Football on the rise in Victoria
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 8:59 am
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/nort ... 58e986e2b6
THE world game is fast becoming the game of choice in many suburbs across Melbourne.
Football Federation Victoria figures show soccer participation rates are booming across the state, with more than 66,000 players registered this year.
That represents a 21 per cent increase from 2014, with the growth of junior and women’s soccer largely behind the surge.
Last year, 259,809 Victorians played AFL football, up two per cent from the previous year.
But it is the rapid growth of soccer in recent years which has FFV most excited.
“The message is clear — football is popular and growing rapidly, playing football is a great experience and playing football is fun,” FFV president Kimon Taliadoros said.
There was an 11 per cent increase in the number of female soccer players registered in Victoria this year, with the MiniRoos boys and girls programs skyrocketing in popularity over the past two seasons.
Introduced in 2015, the MiniRoos program is designed for children aged four to 11 and focuses on game-based activities.
Taliadoros said the work of clubs and volunteers in growing the game could not be underestimated.
“It is our clubs who are creating that presence in schools, in local communities and in online spaces to let as many Victorians as possible know that they can easily access playing football,” he said.
Craigieburn City has been one of the FFV’s success stories over the past three years.
The growing club expanded its membership base by about 80 players this year and introduced a men’s State League side for the first time.
President Paul Dugo said Craigieburn City was proud of how far it had come in recent years.
“Our first year was very hard, people didn’t even know we existed,” Dugo said.
“We’d have other clubs play us that didn’t even know we existed.
“It’s only our third year that we’ve been operating.”
Promoting the club in local schools and growing its presence on social media have been two key initiatives behind Craigieburn City’s emergence.
The club has over 1200 likes on its Facebook page, where it regularly updates members on news, results and events.
“I went out to schools, I did some programs with girls in schools,” Dugo said.
“We do a lot of social media type of stuff that has really helped us.
“We put real estate boards up in the community.
“Last year, one of the community things in Craigieburn we had a stall.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, it’s not just people walking through the door.”
Craigieburn is focused on sustaining its growth and ensuring its solid foundations lead to a successful future.
Dugo said about 70 players had already registered expressions of interest with the club for next year.
“I can say 50 per cent of them are new people,” he said.
“I’m expecting to grow again next year, I just have to work out how we are going to go about (that).”
More than 11,000 new players have joined Victorian soccer clubs since 2014.
In a competitive landscape, the sport has managed to capture the interest of women and children, with more than 12,000 female players registered this year.
THE world game is fast becoming the game of choice in many suburbs across Melbourne.
Football Federation Victoria figures show soccer participation rates are booming across the state, with more than 66,000 players registered this year.
That represents a 21 per cent increase from 2014, with the growth of junior and women’s soccer largely behind the surge.
Last year, 259,809 Victorians played AFL football, up two per cent from the previous year.
But it is the rapid growth of soccer in recent years which has FFV most excited.
“The message is clear — football is popular and growing rapidly, playing football is a great experience and playing football is fun,” FFV president Kimon Taliadoros said.
There was an 11 per cent increase in the number of female soccer players registered in Victoria this year, with the MiniRoos boys and girls programs skyrocketing in popularity over the past two seasons.
Introduced in 2015, the MiniRoos program is designed for children aged four to 11 and focuses on game-based activities.
Taliadoros said the work of clubs and volunteers in growing the game could not be underestimated.
“It is our clubs who are creating that presence in schools, in local communities and in online spaces to let as many Victorians as possible know that they can easily access playing football,” he said.
Craigieburn City has been one of the FFV’s success stories over the past three years.
The growing club expanded its membership base by about 80 players this year and introduced a men’s State League side for the first time.
President Paul Dugo said Craigieburn City was proud of how far it had come in recent years.
“Our first year was very hard, people didn’t even know we existed,” Dugo said.
“We’d have other clubs play us that didn’t even know we existed.
“It’s only our third year that we’ve been operating.”
Promoting the club in local schools and growing its presence on social media have been two key initiatives behind Craigieburn City’s emergence.
The club has over 1200 likes on its Facebook page, where it regularly updates members on news, results and events.
“I went out to schools, I did some programs with girls in schools,” Dugo said.
“We do a lot of social media type of stuff that has really helped us.
“We put real estate boards up in the community.
“Last year, one of the community things in Craigieburn we had a stall.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, it’s not just people walking through the door.”
Craigieburn is focused on sustaining its growth and ensuring its solid foundations lead to a successful future.
Dugo said about 70 players had already registered expressions of interest with the club for next year.
“I can say 50 per cent of them are new people,” he said.
“I’m expecting to grow again next year, I just have to work out how we are going to go about (that).”
More than 11,000 new players have joined Victorian soccer clubs since 2014.
In a competitive landscape, the sport has managed to capture the interest of women and children, with more than 12,000 female players registered this year.
