Ella family success–thanks to education

In the late 70’s and 80’s, brothers, Mark, Gary and Glen Ella were synonymous with rugby union here in Australia and around the world. All three played for their country and Mark was given the honor of captaining the national team, the Wallabies in 1982.

Their sister Marcia also played netball for Australia, with the whole family achieving both academic and sporting success.

Growing up in a large family at La Perouse in Sydney, Mark, who is now the head of sport at NITV remembers that his parents always encouraged him and his siblings to make sure that they went to school every day.

“We always valued our education and mum and dad were pretty strict on that,” Mark said

“Growing up in a family of 12 children, we spent every day at school, our parents knew that it was important that we got a good education and it’s paid off.

As a former elite sportsman, Mark sees a lot of parallels between being successful in sport and in life.

“The same skills or requirements that I had when I was playing are the same as what you need in life, and certainly education and sport go hand in hand.

When I was a kid I wanted to achieve and the easiest way to do that was to get a good education which in turn led to me to being successful in sport, “Mark said.

Mark is proud of the way his parents encouraged the family to take schooling seriously and it’s something that he has instilled in his own children.

“I have got a daughter who is on her way to Stockholm to complete a degree in international peace and conflict. She has got a law degree, and she has a great work ethic. My son also works awfully hard.

And they appreciate what we have done for them, just as my mother and father did for me,” Mark said.

“You have got to realise just what a good education can do for you and what opportunities it gives you. You just can’t afford not to be educated to the best of your ability.

“A good education gives people independence. They can buy their own car, they can buy their own house, they can travel the world. As long as you work hard and use the education you have got to get a good job, you can open up so many opportunities as you get older.”

As head of sport at NITV, Mark says that featuring elite Indigenous sportsmen and women on NITV highlights the benefits of being fit and healthy and being role models for Indigenous people.

“We cover a lot of sports obviously the AFL with the Marngrook Footy Show. We also cover a number of Indigenous rugby league events in Queensland and New South Wales as well as the island of origin up on Badu Island, and netball and basketball.”

“We try and cover as much Indigenous sport as we can, so it doesn’t matter what the sport is, if there is Indigenous involvement we like to be a part of it, “Mark said.