South West Slopes U12 Girls create History in McDonald’s Champion of Champions Finals
We need to understand that the South West Slopes Association is the smallest of all Associations affiliated with Football NSW and is stuck away in the south-western region of the Riverina Branch and is spread across a number of small towns struggling to provide the opportunities for young people of the area to enjoy the greatest game of all.
The South West Slopes Under 12 girls soccer team comprises just thirteen (13) girls from three small country towns on the South West Slopes of NSW. Six players are from Harden (population approx 2,200), six players are from Cootamundra (population approx 7,500) and one player from Tumut (population approx 6,200). These towns are more than 1 ? hours apart and these girls need to travel these distances each way for training each week which only more emphasizes the dedication of these players and their parents.
The achievement of this team to reach the Champion of Champions Grand Final is truly an outstanding feat given the small pool of soccer players that these girls have been selected from. In the entire South West Slopes Association there are just 26 girls playing the game. In their weekly competition the girls play in mixed teams with boys as there isn?t enough to make a girls only team in each small town.
This is the first time in the history of the Champion of Champions competition that a team from the South West Slopes has moved past the third round.
Their road to Valentine on Sunday began in Round 1 when they defeated Enfield 4-1 in Cootamundra, then in Round 2 travelled to Sydney to beat Epping YMCA 5-0. In Round 3 they hosted St Clair United in Cootamundra beating them 2-0 and then back to Sydney last weekend for the Semi Finals against Balgownie and defeated them 8-0 to progress to the Finals at Valentine Sports Park on Sunday against Northbridge on Field 2 at 9.30am.
These girls from the South West have had a very successful season already this year with their huge effort at Proctor Cup in Bathurst, winning Branch Championships and also winning the Country Cup held in Nowra.
The girls from South West Slopes are certainly a talented bunch of young ladies, a credit to their district and their parents and coach and I am sure they will do their area and themselves proud on Sunday, no matter what the outcome.
– Larry Grant
