Looking for school holiday fun for your children?

Disconnect from the TV, iPad and gaming console and get them connected through sport!

VU Sport offers a variety of sports-based school holiday programs for school-aged children that run on weekdays from 9am to 3.30pm.

Our experienced coaches are VU students and staff. Many of them are enrolled in courses across a range of areas such as sports science, education, and fitness, as well as working within our Aquatic and Fitness Centre. Your kids will be cared for by sport science students who love sport and kids, and know how to have fun!

Choose a location and activity that suits you and your young ones, or mix and match!

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Program information

Our Junior programs cater for primary-school-aged children (5–12 years). Children will be grouped according to age and skill level.

Your child can choose from one of our programs at two locations in Footscray, or mix and match.

When making a booking, please provide a working email in order to ensure you will receive our parent information before the program commencement day.

Your kids will be cared for by Sport Science students who love sport and kids, and know how to have fun!

Costs

You can register your child for a full-week program or individual days.

For our junior programs, the following costs apply:

  • Full-week programs – $289
  • Single day – $69
  • 2-day programs – $138
  • After care services per day – $10.40

Please note: Our programs cannot be claimed on the Child Care Benefit (CCB) claim.

Care & safety

Victoria University is committed to the safety and well-being of children and young people in our care. Any report of concerning behaviour will be taken very seriously, and dealt with in accordance with stringent policies and procedures.

Heat policy

During hot weather we'll follow our  heat policy.

Child safety policies

Any report of child-safety concerns will be taken very seriously and consistently in accordance with the university policies and procedures.

Any child-safety concerns should be reported to Safer Community:

Aftercare service

Hours: 3.45–5.30pm

Location: Aftercare is provided in the same location as the sport program.

Cost: $10.40 per day

Please note: Our programs cannot be claimed on the Child Care Benefit (CCB) claim.

Asthma, allergy, medicine & behavioural-management plans

To help us care for your children and improve their experience with us, we require clear plans for children with medical or behavioural needs.

Children with asthma, anaphylaxis or allergies must submit:

  • Asthma, Allergy or Anaphylaxis Action Plan with a coloured photo, issued by a doctor/medical professional
  • Medication Authorisation Form to accompany medication given each day to program staff.

Children with medications to be administered (including any Ventolin/inhalers, Panadol, Ritalin, etc) must submit:

  • medication each day to program staff
  • Medication Authorisation Form to accompany it.

Children with behavioural concerns should submit:

  • Behaviour Management Plan from school
  • Behaviour Management Plan template filled in, if there isn't a plan in place at school

Please bring in your completed forms when you come to the school holiday program, or submit forms to: sportscamps@vu.edu.au

Forms

Location

Multi-sport, soccer & AFL programs

Located in the Footscray Park Aquatic & Fitness Centre. Please meet at the basketball courts in Building L, Level 1.

All activities take place within our high-quality facilities which form part of the University’s elite sport and exercise precinct. Our facilities include:

  • two indoor basketball courts
  • two multi-purpose courts
  • indoor 25m x 25m heated swimming pool.

Basketball & netball program

Your kids will play basketball and netball at Victoria University Community Sports Stadium – the largest multi-sport stadium in the inner west.

Located at 417 Barkly Street, West Footscray.

Footscray Park Campus gym and pool.

Campus maps

Frequently asked questions

Our programs maintain low coach to student ratios of 1:15. Each group will be capped at 30 participants with one head coach and one assistant coach.

All coaches and assistant coaches must hold a current First Aid and CPR qualification. In addition, head coaches must hold a valid Working with Children Check. Supervisors on site also hold an Asthma and Anaphylaxis management qualification.

Children are grouped according to date of birth. This will mean that your child will always be grouped with peers of similar age, and in turn a similar ability level – while we try and do this it isn’t always the case so maybe leave that part out.

The lower (minimum) age to register is 5 years old (prep) and the upper limit (oldest) is 12 years old (grade 6). Our programs are specifically designed for primary-aged children, and are not suitable for adolescents in secondary years.

In addition to the information provided on your registration form, each child must complete a swimming and water safety competency based assessment on the first day of their attendance. Children who cannot satisfactorily meet these requirements will be required to wear a Lifejacket and remain in the shallow lane. This is a safety measure we have taken so that your child is not excluded from the aquatics session, and to ensure their safety at all times.

Children who are deemed competent are permitted to go on the Inflatable obstacle course.

Two lifeguards will be patrolling all times during the aquatics sessions. There will be one coach in the water at all times with the children and a second coach actively supervising from poolside at all times, as well as a program Supervisor.

If your child chooses to not participate in the aquatics session, they will be provided with a range of land-based water safety activities, such as colouring in and word searches, whilst they are supervised on pool deck.

The multisport program aims to provide children the opportunity to participate in a range of sports, activities and games. It is designed to develop fundamental motor skills such and movement patterns, whilst at the same time, providing an engaging and stimulating environment for the child. It is at the coach’s discretion how they design their lesson plan and have contingencies should interruptions occur.

An example lesson plan can be accessed on our website, and a daily lesson plan will be available at sign in each day.

We request that children are sent to the program with a fully packed lunch as they will not have access to a cafeteria during the day.

Children are not permitted to share food.

Please ensure that this lunch is nut free.

If your child is anaphylactic, it is vital that you include this in the medical conditions/allergies section of their registration. We will need a copy of your child’s anaphylaxis plan, and all relevant medications, including the epi-pen.

Please prepare your child’s medication and epi-pen in a case (i.e. pencil case or similar) and hand this in at check-in.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that groups will be having lunch at the same time each day. The schedules for each groups differ to ensure that we make the most of the day.

Aftercare is located in room M-001. This room is in the building adjacent to the Aquatic and Fitness Centre. If you require assistance in locating the aftercare room, please visit our reception in Building L to ask for directions.

If aftercare is in a different location, this will be communicated at sign in.

Aftercare operates between 3.45pm – 5.30pm daily throughout the Holiday Program.

At the end of a long day of activity, most children request to watch a G-Rated movie. Quiet games and activities are also provided to those children who wish to have some quiet time out.

Please note that the use of personal electronic devices (i.e. phones, tablets, laptops) is strongly discouraged. We are not responsible for the loss or theft of these items.

If a child is sent to the program with a mobile phone, please ask them to keep it in their bag for the duration of the day.  

Unfortunately our School Holiday Sports Program does not qualify under the Child Care Subsidy. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Please notify management if your child is to be collected by another parent/guardian. This is also captured on the registration form at the time of registering and signing-in.

To ensure the safety of the program participants, we do not allow children to take themselves home. Our aftercare program can be beneficial for parents who may not be able to collect their child at 3:30pm.

The sport specific programs no longer include a swimming component. We have made this change to ensure that the children participating in these programs have ample opportunities to expand on their knowledge of their chosen sport.

Contact us

Email: sportscamps@vu.edu.au