Capital Football and ACT Club Teams at the Bathurst Proctor Park Ladies Challenge

The Nearpost Local roving reporter, Simon Kravis has once again provided us with an excellent summary of this Football event. We were all well represented by the teams from the ACT. Should be more of it!

Capital Football Under 16 Girls team at Proctor Park Ladies Challenge, Bathurst Feb 2011

Capital Football (CF) and ACT Junior CLubs entered teams in the Under 14 and Under 16 competitions at the Proctor Park Ladies Challenge Cup held at Bathurst over the weekend of 26- 27 February this year.


The competitions were well-subscribed with 16 teams in the Under 14 competition and 17 in the Under 16. As well as the two Capital Football teams, Woden Valley entered a team of mainly under 14 players in the Under 16 competition as preparation for participation later this year in the Dana Cup in Denmark.

All other teams were from NSW.

The two CF teams both played in competitions above their age group, being mainly comprised of players under 12 and under 14 years old. Despite being matched with teams of players mostly two years older, both CF teams provided stiff opposition to teams of bigger and faster players and finished second in their respective groups. The tournament also exposed players to the more physical style of play found outside Canberra.

The CF Under 16 team had their first game against Albury-Wodonga, who dominated the game with speed, strength and anticipation and kept the play almost entirely in the CF half on a slow, well-grassed pitch. However, a stout defence from CF meant that Albury-Wodonga only won 1-0 after a goal from Zoe Corbett, who picked up a loose ball in the penalty area and slotted it home. CF goalkeeper Freya Brent did well to keep out a number of stinging strikes, and defender Hiwot Johnstone managed to obtain possession from attackers from all angles as though by magnetism.

Springwood used their pace advantage in the second game on Saturday and went ahead early in the first half when Jasmine Hewlett outran the defence in the centre and slipped the ball past the goalkeeper. However, CF regrouped and Springwood defence gave CF much more time on the ball. A strike from Hiwot Johnstone went just high and CF frequently had possession with four players just outside the penalty area. However, CF were unable to find the net and Springwood took the game 1-0, despite being outplayed for much of the game.

The first game on Sunday was against Wollongong team Balgownie and was slow to start with neither team taking the advantage and both playing off frequent turnovers in possession. Balgownie were the more collected team in the second half. Both teams had chances and the CF goalkeeper Georgia Doble was frequently saved from dealing from with an unimpeded strike after Balgownie breakthroughs by the speed and efficacy of CF defender Millie Mallinson and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

CF started strongly against Griffith, their final opponents on Sunday, and were rewarded half way through the first half when a cross from Jay Williams was not cleared effectively by the Griffith defence and was tapped home by Maddie Whitall. However, Griffith had the better of the remaining play. CF keeper Freya Brent managed to keep a clean sheet against sustained pressure and CF took the game 1-0.

The Under 14 CF team first played Central Coast, who went ahead through a goal from Jaymie Fressard into an empty net after a collision with CF goalkeeper Jilly Scott, who was replaced by Ali Cook. Sam Roff equalised for CF soon afterwards and CF came out strongly in the second half but soon conceded a penalty, which Central Coast sent wide. A free kick about 30 yards from the Central Coast goal was taken outstandingly by goalkeeper Ali Cook, who floated the ball into the far top corner of the net to give CF a 2-1 lead which they held to the final whistle.

Sutherland Sharks were much tougher proposition, dominating the play from the outset. They went ahead through Rochelle Borromeo and Demi Koulizakis into undefended goals after defensive errors to take a 2-0 lead at half time, which they extended to 3-0 in the second half after Charlotte Reba trickled the ball over the line from a defensive melee. Sutherland’s Madison Farmer almost added a fourth goal after a blazing 40 yard run from the half-way line, but energetic defence from CF kept out any further goals.

In their two Sunday games, CF prevailed 6-1 over the local Cowra team, and held Griffith to a 1-1 draw in tightly fought game.

The Woden Valley team in the Under 16 competition drew 1-1 with Southern Branch, lost 5-0 to Macarthur Rams, won 3-0 against APIA and won 1-0 against Northbridge to take 3rd place in their group.

CEO Vikings Futsal Talks Futsal 2011 - Part 2

This program will be broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz), Tuesday 1 March 2011 across the Australian Community Radio Network.

We begin the program with something for the Coaches as we navigate the pre-season (sourced from the ASC). A short description of the physiology of the athlete and how that must be considered in preparing a player(s) and as the season progresses, how to maintain peak fitness and performance. Gone are the days of run around the outside of the oval and don't worry about the footballs till later. If you have a coach doing this rubbish, get another coach or a new club.

Then its on to Part 2 of our interview with CEO Vikings Futsal, Alasdair Miller. The CEO talks a ittle more about the business model used by Vikings Futsal, the need for Futsal to secure its own playing facilities and a fascinating update on the impact of the floods/cyclone in Queensland and Victoria on Vikings Futsal operations. They got hit hard, but the game goes on! Nothing much stops the Vikings Futsal mob for long. The CEO just talks plain sense. Its refreshing. Wish others could do the same! For those that have asked whether Vikings have considered coming into the ACT - the CEO answers that question in this part of the interview.

Download Podcast here:

Federation Cup Draw For 2011

The initial draw for the 2011 Federation Cup (mens and womens) has been completed.

Depending on who you follow, it looks good or not so good. All Premier League Clubs are participating, with Capital Football extending invitations to a small number of Clubs to join the competition.

Thre are plenty of pre-season games going on around the PL clubs, with many of them travellling to NSW to play. The Federation Cup will see some of them play each other and give an opportunity for the Football "brains trust" in every Club to observe their opposition in 2011.

Federation Cup form is not not an absolutel indicator of form, but it sure helps.

The competition groups for the Federation CUp are as follows, with a detailed playing schedule to follow soon:

Mens

Group A: Belconnen United, Canberra City, Canberra Olympic, Woden Valley, White Eagles, Tuggeranong United


Group B: Canberra FC, Monaro Panthers, Cooma Tigers, Queanbeyan City, Goulburn Strikers, Weston Creek

Womens

GroupA: Woden Valley, ANU WFC, Gungahlin United, Tuggeranong United




Group B: Belwest Foxes, Canberra FC, Weston Creek, Belconnen United

The Price We Pay for Not Owning Our Own Football and Futsal Facilities in the ACT Is Too High A Price to Pay!

We have precious little in the way of dedicated Futsal and Football playing facilities in the ACT, after so many years of running these sports. The difficulties this imposes on both games, at every level of the games, constitutes a major threat to the competitive viability of both games. Our flexibility to change how we organise Football and Futsal is very much limited by a lack of playing facilities, which we can control to effect change. The pressure from other sports on ACT Government public facilities drives what can be done for football. For futsal, we are int he hands of private owners who also service other sports. This must change if things are to improve.

Futsal has no home in the ACT. Nor does Football. We have no Futsal and Football complex in the ACT and our circumstances would indictae that this is the most obvious infrastructure development to be undertalen by Capital Football. The small but commendable introduction of a FIFA standard artificial surface at Hawker Enclosed is a step in the right direction, a beginning!

The Kambah 3 field is so often touted as the Capital Football centre for High Performance football - no one believes that! Not in its present confiuration. Not even close. However, there is no doubt that the Kambah fields area would make a fantastic multi playing surface hub for Football and Futsal. That's one view that has been around for a long time - and yet nothing has happened. Just talk! Same for the vacant space at Woden, near the Mawson playing fields. So much talk about it being a site for a FIFA standard playing surface (like Hawker enclosed) on the South Side of Canberra. Talk, talk, talk, inspection and wait, wait , wait. What's the plan, when and what will be done and where does the money come from? Is the ACT Government with us. We control nothing, we just wait for "crumbs from the master's table"! The artificial playing surfaces at Gold Creek High School are a terrific playing facility, alas, you need to take a long trek to a neighbouring field get to the toilets, as the school facilties are made available outside school hours.

We cannot rely on the good grace of the ACT Government. Nor should we. We should expect the ACT Government to be willing to make investments in the sport with the highest participation rate in the ACT. The tourism dollars generated by the Futsal Nationals and the Kanga Cup in the ACT, must be worth preserving and investing in. The AFL don't do anywhere near as much, nor are they likely too, but the sum contribution of nothing in the past and a bit in the future saw the ACt Government Minsters, Mr Barr, liberate $26 million over ten years ($2.6m per annum) from the Tourism and Chief Ministers respective buckets of public funds. So there is obvioulsy money around, just not much for Football or Futsal! And we accept it?

Alas, the departure of $26 million to the AFL, seems to have left Futsal and Football investment (in terms of ACT Government expenditure), high and dry! There has been no explanation from the CF Board as to the reason Football and Futsal missed a cut of this cake, nor did they go on the front foot and make a noise about it in the media. Its a subject that should be visited at the CF AGM. So, what's the plan now?

I know that Capital Football liaises with the ACT Government. So they should, as we are almost entirely dependent on the ACT Government for access to playing surfaces all over the ACT. The limitations on access to ACT Government playing surfaces (they are for they sports), menas that we are severely limited in how we can manage Football. As for Futsal, we hire facilties becasue we own nothing of our own - the wonderful "MPower Dome" facility is a good example of what can be done, but its not being by us!

The two ACT Football powerhouses of Belconnen United and Canberra FC own their playing surfaces and have developed good supporting infrastructure around them, while Capital Football, after all these years has established next nothing by way of a supporting playing infrastruture. Hawker Enclosed, as I have said, is a step in the right direction. It seems very unlikely that in the medium term, other ACT Football Clubs will do as Belco and CFC have done.

As to Futsal, we have three clubs in the ACT. The North and South Canberra Clubs are instruments of Capital Football, staffed by hard working volunteers, but in the contxt of this subject, little more than competition managers and venue co-ordinators. We shouldn't expect them by anything else. They don't raise and train teams. They are not like Belco or CFC. They have no capacity to do as say Vikings Futsal does when confronted with the same facilities issues. So its back to Capital Football. The other Club is Boomerangs FS and given the wonderful successes in the NSW Supa League, populated by creative, passionate, determined and business savvy people, they may turn out to be the savour of Futsal in the ACT on the subject of future Futsal facilites. I'll wager that had the Boomerangs FS been given a fraction of the ACT Government's grant to AFL, to sort out a playing centre for Futsal in the ACT, the solution to Futsal (if not Football's) infrastructre issues would already be solved and building begun.

If you go to metro NSW to play Futsal, you will find a robust Futsal environment and among the many Futsal Clubs, you will find community, NSW Government. Football NSW partnership arrangements and club Futsal owned / leased specific futsal facilties, and all this demonstrates is that it can be done and should be done. Same can be said for Football.

Its intersting to listen to the CEO Vikings Futsal talk about this important matter. Vikings know the value of creating Futsal specific facilties. This is a central activity in the Vikings Futsal business model. The CEO also speaks on other aspects of the Vikings approach to Futsal.

We desperately need  a Football / Futsal centre, a hub for our sport(s). But who will do it? Does the FFA care? What's the plan Capital Football Board?

It doesn't seem to stop Vikings Futsal.

Download Podcast here:

CEO Vikings Futsal Talks Futsal in 2011 - Part 1

This program was broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz), across teh Australian Community Radio Network on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 at 7:00PM.

This program is Part 1 of an interview with CEO Vikings Fustal, Alasdair Miller. This candid discussion is around many aspects of Futsal in 2011 and going forward, from the Vikings Futsal perspective.

We need to get one thing straight before the interview -Vikings Futsal is all about Futsal. No distractions. Futsal as a sport in its own right.

Vikings Futsal is not part of the FFA's Futsal arrangements, nor do they pretend to speak for all in Futsal. But there can be no doubt of one thing, Vikings Futsal is a very substantial presence in Australia, New Zealand and has grown some remakable links to our region and elswhere in the world of Futsal. The Vikings Futsal business model is well worth  a close look. They know how to make Futsal work.

Download Podcast here:

COERVER® Coaching to offer World First Diploma in Youth Development in Canberra.

Sourced from Coerver Coaching media release.

Coerver are world leaders in the area of Football individual skill development. This course is a rare opportunity.

Alfred Galustian,(pictured below) Co-founder and International Director of Coerver Coaching will deliver Coerver Coaching’s World First Diploma in Youth Development in Canberra on 5/6 March, 2011.

 

Coerver Coaching is the World’s Number One skills teaching method. Australian football continues to develop and increase its focus on the technical elements of our players and this is a great opportunity to learn with one of the World leaders in technical development.

Alfred Galustian is the Skills Specialist Advisor to the English Premier League (EPL) to train the EPL Clubs’ Academy Directors, including Coaches from Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United and West Ham. Alfred is also the Technical Advisor to the Football Federation Australia, as well as to the Japanese FA, French Football Federation and Chinese FA.

Coaches will explore the Coerver Coaching World's Number One skills teaching method and identify the key elements in technical development for our Youth players.

Alfred Galustian said, “This is a very exciting development for Coerver Coaching and Australian Coaches. The modern game is fast, exciting and increasingly skilful. Players are often coached in teams, on team patterns. What Coerver brings is that individual component, the ability for a Coach to improve his or her players’ individual skill. Increasingly it’s individual skills that can make or break a match and win the game.”

Coerver Coaching, was started by Alfred Galustian and former Chelsea player Charlie Cooke in 1984. Coerver Coaching currently operate in 28 countries including Australia, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

To register contact below:
Jason Lancsar

COERVER Coaching Asia Pacific
e. contact@coerveract.com
m. +61 421907788
w. http://www.coerveract.com/
w. http://www.coerver.com.au/
 
The co-founders of Coerver Charlie Cooke (left) and Alfred Galustian (right) talk about the Coerver method.

Boomerangs FS Victorious!

Boomerangs FS - king of the mountain. Great stuff!

The Boomerangs FS contested several Grand Finals of the NSW Supa League Futsal Championships. Season 2010 / 2011 has been a fantastic journey for all the Boomerangs teams and parents.

The Grand Finals were contested yesterday and the Boomerangs FS were victorious in the following grades:

1. Under 14 Boys
2. Under 14 Girls
3. Under 16 Boys
4. Youth Mens

I cannot emphasise just how significant the scope of the Boomerangs FS competitive efforts have been this season. All nine teams into the finals, won the Club Championship, had more of their teams in fianls than any other single club, were victorious in four Grand Finals and now are most likely to be eleveated to the top futsal competitive level in NSW (and there is none better in Australia). Wow!

Please, tell me one football or futsal achievement in recent years that comes close to the scope of this competitive effort by any ACT Club or representative program.

The Boomerangs FS was and is all about giving our young Futsal players a chance to be challenged at a higher level of Futsal. The Boomerangs FS underpinning philosophy was spot on, right from the start, the players responded and the rest speaks for itself.

The Boomerangs FS have demonstrated beyond any doubt that our young players, boys and girls, young men and women can compete effectively in the highly comeptitive competition run in metropolitan NSW.

The most remarkable thing about the success of the Boomernags FS is that it is the energy and determination of two local people (Senatore and Collins), together with parents and players who rose to the challenge, to whom all praise must go. This was not a Captial Football inspired or underwritten venture and the CF Futsal Standing COmmittee is nowhere to sighted. So it can be done!

The atmosphere and collaboration between families and players as they campaigned the season is like nothing I have seen in Futsal in the ACT, except perhaps sometimes in the Nationals. A terrific atmosphere. Its that good.

Next season, it is most likely that Boomerangs FS will be elevated to the NSW Premier League. The competitive bar will be lifted again.

Boomerangs FS is the place to be for the best Futsal on offer in the ACT. Get in contact with them for the next season. Its never too early.

Images provided by Boomerangs FS parents - many thanks.