FIFTY-five students from St John's College yesterday got the chance to learn some valuable life lessons from former NRL player and current Country Rugby League (CRL) welfare officer Dennis Moran at a workshop at the school.
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The seminar was part of Centacare's 'Aspirations' initiative and formed part of the school's Indigenous Pathways program, with the message to the kids being "dream, believe, achieve".
Since finishing his playing career in England, the former Parramatta Eel has made his home in Parkes and combines his on-field duties with the Spacemen with looking after the welfare of youth within the central west.
Yesterday's program was aimed at the school's Indigenous population, and Moran said he was encouraged by how the students interacted with discussions surrounding a vast range of topics.
"The message we're trying to spread is very important because the NRL and CRL like to guide and help the kids on issues, not only in rugby league but also issues in society," Moran said.
"You've got to have a dream, you've got to believe in yourself and if you do that then you can achieve those dreams.
"A lot of the kids spoke about their dreams, and it's important to know that little steps along the way will help them get there."
As well as teaching the students the importance of goal-setting, the workshop also had a strong focus on decision making.
From the influence of alcohol to social media and bullying, a vast array of topics were discussed.
"Life is about trying to make the right choices," Moran said.
"Being a teenager isn't easy but in society at the moment there's a lot of decisions to be made and I want to encourage them to make the right ones.
"We're getting out there and trying to make society a better place, and use rugby league as an avenue to do that.
"The kids like to listen to people with high profiles and they get a lot out of it.
"If we can get one kid to achieve his or her goal, not just in sport but in life in general, then we've done our job."