Bayswater FC reserves and integrated player Jason Ballard, integrated coach Lexi Leonard and reserves and integrated player Daniel Myers.
Camera IconBayswater FC reserves and integrated player Jason Ballard, integrated coach Lexi Leonard and reserves and integrated player Daniel Myers. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Bayswater Football Club’s new integrated program to give everyone a chance

Kristie LimEastern Reporter

BAYSWATER Football Club has launched its first integrated football program in a bid to ensure all members of the community get the chance to play football.

The club will join nine other clubs for the 2018 Western Australian Amateur Football League (WAAFL) Integrated Football season.

Integrated football caters for players with intellectual disabilities aged from 16 to 55.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

Bayswater integrated football coach Lexi Leonard said he had about six integrated players who have joined the club so far.

“We noticed that there had not been a team in the area or the local community,” he said.

Leonard said there was a focus on making Bayswater a “community club”.

“A lot of the time, we have addressed 18 to 40 year old men’s needs as one part of the community but we want to make sure we can help as many (players) as we can,” he said.

“We had a few players at the club already that would be playing (integrated) and that was sort of a driver.

“We wanted to make sure that if numbers were good in reserves, people were not missing out and we’d have a game of football for everyone.”

Leonard said he hoped to recruit at least 20 committed players by January-February 2018.

For more information, contact Lexi Leonard at lexi.leonard@hotmail.com.

MORE: Learner driver allegedly caught speeding, drink driving

MORE: Ambulance crashes in Osborne park, two injured

MORE: No trains between Clarkson and Butler on Saturday

MORE: Perth Glory’s Samantha Kerr happy to fly the flag for the women’s game