 | |
| Presence | |
|---|---|
| Country or region | Australia (country of origin) Also played in Denmark, Fiji, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vanuatu |
| Olympic | No |
| Paralympic | No |
Auskick is a program designed to teach the basic skills of Australian football to children aged between 5 and 12. Auskick is a non-contact variant of the sport. It began in Australia and is now a nationwide non-selective program. It has increased participation and diversity in the sport amongst children,[citation needed] and is now being run in many countries across the world.
At its peak in the mid-1990s in Australia there were around 200,000 Auskick participants annually[1] and this figure has since stabilised at this number. Numerous professional, semi-professional and representative players are graduates.
The program is now run throughout the world, including several locally branded variations such as: "Kiwi Kick" (AFL New Zealand), "Niukick" (Papua New Guinea), "Footywild" (South Africa), "Bula Kick" (Fiji), "Viking Kick" (Denmark), "Ausball" (United States) and "Pikinini Kick" (Vanuatu) among others often sponsored by local organisations.
- ^ 'Father figure' of Auskick and Richmond Tiger, Ray Allsopp, dies aged 87 By Michael Doyle 28th October 2021]