Ice Factor Program

The Hon. T.T. NGO (16:07): Today, I rise to speak about a youth program for students who have been identified as being at risk because of absenteeism from school, literacy problems and behavioural issues. As we all know, adolescence can be a difficult time for many young people, but for those who may also be exposed to drugs, violence or dealing with poverty that can lead to dropping out of school and many other detrimental outcomes.

Ms Marie Shaw KC, a District Court judge, founded the Ice Factor program for at-risk students, which is run in collaboration with the South Australian Ice Sports Federation, the Adelaide IceArenA, school communities and local businesses. It grew from a group of 15 disengaged students from Parafield Gardens High School who entered an eight-week ice hockey pilot program in 2005. Due to the success of this pilot, Ice Factor was formed and learning to play ice hockey became a vehicle to develop long-term life skills within a team.

From the 22 South Australian schools now involved in the program, an average of 200 students per week participate in Ice Factor. Students learn to work as a team and, although considerable emphasis is placed on teaching ice hockey, they also learn valuable and transferable life skills through producing newsletters, maintaining statistics, fundraising and developing promotional material.

In 2017, two former Ice Factor students sought Marie Shaw's support to form the first Indigenous ice hockey team. They found players to form a team, designed shirts, their team name and wrote letters to sponsors for assistance in obtaining funding for equipment, and the Boomerangs were born. In early 2020, the Boomerangs travelled to Canada for a hockey tour with Canadian First Nations teams.

Ice Factor has now been delivering to schools and the community for 18 years. The lease at the Thebarton IceArenA ends in April 2025. This means that a new location must be found so that this valuable program can continue. I have more than 50 pages of testimonials from current and former students, verifying the positive impacts this program has had on their lives. Sophia from Golden Grove wrote:

If it wasn't for ice factor I wouldn't be where I'm at in life now...Ice Factor gives me a reason to engage in my learning, to put my head down and to try my best.

Jesse, who is now in year 10, said:

When I was in year 8 I hated school and never wanted to go…The ice hockey program has helped me in many ways…I have been good at school…my attitude towards teachers has changed…and I keep anger down.

Kiana wrote:

When I started the ice factor program my motivation was very very low and I struggled to do the simplest of tasks. Getting out of bed was the hardest...Ice Hockey has really helped with my mental health.

Bridget wrote:

I believe the Ice Factor program sponsors should continue to help young people like me because a lot of us need a safe place like the Ice Arena and people to be patient with us while we learn, grow and come to find our own outlook of the world.

I commend and thank Ms Marie Shaw, the board and the coaches for their caring mentorship and their tireless work. With the continued support of sponsors, the Ice Factor program is helping to create a bridge to a better life for many disadvantaged youth.