Timpano relishing SAP weekend

The future of Australian football will converge on Valentine Sports Park this weekend for the Skills Acquisition Program (SAP) Gala Day.

The 31 accredited SAP licensees from across NSW will feature in a massive festival of football on Saturday and Sunday and included among them will be Football South Coast.

Former South Coast Wolves and Sydney FC defender Jacob Timpano, who coaches the U10 Football South Coast SAP team, is looking forward to the big weekend.

"It's a great day, you get all the teams together and it's a chance to play teams you wouldn't usually play during the season," he said.

"There will be hundreds of kids there, so you get to see different qualities when you come up against different teams that you wouldn't see during the year."

"The concept is great. When I was coming through we didn't have these sorts of programs, there's a lot more detail with how you train the kids and the kids across the SAP learn the same methods, which leaves them in good stead to make the transition to representative football."

For Timpano, taking charge of Football South Coast's U10 SAP team is a first foray into coaching after a successful professional career in the national league. 

While some of those he played with, like Ufuk Talay and Mark Rudan, are already coaching either older youth sides or senior sides, Timpano is happy to take things at his own pace.

"I played with guys who are now coaching at high levels," Timpano said.

"If you can get things right with the kids, it's a good stepping stone.

"Coaching is a lot better, there's a focus on core skills in training programs, it's a lot more specific and there's better development for children. 

"It gives the kids an even better chance to become the players Australian football wants them to become."