Coach says this group is special
Camera IconCoach says this group is special Credit: Supplied/Marcus Whisson

Natural-born champions

Belinda Cipriano, Stirling TimesStirling Times

Kicking own goals and playing three a side are just some of the selfless acts players do on a weekly basis.

The club’s under-7s side, which has about 22 players from diverse backgrounds, trains Tuesdays and Thursdays before playing various teams from the metro area on Sunday mornings.

President Ken Shorto said although the junior competitions were not always tallied, Balga did its best to play fairly.

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‘We are very proud of this group, they’re pretty special,’ he said.

‘Most of them are in their first year and it’s the first time they have played organised football ” they have taken to it like naturals.

‘They’ve also learnt to respect the opposition ” they enjoy winning with humility, so that’s what we teach them.’

‘We have all types of players big, small, boys and girls and nationality doesn’t matter ” the local community is represented right here in this side.’

Coach Wayne Courtney agreed, saying they were a great bunch of kids with a huge future ahead of them.

‘We believe in fair play, it’s all about having fun at this age, it’s not about winning, it’s all about having a go, having fun and they understand that,’ Courtney said.

‘We have a few of them who will make very good footballers.’

The Balga Soccer Club has teams from the under-5s age group through to the under-18s category.

Last year the club registered more than 200 children, welcoming both boys and girls from many different backgrounds.

The club is always looking for volunteers and more stars of the future.

For more information about the club, email Ken Shorto at balgasc@hotmail. com