FFSA Chips In During HAL Regional Round
As part of the Hyundai A-League’s Regional Round, approximately 250 people from regional areas in South Australia including Western Border (Mount Gambier), Adelaide Hills Junior Soccer Association, Willunga, Strathalbyn and the Copper Coast, travelled to Adelaide for a weekend of football.
The weekend package included a training session run by Football Federation SA Game Development Officers at Burton Park for the group from Western Border on Saturday morning, as well as admittance into the Adelaide United-Brisbane Roar match at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday March 2, with free tickets for all registered players and reduced prices for those attending from the regional areas.
In addition, all those who travelled from outside Adelaide were invited to attend Adelaide United’s recovery session at Glenelg Beach on Sunday for a Meet and Greet with Reds’ players, who signed autographs and were available for photos.
Clubs and Associations were asked to wear club colours and bring club banners, flags and signs to show from where they travelled and the club they represent.
The weekend provided a unique experience for those in regional SA who are often not able to access Adelaide United player visits and attend Reds’ matches at Hindmarsh Stadium.
FFSA’s Regional Development Officer Cristiano, who took the training for the Western Border group on Saturday morning, provided another valuable opportunity for regional participants through the session.
The former Adelaide United striker was recently appointed in a full-time capacity meaning areas such as Western Border will benefit with more frequent and similar opportunities in the future.
John Bruttomesso, Secretary at Western Border, admitted the football weekend was a fruitful experience for the regional associations.
“The Regional Round is a great initiative and our U14 and U15 Development Squads were able to get up close and personal with their A-League heroes, in this case Adelaide United,” he said.
“The session on Saturday morning with Cristiano was fantastic. All our kids loved it. Cristiano was great and the session was very professional.”
“On Sunday, Adelaide United’s recovery session gave them a chance to see the players in a natural environment. It was a fantastic experience for everyone.”
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