Rain cuts SAP Gala Day Short
Junior players from across the state descended on the home of Blacktown District Football Association last Saturday with Blacktown Football Park hosting the Skill Acquisition Program (SAP) Gala weekend however rain played a telling toll as Sunday’s matches were postponed.
Saturday saw some Football NSW SAP Licensees participants including teams from Capital Football showcasing SAP Clubs from under 9’s, 10’s and 11’s in what was a wonderful day for football.
Football NSW Head of Football Phil Brown was pleased with what the SAP Gala Day but was disappointed that inclement weather cut short the SAP Gala weekend.
“While it is disappointing we could not complete the matches on Sunday, we were treated to an exciting day of Football on Saturday with players showing us exactly what can be achieved when young players are provided an opportunity to learn and develop.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the Blacktown District Soccer Football Association and the St Pats Blacktown Football Club for their invaluable support in providing the venue, marking the fields and manning the canteens for the SAP Gala weekend.”
Football NSW Technical Director Alex Tobin was a key observer on Saturday and stressed the importance SAP played in the player development pathway.
“Developing our young players to play, enjoy and to learn in the right environment has always been the focus for SAP.
“It was very encouraging to see coaches, parents, and most importantly, players continue to embrace this new philosophy in youth football over the weekend.
“We hope to see these talented players follow their dreams and progress through the football pathways.”
As well as all the action on the pitch, there was still plenty to do off it with appearances from Sydney FC’s Ivan Necevski, Hagi Gligor and Nick Carle who posed for photos and signed autographs for kids and parents while jumping castles proved popular with the kids.
Developed by the Football NSW Technical Department, SAP provides a structured, best practice learning environment consistent with the FFA National Curriculum, to support development of the state’s aspiring young footballers.
