies before the transition to high school. The primary aim of the program was to teach the students that intensive exercise can change stress chemicals in the brain which enhances our mood and state of mind.
Karl also spent time talking with the students about their transition to high school next year.
“You can definitely see a change in them and the kids now hopefully have a mentor and it’s just prepping them for high school and reassuring them they are going to be ok and are comfortable about going there.”
Coolangatta State Primary was an automatic choice for the Coolly local who grew up in the area and wanted to work with the regions locals, Lawton admitting he got as much out of each session as the kids did.
“Just going down every Wednesday after training and focussing on the kids, it’s a real feel good feeling for me, I go down there, help them and put a smile on their face.
“In return I cop a lot of love, the kids are pretty funny, they have a joke with me.”
Karl plans to continue with his Youth Work commitments post football and has promised to check in on his grade seven buddies once the school bell sounds for the start of 2017.
