Sport
25 March, 2024
New soccer program heads to Maryborough
A new soccer program designed to help kinder to academy-aged players has been set up in Maryborough, with kids aged three to 12 years urged to consider joining the program. The Soccer Zone pre-academy program has been set up for the first term of...
A new soccer program designed to help kinder to academy-aged players has been set up in Maryborough, with kids aged three to 12 years urged to consider joining the program.
The Soccer Zone pre-academy program has been set up for the first term of the school year, with sessions held every Friday, and sessions for kids aged three to five years from 3.30 to 4 pm, and six to 12 years from 4 to 5 pm at the Nolan Street Gymnasium.
Set up by coach Elia Papadimitriou, the program is also assisted by Maryborough local Charlie Creasey, who is fresh off a successful trip to Europe with the West Ham United Academy.
Papadimitriou says it’s a good opportunity for the sport to grow to levels previously experienced in the 1990s.
“The program that I’m doing is to get kids to have fun and learn how to play soccer, getting them ready to play club soccer so they don’t freak out or they won’t be able to handle that environment as it is a bit more technical with heavier drills,” he said.
“I get three-to-five year olds to learn basic skills, how to kick a ball and getting them familiar with having the ball at their feet. If they can do some basic control, it’s great, and I keep encouraging that as they get older. When they get to six to 12 years, I introduce a few more skills.
“I’m also trying to get this program into schools as well. I’m trying to get the fire and drive to have soccer back here — in the 90s, it was very big. I’m trying to reignite that as well.”
Papadimitriou credits Creasey for helping out, giving his experience at such a young age.
“Charlie has helped with that, as he has been with me for two years. We did some work when he was playing in Maryborough, got him to the West Ham United tour, and he’s looking to go to Europe soon and do some trials there,” he said.
“He’s been a model of what the finished product is, and how you go from the Ballarat league and how you can grow with the dedication and the extra work.”
Papadimitriou is no slouch in Australia, having previously worked in the A-League competition, and honing his skills from there to bring the program to Maryborough for the first time.
“This is the first time I’ve brought it to Maryborough. I have previously done a diploma in sports development with Brisbane Roar Soccer Club,” he said.
“I’m trying to bring the higher-end level, the Academy stuff, and trying to make a channel to go from basic to intermediate and then more of an advanced level.
“My main thing is, I want kids to come down, have a go, see if you like it, no pressure, and have some fun, and go from there. As the interest and drive starts to grow, we can work on that later.”
For Creasey, the experience has been a good one for him too, with his trip to Europe teaching him plenty about what it takes to play the sport across the continent.
“Europe was a very good experience, and I want to bring that back to the youth, and give the town the chance to have a career in soccer and have the jumpstart that I didn’t have as a kid,” he said.
“The training schedule has been very intense, to keep up and catch up to everyone, but with age, comes experience, and it’s been very helpful to me and the town.
“The best thing I learned was the level of commitment and dedication people over there showed, and the level of intensity with training and games is desirable compared to Australian soccer.”
Creasey says his work with Papadimitriou gives him more of an opportunity to understand the finer works of a coach.
“It’s a chance to understand a coach’s perspective and understand what I could do as a coach,” he said.