LOCAL rugby league support officer Josh Pople will not be slowing down in the NRL off-season.
Having recently joined the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Mr Pople - who has cerebral palsy - is taking his involvement in the community to another level.
He is now out of the house every day and has secured his first job, working two days a week at a local printing business.
League tragics would recognise his name from the annual match played between Capalaba and Redlands for the Josh Pople shield, which was created to recognise his ongoing support for both clubs.
His mother Lisa Pople said NDIS support workers had given him more independence.
She said they took him out into the community for social outings, to run errands and assisted him while at work.
"He's gone from sitting at home to being able to go out and do all sorts of things," she said.
"Now he can go out with the footy boys and his dad doesn't have to take him.
"Josh is loving the fact he has more control over what he wants to do."
Ms Pople said football was big part of Mr Pople's life.
"Josh has played football since he was at primary school and all his mates are involved at the club," she said.
"They've built up such a great mateship and he's just stuck with them (because) he absolutely loves it.
"He's always said that if he can't play the game, there are other ways he can do it.
"It has given his life purpose and the friendships he has made are lifelong."
Mr Pople's new-found support has seen him engage with his community on a deeper level.
"One of the best things that I saw recently, he was talking to one of his mates on Facebook and I happened to walk in when he was texting him," Ms Pople said.
"They were asking him what he'd been up to. He wrote 'I'm living life mate'.
"That was a big thing to me. I'd never heard him say that before."
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