Eddie Betts, an AFL player, discusses his dadding skills and community support. He is a role model to thousands and advocates for indigenous youth. Eddie's parenting journey, sibling support, instilling qualities in kids, challenges of responsibility, and creating a community are the interesting topics of this podcast.
The importance of a supportive community in raising a family and instilling values of kindness, respect, and looking after one another.
Encouraging children to be independent, develop their own voice, and challenge authority while teaching them the importance of kindness and respect.
The significance of being present and cherishing the time spent with family, experiencing joy, love, and care.
Deep dives
The Power of a Village
Growing up in an Aboriginal community, Eddie Betts emphasizes the importance of having a village to raise a family. He shares how in his community, everyone takes care of each other, from older kids looking after younger ones to caring for the elders. Eddie believes that this communal support instills values of kindness, looking after one another, and treating everyone with respect.
Freedom and Challenging Authority
As a father, Eddie Betts encourages his children to be free and challenge authority. He wants them to develop their own voice, ask questions, and challenge decisions that are thrown their way. Eddie values their independence and believes in letting them make their own decisions, while also teaching them the importance of kindness, respect, and treating others well.
Being Present and Reconnecting
After experiencing a challenging time being away from his family during a 16-week period due to AFL commitments, Eddie Betts cherishes the importance of being present and reconnecting with his children. He vividly recalls the emotional moment when his family reunited, especially the tight, meaningful cuddles from his children. Eddie is grateful for the opportunity to be a father and emphasizes the joy, love, and care he experiences from spending time with his kids.
Importance of Community and Connection in Childhood
The podcast episode discusses the significance of growing up in a close-knit community and the impact it has on a person's development. The speaker shares personal experiences of growing up in a large family and highlights the sense of connection and camaraderie that comes with it. Playing sports together, supporting each other, and having a close bond with siblings and cousins all contribute to a strong foundation in life. The speaker emphasizes the importance of instilling caring and leadership qualities in children through these close relationships, and how it can positively impact their future interactions within their community.
Encouraging Independence and Education
In the podcast, the speaker talks about the challenges of fostering independence in his own children while living away from their extended family. He shares how he and his partner create a sense of community for young Aboriginal football players who come to Melbourne. They open their home to these players, providing them with a safe space to stay and creating a community-like environment. The speaker also emphasizes the value of education, encouraging his own children and Aboriginal kids in general to prioritize education and provide themselves with a solid foundation for their future. He highlights the importance of asking for help and being supportive of classmates, ensuring that children feel confident and connected in their school environment.
He may have played 350 games of AFL - but as Eddie’s wife always reminds him - his job is only just beginning… for his kids, and for his people.
Eddie, with his wife Anna, have 5 young children, so pre-season training pales in comparison to the high contact sport of dadding that many kids. His lunch box game is elite! But as Hame learns in this fascinating chat, for Eddie, supporting a family is linked inextricably with a supportive community. Growing up playing at his grandfather's house, Eddie explains how he began learning his dadding skills from a young age, and how now in the suburbs of Melbourne he is fostering community not only for his kids, but for many of the young indigenous footballers that leave behind their support structures to play AFL. The benefits are huge, and it’s not just because of the extra babysitting!
Eddie might be a dad to 5, but he is also a role model to thousands, and the way he takes it all in his stride with so much grace and humility is pretty inspiring. He’s one of the AFL’s greatest small forwards of all time, kicking 640 goals and receiving Goal of the Year a record 4 times. But since retirement he has turned his energy and passion away from football to become an amazing advocate for indigenous youth, with a special focus on education and creating culturally safe spaces. He has also published two children’s books, My Kind and My People, as part of his Eddie’s Lil’ Homies series, which excitingly looks set to become a TV show on Netflix.
You can find out more about Eddie’s amazing work HERE
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Big thanks to our Season 2 Sponsor, HERTZ. Just like us, Hertz are all about memory making and adventure - so if you’ve got a trip planned, make sure you head to hertz.com.au/hodd to take advantage of 25% off the base rate. It’s a great deal just for HODD listeners! Ts&Cs apply. See website for details.
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