Exploring Teens Issue 8 / Feb-Mar 2016 | Page 18

EXPLORING THE MARKET PLACE EXPLORING THE MARKET PLACE Discovering how our sponsors say they meet the needs of the Exploring Teens community. INSPIRING OUR YOUTH IN TIMES OF TRANSITION Paul Wade OAM Who better to speak about Transitions than Paul Wade OAM, former Captain of the Socceroos? Paul played 118 games for Australia between 1986 and 1996, which makes him the third most capped player in the country's history after Mark Schwarzer and Alex Tobin. Paul’s unique personal story links his high-profile football career and personal challenges (epilepsy) with the challenges faced by the community today. He represented the Socceroos at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea and in two FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns (1990 and 1994), won two National Soccer League championships and was voted NSL player of the year in 1988. He also captained the Socceroos for six years. Paul’s success didn’t come easily. After being dropped from the Australian side, he had to make many changes to fight his way back to the top. His decision not to disclose his epilepsy became very controversial when he had a seizure on national television. Today Paul spends a great deal of time engaging and motivating high school students to take control of their lives. He often hears the following comments from teens: ¡¡ I’m in Year 11, and I still have no idea what I’m going to do when I get out of school ¡¡ I hate Maths. I don’t know why I’m doing modern history ¡¡ this uniform doesn’t fit and won’t in Year 12 either ¡¡ someone will offer me a job one day – no worries ¡¡ my dad doesn’t know who Ed Sheeran is ¡¡ my mobile screen has cracked... again. With our young people experiencing a lot of stress and worries about their everyday lives and families, Paul gets them to look at their lives by setting smaller and achievable goals, such as: ¡¡ set my own alarm this morning ¡¡ buy a diary and diarise to be at netball at 4 pm to finish my assignment at 6.30 pm ¡¡ I still hate Maths so I can’t stop the wind, but I can move the sails. ¡¡ ‘Today is the very first day of the rest of my life’. By helping teens to take back the parts of their lives that they can control, Paul is assisting the young people to make good choices that will help them to successfully transition from school to work and life. As he often says, ‘You are free to choose, but you are not free of the consequences’. Paul captures the attention and imagination of people of all ages and both sexes with his powerful motivational presentation, delivered in his own unique style. His programs provide positive health, sporting, social and life experiences, key messages and learning outcomes. These programs can deliver and reinforce the ‘Changing lives by inspiring the next generation’ message. APPLAUSE MUSICAL THEATRE ACADEMY Do you want to get your teen off screens and out of the shopping malls? Is he or she creative, emotionally expressive and a born performer? Would your teen benefit from a confidence boost, or is he or she very ‘out there’ but needs a proper avenue for self-expression? Applause Musical Theatre Academy offers weekly high school musical theatre classes (and holiday programs) on the North Shore (in Chatswood, Roseville, St Ives and East Lindfield). The classes and holiday programs will transform your teen into a ‘triple threat’ by teaching him or her to sing, dance and act scenes and songs from musicals. Your teen will also learn vital acting skills through drama exercises and games that will help him or her gain confidence improvising, storytelling and performing. Applause also offers performance and audition workshops as well as master classes where the students can perform solo and be critiqued by their peers and teachers in a safe, encouraging environment. The students participate in several performances throughout the year as well as a cabaret-style soiree in November. Don’t you think your teen deserves Applause? Enrol here: http://www.applausemta.com.au/ enrol-now.html Contact Kara Oliver about Paul's Skills for Life programme at [email protected] or for more details refer to www.paulwade.com.au Come and hear Paul speak at the Exploring Teens Q&A Parents Forum TO FEATURE YOUR BUSINESS HERE, PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] 18 EXPLORINGTEENS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 • ISSUE 8 Exploring Teens subscribers can receive a special deal with Applause