Future soccer stars sign on in Bourke
Bourke Junior Soccer
Bourke could be the training ground for the next world champion Matildas soccer player, with big numbers of youngsters turning up to Coolican Oval each week to play the ‘beautiful game’.
For the first time, there are more girls than boys signed on and with the Matildas on everyone’s mind, Joeys Soccer Club President, Bruce Turnbull, hopes the youngsters will be inspired to train into the future.
Bruce said he was thrilled with the numbers, with as many as 30 ‘Minis’ under four years of age, and up to 45 Inters from five to 11 years signed on with the Joeys. It’s almost a return to the boom years for soccer in Bourke, which suffered a lull during the drought, stopped during COVID and is now back on track.
The success of the Bourke soccer teams rests largely on the unyielding enthusiasm and passion for the sport demonstrated by Bruce and his wife Missy.
Bruce recalls the days when there were inter-district competitions and hundreds of young players in Bourke. He is now keen to pass on his skills and once again grow the sport.
“There’s so much ability in these little kids,” Bruce said.
“We have the Minis who can join the club activities pretty much as soon as they can walk, and then the Inters, and we have training on Thursdays from 3.30-4.30 where we teach them the basic skills and drills.
“On Saturday we have games from around 9.30 to 11.30 and we have four teams with roughly 11 kids per team. […]
Read more and see lots of photos in the printed edition of The Western Herald.
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