Community Opportunity Shop president and local football identity Tony Thorpe talks about the future of the sport in the west and the good work being done by the charity organisation.
Football Federation Australia is looking to expand its national competition, the A-League, and that brings the prospect of a growth in interest in all sectors of the game.
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So what are the opportunities for a community such as Bathurst?
A National Football Plan exists, to which a submission was made from the Opportunity Shop in 2016.
A successful delivery in coming years of a Masterplan for Football will aim to seize all the available opportunities for those involved in the sport, whether they are referees, coaches, administrators, players, sponsors, parents or supporters.
The sport’s reach through western NSW is very significant and as deserving of community support as any other group.
Football has many opportunities for local growth – from the primary and secondary schools to the PCYC, Charles Sturt University, futsal and indoor football.
The Community Opportunity Shop, at the riverbank address of 8 Lions Club Drive, Kelso, was successful in a grant application last year for an inflatable football pitch.
The Bathurst community will now, courtesy of the Australian Sports Foundation funding, have access to the innovative inflatable pitch as part of its Pass-it Forward With Football Project.
Paddy’s Hotel will be the primary home for the inflatable pitch, but there will also be an opportunity for it to be accessible around the city in a range of ways, targeting adult engagement.
Last year was a successful one for the Community Opportunity Shop in a number of ways - from the acquisition and practical delivery of grant funding to other in-kind support for the community.
This support has enabled the development of a community garden in Stephens Lane (with contributory support from Reliance Credit Union and Verto and funding from an RSL and Panthers grant).
The garden also has a compost system from Better Homes And Gardens’ Jason Hodges and has received support from the gardens playgroup.
A new double garage was made possible thanks to a 2015 Community Building Partnership Grant courtesy of the NSW Government, proving that persistence is the reward for continued efforts to help this community. Storage was improved thanks to a separate Federal Government Family and Community Service grant.
The future for football is bright, but it is dependent on the energy of all its playing and supporter base, families, schools, CSU and Bathurst Regional Council.
It will depend on successful grants, signage sponsorships and other strategies to attract development for the facilities and infrastructure of this sport.
The Community Opportunity Shop encourages any of you who participate in, watch or admire a football activity to get involved in the sport’s future. Its fate is reliant on you as much as it is reliant on the generous efforts of administrators. Roll up your sleeves and speak up to get the sport you all deserve.
The Community Opportunity Shop has lodged a Holden Home Ground Advantage application for a mobile football training centre that will, we envisage, be good for teaching and learning in the region.
We see plenty of opportunities for the sport and those who enjoy it.