Written by LaWanna Warren
“Radio, radio, what do you hear? CSU! CSU! Give us a cheer!” united us before, during, and after each game. Despite meeting for the first time at the airport on the day of the opening ceremony, we bonded quickly as a team.
Unlike other universities, we had no trials or training sessions before the games, making our team extra special; to all be strangers from different walks of life who came together as a team like we did.
Indigenous Nationals is always an amazing event to attend if you’re lucky enough. To be surrounded by mob for a week is surreal; everyone coming together to play sports, but to be surrounded by mob from all walks of life who are all fighting the same fight outside of the games.
A place where we all support each other even if we’ve never met. A place, even if it’s not on country for many, can still feel like home because of the people we are surrounded by. I always feel at home when I am surrounded by mob, and it’s always a privilege for me to attend the games for this reason.
A special shoutout to Wollongong University for hosting the games and for their opening ceremony. The corroboree was a highlight. The dancers were amazing, but it was sharing the dance circle with the competitors allowing us to share our own stories through dance and song that was so heart-warming.
Everyone was in awe of the stories told that night, but also the inclusion of everyone in the dances. Future hosts should take note to include this at every ceremony.
On day one, we played basketball and finished with two losses and one win, a great achievement for a newly formed team. Recognising our capabilities and potential as a team, this got the fire started and we became hungry for more.
Netball followed, where we really shone as a team. We had an abundance of netballers and everyone took the positions they were given in their stride, with many non-netballers striving to learn the rules and try their hardest in the positions they played. We reached the quarter-finals before fatigue set in. We finished 6th on the netball ladder.
Volleyball was on day three and only a handful of our team knew the rules and how to play. While we ended the day with two losses and a win, it was still a great day to see how our team was determined to try our best and help one another.
Day four ended with a win and a loss in touch football but we still finished in the top 20 overall. While not making finals was disappointing for many, we stuck around for the day to hang out as a team and watch other universities play their games.
We ended the day with the closing ceremony and some of us doing a uniform swap with other teams, before heading out to celebrate the birthday of one of our players.
As a team we had become a family, where there was so much support for one another when someone wasn’t feeling confident in their ability or had other things going on.
Being a returner, I can say this is the best a team has ever bonded and supported one another during the games. Starting as strangers and quickly becoming family.
Indigenous Nationals isn’t just about competition—it’s about the connections we make and the family we build along the way.
A huge thanks to our leaders, Nancy and Max, who organised everything and believed in us both on and off the field. Their individualised going-away gifts really encapsulated how well they got to know us, our personalities, our future career goals, but most importantly what we needed to hear at the time.
If you’re Indigenous and studying with us part-time or full-time, whether it be on-campus or online, I highly recommend applying to come to the games next year.
Who knows, you could meet some of your best friends on this trip like I did both years I have attended.
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