Northern Suburbs FA stage Welcome to Football Day

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Northern Suburbs Football Association (NSFA) held a Welcome to Football Day on Saturday 11 April at the St Ives Showground. 

With more than 600 boys and girls taking part, the day was a smashing success. 

The day was an opportunity for not only the kids but the parents as well to see what being a part of community football is all about. 

Sunshine, football, jumping castles and a sausage sizzle all helped to show how strong the Northern Suburbs football community is. 

NSFA were pleased to welcome local Members of Parliaments Jonathan O’Dea and the newly elected Alister Henskens, as well as Ku-ring-gai Council Mayor Jennifer Anderson and Councillor David Armstrong, who all took part in the fun of the day.

Duncan Tweed, CEO of NSFA, said “Northern Suburbs Football Association exists to offer fun and healthy opportunities for local players, and the Welcome to Football Day has been a fantastic way to kick off the season.  Importantly for the younger kids, the emphasis is on having a good time and discovering the game rather than on trying to win. 

“We also prioritise creating an environment where parents and supporters encourage all the players and where the kids are taught to respect their opponents, the officials and the game itself.”

It was also great to see some of the parents take part in a Grassroots Coaching Certificate at the end of the day. 

This course was aimed in particular at helping coaches who look after young girls’ teams. 

With more than 1,500 girls set to play in NSFA divisions this season, encouraging girls to take part in sports is something that we are looking to continue building on.

Duncan Tweed went on to say “The Northern Suburbs Football Association is set for another fantastic year of community football.  Riding on the successes of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, for the first time ever the total number of players in our winter competitions looks set to be more than 16,000. 

“Men’s and women’s competitions have just completed their first round of matches, while Junior competitions kick off this weekend.”