Club president Rachel Farley said seeing her coaches’ “increased confidence” after the clinics was rewarding. Photo: Palerang United FC – Braidwood Junior Soccer Facebook.
Some lucky regional soccer players and their coaches have sharpened their skills thanks to a program that was made possible via grant funding.
Through Bendigo Bank’s Community Banks branches, community groups, organisations and individuals can apply for grants, and one of the groups and organisations to receive one was Braidwood Junior Soccer Club, which took home $5000.
It covered the cost of skills clinics for players and coaches, run by Ben Monteleone from Coever Coaching in early May.
President Rachel Farley said it meant the club could offer a special experience.
“Living in Braidwood, we often miss out on all of these opportunities that might travel around in Canberra or Sydney, or on the coast – or they’re incredibly expensive,” she said.
“It was giving our kids access to something that we often miss out on, and now they’re quite well-equipped for the season to go ahead and put in place some of their new skills.”
She said the clinics meant that not only did the kids learn something new – so did their coaches, who now had “new skills and new games that they can practice”.
This season the club has 114 children on its books, including some new faces.
“It’s great to see a lot of little players – a lot of the little ones are first-timers joining soccer,” she said.
“Seeing the growth from last year in how the children who are [moving up an age bracket] are becoming more competitive and confident is so exciting.”
She said it was the hard work of the club’s supporters and volunteers (such as its committee members and coaches) that kept it alive.
“It’s really valuable to see the children on the grounds having fun, enjoying it, and know they haven’t missed out on this opportunity,” she said.
Coaches and players at the club have extra skills after attending a clinic. Photo: Palerang United FC – Braidwood Junior Soccer Facebook.
Handing over the grant was also a homecoming for Nick Fry. He spent years “coaching, refereeing, doing administration” when his kids were growing up, but recently headed back as the Bendigo Bank’s community engagement manager for its Braidwood, Bungendore and Crookwell branches.
“I saw the kids that I used to coach that now have their own kids … it’s like a generation has passed,” he said.
“Quite a few of the parents have come up to me and said they still remember the words of wisdom [when I was a coach] that they’ve passed on to their kids.”
Nick said his branches had allocated a total of $9.5 million in sponsorships, donations and other grant funding, as well as money set aside for major projects in the area.
“For the three little towns, it’s quite a huge amount. It’s only able to be done if the community supports us by banking with us.”
He said the grants were one way the bank could back the community – and that “it’s not only economically” that a program like the Bendigo Bank’s benefited locals.
“It comes back to the community,” he said.
“A lot of people in the community mightn’t be connected with the soccer club or the rugby club or whatever it might be. But they feel proud that they have a club such as that in our town.
“It [the grant program] is all about helping each other.”
