Background – Need for Event
The Douglas United Football Club was established in 1977 as the Mossman Soccer Club initially playing matches at the Mossman High School field. The Club secured its own grounds in the 1980’s establishing a club house and playing fields at Cassowary Park. The fields are now under lights allowing for evening training and events.
In the mid 2000’s the Club had dwindling numbers of junior players primarily due to: the location in a remote, rural area; a high proportion of parents employed in the tourist and cane production industries which have high rates of shift work; and increasing family pressures. Concurrent with this issue was an identification by Football Federation Australia (FFA) that children required greater active participation that was located closer to their homes resulting in less travel time and reduced family commitments.
The Club took these challenges on board gaining approval and establishing a local Competition Management Centre (CMC) at the Cassowary grounds. This approval allowed the Club to run its own Saturday morning games for children aged 6-9 at the Cassowary grounds. The Club also introduced a “Squirts” program on Thursday afternoons that provides an introduction and active participation to children aged 3-5 years. Douglas United is the one of the few clubs in Cairns offering the Squirt program. As a result of these activities and a “Come and Try” event the Club has increased its junior membership from 60 to 120 children in two years.
In October 2008 the Douglas United Football Club held a junior "Come & Try" event that was sponsored by the Telstra Corporation (Telstra Football Anywhere – Small Sided Games). The event was exceedingly successful with some 70 children and their families attending the six week training sessions at the Club’s Cassowary grounds. The event attracted a number of new families to the Club and provided a social gathering for families in the local community. The training focused on the then newly introduced, small sided football (SSF) game and general health and well-being for children. The program was instigative in enabling the Club to achieve increased numbers of junior members for the 2009 season.
Unfortunately Telstra is no longer sponsoring this activity and the Queensland and Australian Football Associations have no formalised “Come and Try” program for late 2009. This year the Club is fully funding the program.
COME & TRY FOOTBALL 2009
The event is aimed at children 4-13 years of age and the Club anticipates some 100 children and their families to attend. Children will be divided into age groups associated with their age next year: Squirts (3-4 years), Small Sided Football (SSF, 5-10 years) and Junior Football (11-13). A specific program will be developed for Squirt participants. Each participating child will receive a kit including a boot bag, drink bottle, participation certificate and soccer ball.
The program will incorporate a weekly 1-1.5 hr session (1 hour for Squirts) run for six (6) weeks.
The objectives of the event are to:
- Provide and promote active sport to the community in a healthy, family orientated environment;
- Promote the sport to the local community;
- Provide leadership to the local community and demonstrate the Club’s strong commitment to the community;
- Raise public awareness of the Club to the local community and the benefits it can offer to families and participants;
- Introduction of the sport to new participants; in particular the promotion of the Squirts and SSF programs;
- Provide player and coach development programs;
- Provide an end of year activity for existing junior players; and
- Promote and encourage new Club membership.
It may be possible that a Grassroots coaching course is run in conjunction with the "Come & Try" event, depending on members requiring the course. This will be aimed at parents / carers and senior players that wish to be coaches, coach assistants and team leaders for the juniors in the 2010 season providing coach development in line with the aims of the Club’s Development Plan.
Football Affiliations and Insurance
The Club is a member of the Far North Queensland (FNQ) Football Zone and affiliated with Football Queensland and Football Federation Australia (FFA).
The Club has gained sanctioning from the FNQ Zone for the event. Insurance for event is covered by FFA sanctioning through local Football Zone by the children registering with the Zone and FFA.
Club Contacts
Name: Mrs Jenny Elphinstone
Position: Vice President
Tel: 0408 017 590.
07 4098 4998 (AH)
Email mossquash@bigpond.com
Secondary Contact
Name: Ms Jenny White
Position: Secretary
Tel: 0407 159 379
Email: jenny_white@bigpond.com