For the Love of the Game
On this page
Overview
An award winning sports program developed by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) encourages young people to interact and form positive relationships with each other and the police. For the Love of the Game gives young people from diverse cultural backgrounds the opportunity to play football in a fun and friendly environment.
Since the program began there has been a reduction in youth crime in the Brisbane area.
What are the aims of the project?
For the Love of the Game aims to build positive relationships between young people from diverse cultural backgrounds, through interaction in football tournaments.
The program also aims to build a rapport between young people and the police and gives police the opportunity to learn more about people from multicultural backgrounds.
What was involved?
After some criminal incidents involving young people and police, in 2005 Sergeant Jim Bellos from the Metropolitan South Region of the QPS developed the For the Love of the Game program.
There are three main events in the program, the QPS and Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) Multicultural Football Tournament, the QPS Muslim Rugby League Challenge and the Bridging the Gap QPS and Sudanese Football Tournament.
The tournaments are funded by QPS and ECCQ and supported by many government agencies and local businesses. Considerable in-kind support has also been essential to the success of the program.
Who participated?
Between 2005 and 2008, over 6000 young people from culturally diverse backgrounds have participated in For the Love of the Game football matches.
The program’s Multicultural Football Tournament attracted 32 teams including ten teams representing Africa. Other communities represented included Lebanese, Korean, Afghan, Indian, Fijian, Japanese, Yugoslavian, Hmong, Chinese, El Salvadorian, Greek, British, Vietnamese, Australian, Philippine, Macedonian, Scottish, Karen and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
What were the outcomes?
The success of For the Love of the Game can be seen through increased participation in the program with more communities represented each year.
Since the program began there have been vastly improved relationships between police and young people from culturally diverse backgrounds and a decrease in youth crime in the Brisbane area.
The program has also been recognised though multiple awards. Sergeant Jim Bellos, the founder of the program, was recently named 2009 Suncorp Queenslander of the Year for his outstanding work with multicultural youth.
Where can I get more information?
Further information on this project is available.
Sergeant Jim Bellos
Cross Cultural Liaison Officer
Metropolitan South Region
Email: Bellos.Dimitrios@police.qld.gov.au
Telephone: 07 38490324
Sergeant Jim Bellos story is on this website.
See: Officer Profiles > Sergeant Jim Bellos
Quotes
"Sport is an amazing tool for bringing people together and breaking down misperceptions that often lead to racism in our society."
Sergeant Jim Bellos, Cross Cultural Liaison Officer, Queensland Police Service
"For the Love of the Game' is a unique local sporting program which promotes inter-racial harmony and effectively addresses serious community safety issues related to potential violence among disparate community groups. It also creates a positive environment through football which young people from a broad range of backgrounds can interact with Police."
Sergeant Jim Bellos, Cross Cultural Liaison Officer, Queensland Police Service
"Through sport we can build a lot of bridges, this local sporting program is one such example."
Sergeant Jim Bellos, Cross Cultural Liaison Officer, Queensland Police Service
"The 'For the Love of the Game' program provides the opportunity for young people from a broad range of multi-cultural backgrounds to participate in a series of successful community events."
Sergeant Jim Bellos, Cross Cultural Liaison Officer, Queensland Police Service
"The participation by Queensland Police and other key agencies in the 'For the Love of the Game' program allows for essential partnerships to be created between these agencies and at-risk young people, many of whom are from refugee background."
Sergeant Jim Bellos, Cross Cultural Liaison Officer, Queensland Police Service