GCBRONCO
International Captain
- Mar 4, 2008
- 22,243
- 20,570
Kenny Helps Out Troubled Kids
Tue 03.2.2009 - Peter Badel
http://www.broncos.com.au/index.php?page_id=3827
HE looks not a day over 14, his pockmarked cheeks ravaged by puberty, his face gaunt, his blue eyes cold, concealing the hurt of teenage years spent wasting away in juvenile detention.
The hardened teen is on parole now, and he's pushing his luck as he eyes off Broncos prop Nick Kenny. He puts two fingers to his lips, as if sucking on a cigarette.
"Where are you going?'' asks Kenny.
"Just goin' for a smoke man,'' comes the reply.
"Not yet mate, come inside for a talk first.''
Kenny leads the teen into a dilapidated community hall on the fringes of the Brisbane central business district. On this particular day, it houses 13 troubled souls. Like 17-year-old Nathan, who was locked up for stealing cars and now lives alone, so poor he subsists on two-minute noodles. And Jodie, a petite blonde who became an alcoholic at 15 (names have been changed to protect their identities).
These are the kids society could easily forget. But they are united in their desire to forge a better life. That's where Kenny, 26, enters the equation.
Once a week, the Broncos forward drops in to Jagera Arts Centre and spends time with the group, aged 13 to 17, as part of the Queensland Government's first step in rehabilitating juvenile offenders. It is called the Game of Life program.
And, in Kenny, the group sees a paragon of hope. He is a sporting role model, a big-time NRL star; tangible evidence of the promise that exists in the real world for any youth prepared to put their head down, work hard and shun crime and drugs.
"A lot of these kids have never had a chance from the word go,'' says Kenny, who agreed to help out a year ago after being approached by Queenslanders in the Community, a group that helps charities and the disadvantaged
"I can't believe some of the hardships these kids have gone through. At 13 or 14, they have seen some things you never want to see.
"I spend about an hour-and-a-half with them each week. We have a chat and then go out and play some touch footy. Most of these kids just need someone to show a bit of interest. Once you can build a rapport and gain their trust, you can make some inroads.''
In an age where many NRL stars would prefer to spend their free time playing PlayStation or getting tattoos, Kenny is a breath of fresh air.
When he's not stopping by Jagera, he pops into a physiotherapy clinic. He holds a university degree. By his own admission, the Rockhampton product was never the footy star destined for the summit. He didn't break into the NRL until the age of 23, late enough to appreciate the value of capitalising on an opportunity.
As he holds court with the kids and begins his talk, some display an air of cynicism. After all, what on earth would Nick Kenny, with his pristine Broncos shirt, buffed physique and six-figure contract, know about doing it tough?
Has he stolen cars? Been abandoned by his parents? Struggled for a feed? Slept at a bus shelter? Survived life inside the juvenile wing of Wacol Correctional Centre?
Kenny doesn't profess to be an expert on child neglect, but within minutes he strikes a chord with the group.
?There's been times when I haven't been on the right track to success. At uni, I lost my way,'' he tells the teens, their gazes suddenly sharpening.
"I began drinking a fair bit. I pretty much went off the rails. My dream was to play for the Broncos but I was partying too much and I wasn't going in the right direction.''
Beside Kenny sits his close mate Robert, a former member of the SAS.
Robert tells the group how as a child he hated school. Had no direction, until he joined the army, igniting a passion that saw him admitted to the crack SAS squad at just 23.
Robert later served on the frontline in Afghanistan.
"The key is not to give up in times of failure,'' he says. ``Everybody fails. It will happen more than once in your life. But it's important that you get back up and keep trying.''
One of his audience, a wiry indigenous teenager, looks at the ceiling, tears welling in his eyes.
"It helps to find that one person you can trust and turn to, it could be a parent, or a mate,'' Kenny continues.
"For me, it was Robert. When times were tough we helped each other out. I was lucky enough to have help from family and friends and they steered me back on course.''
In the background, Robbie Cooper nods in approval. Employed by the Department of Community Services, Cooper has spent the past eight years helping paroled youth make a smooth transition into society.
"The kids here look up to Nick. He is proof if you make the right choices, you can succeed in life,'' Cooper says.
"Some of the homes these kids have come from are sad, disgusting. They've had no life skills, no role models. Some of these kids haven't had a bank account. They come home to an empty place. Their parents go away for days, full of drugs. It makes you want to cry.
"These kids have been down a hard road but they have amazing talents. They just need the right path. With this program we help them study and get a job. We're trying to steer them away from a life of crime.''
Which is why Kenny fronts up every week, driven to save at least one soul.
"With professional football, you have a lot of spare time on your hands. I want to have an impact on these kids,'' he says.
"I've been really lucky to be playing league, to get well paid in my dream job, and being at the Broncos is a vehicle for me to give something back. ``If I can help steer these kids in the right direction and influence their behaviour then that's all the reward I need.
"And I'm not the only one helping out. There's carers and volunteers doing a fantastic job with the kids day to day.''
Tue 03.2.2009 - Peter Badel
http://www.broncos.com.au/index.php?page_id=3827
HE looks not a day over 14, his pockmarked cheeks ravaged by puberty, his face gaunt, his blue eyes cold, concealing the hurt of teenage years spent wasting away in juvenile detention.
The hardened teen is on parole now, and he's pushing his luck as he eyes off Broncos prop Nick Kenny. He puts two fingers to his lips, as if sucking on a cigarette.
"Where are you going?'' asks Kenny.
"Just goin' for a smoke man,'' comes the reply.
"Not yet mate, come inside for a talk first.''
Kenny leads the teen into a dilapidated community hall on the fringes of the Brisbane central business district. On this particular day, it houses 13 troubled souls. Like 17-year-old Nathan, who was locked up for stealing cars and now lives alone, so poor he subsists on two-minute noodles. And Jodie, a petite blonde who became an alcoholic at 15 (names have been changed to protect their identities).
These are the kids society could easily forget. But they are united in their desire to forge a better life. That's where Kenny, 26, enters the equation.
Once a week, the Broncos forward drops in to Jagera Arts Centre and spends time with the group, aged 13 to 17, as part of the Queensland Government's first step in rehabilitating juvenile offenders. It is called the Game of Life program.
And, in Kenny, the group sees a paragon of hope. He is a sporting role model, a big-time NRL star; tangible evidence of the promise that exists in the real world for any youth prepared to put their head down, work hard and shun crime and drugs.
"A lot of these kids have never had a chance from the word go,'' says Kenny, who agreed to help out a year ago after being approached by Queenslanders in the Community, a group that helps charities and the disadvantaged
"I can't believe some of the hardships these kids have gone through. At 13 or 14, they have seen some things you never want to see.
"I spend about an hour-and-a-half with them each week. We have a chat and then go out and play some touch footy. Most of these kids just need someone to show a bit of interest. Once you can build a rapport and gain their trust, you can make some inroads.''
In an age where many NRL stars would prefer to spend their free time playing PlayStation or getting tattoos, Kenny is a breath of fresh air.
When he's not stopping by Jagera, he pops into a physiotherapy clinic. He holds a university degree. By his own admission, the Rockhampton product was never the footy star destined for the summit. He didn't break into the NRL until the age of 23, late enough to appreciate the value of capitalising on an opportunity.
As he holds court with the kids and begins his talk, some display an air of cynicism. After all, what on earth would Nick Kenny, with his pristine Broncos shirt, buffed physique and six-figure contract, know about doing it tough?
Has he stolen cars? Been abandoned by his parents? Struggled for a feed? Slept at a bus shelter? Survived life inside the juvenile wing of Wacol Correctional Centre?
Kenny doesn't profess to be an expert on child neglect, but within minutes he strikes a chord with the group.
?There's been times when I haven't been on the right track to success. At uni, I lost my way,'' he tells the teens, their gazes suddenly sharpening.
"I began drinking a fair bit. I pretty much went off the rails. My dream was to play for the Broncos but I was partying too much and I wasn't going in the right direction.''
Beside Kenny sits his close mate Robert, a former member of the SAS.
Robert tells the group how as a child he hated school. Had no direction, until he joined the army, igniting a passion that saw him admitted to the crack SAS squad at just 23.
Robert later served on the frontline in Afghanistan.
"The key is not to give up in times of failure,'' he says. ``Everybody fails. It will happen more than once in your life. But it's important that you get back up and keep trying.''
One of his audience, a wiry indigenous teenager, looks at the ceiling, tears welling in his eyes.
"It helps to find that one person you can trust and turn to, it could be a parent, or a mate,'' Kenny continues.
"For me, it was Robert. When times were tough we helped each other out. I was lucky enough to have help from family and friends and they steered me back on course.''
In the background, Robbie Cooper nods in approval. Employed by the Department of Community Services, Cooper has spent the past eight years helping paroled youth make a smooth transition into society.
"The kids here look up to Nick. He is proof if you make the right choices, you can succeed in life,'' Cooper says.
"Some of the homes these kids have come from are sad, disgusting. They've had no life skills, no role models. Some of these kids haven't had a bank account. They come home to an empty place. Their parents go away for days, full of drugs. It makes you want to cry.
"These kids have been down a hard road but they have amazing talents. They just need the right path. With this program we help them study and get a job. We're trying to steer them away from a life of crime.''
Which is why Kenny fronts up every week, driven to save at least one soul.
"With professional football, you have a lot of spare time on your hands. I want to have an impact on these kids,'' he says.
"I've been really lucky to be playing league, to get well paid in my dream job, and being at the Broncos is a vehicle for me to give something back. ``If I can help steer these kids in the right direction and influence their behaviour then that's all the reward I need.
"And I'm not the only one helping out. There's carers and volunteers doing a fantastic job with the kids day to day.''
