Lauren Arnell’s great passions are footy and helping young people get the best out of themselves.
And when you add to that her skills as an educator, she was always going to be a natural fit for the Brisbane Lions Hyundai Help for Kids Academy.
The recent restructure of the academy created the opportunity for Arnell to scale back her teaching commitments at Brisbane South State Secondary School to three days a week, clearing the way for her to take on two days with the academy.
Academy head Paul Henriksen said the 25 game AFLW veteran had made an immediate impact.
"Lauren was always someone we thought would add to the program,’’ he said.
“She comes from an education background which is terrific skill set for an academy coach and with her ability to play a high level of AFLW football she is able to make really great contributions with devising training programs.
“She is an outstanding character; she works really hard and is really passionate about the game of footy and especially creating opportunities in the girls space.’’
It is not Arnell’s first foray into coaching.
While in Melbourne she had a role with the AFL in coach development and last year she spent time during the pre-season with the Morningside men’s program that would go on to win last year’s QAFL premiership.
It is a field she enjoys and can see herself doing more of when her playing days are behind her.
“Being a player, you can’t be fully engaged in coaching to be honest so this is pretty much perfect for me because it combines my passion for helping develop people, especially young people, and being able to reconnect with my coaching at the back end of my playing career,’’ he said.
The clash with schedules between the academy series and the AFLW season means match day coaching is impossible but Henriksen said it had allowed her to broaden the scope of what the academy can provide the young players.
“She brings a lot of footy knowledge, but he has also been terrific in being a figurehead for us in the girls’ space,’’ he said.
“She isn’t just a coach she is also really adding a lot in the welfare space where she does a lot of work with the young players who have to juggle their footy and education.’’
Arnell has seen firsthand the success the academy has had with developing AFL and AFLW players and is passionate about giving young players the best chance to realise their dreams.
“While I’m playing, I can’t coach directly so I’m working a lot on putting support around the players,’’ she said.
“That involves helping them juggle the demands of schooling and the academy programs and the pressure all players feel in their draft years.
“But I am also interested in exploring ways we can fill the gaps in the calendar between the existing programs so they can continue their development.’’
