Sport
7 December, 2023
Maryborough Soccer Club looking to re-establish indoor futsal tournament for wider public
The Maryborough Soccer Club is looking to re-establish an indoor futsal tournament to the public after the success of an in-house tournament. Devised between outgoing Maryborough Soccer Club president Joelle Clinton, first-team coach Johno Melton...
The Maryborough Soccer Club is looking to re-establish an indoor futsal tournament to the public after the success of an in-house tournament.
Devised between outgoing Maryborough Soccer Club president Joelle Clinton, first-team coach Johno Melton and incoming president Garry George, the tournament allowed the club to trial some potential ideas for a wider tournament in the future, held at Carisbrook’s Tullaroop Leisure Centre.
George wanted to recapture the public’s enjoyment for a futsal tournament, having seen first-hand how many people enjoyed previous tournaments over the years.
“There was a lot of work in the background by not just myself, but also (first-team coach) Johno Melton and outgoing president Joelle Clinton, who were keen supporters of it,” he said.
“There are also people who have been around for a while who remembered a tournament from a few years ago which was really popular, operating out of Tullaroop and Nolan Street Gymnasium.
“The idea behind it is to give our lads and ladies something to do over the summer, keep their fitness up and keep their touch going.
“We kept it in-house initially, so we could make sure we had all our ducks in a row in terms of organisation, which I felt was a good idea, as we learned some things along the way.
“When we do open it up to the public next year, we will have ironed out those creases.”
George believes the social aspect of the tournament could be a winner, having negotiated with a team of footballers to participate in the tournament, which culminated on Wednesday night with the grand final.
“There were a few surprise entries which I talked into, but everyone who came down enjoyed it,” he said.
“We had a few footballers who couldn’t commit to weekend sport, but had a night to come out and have a run.
“The social aspect has been beneficial to them, and it’s a good thing for the community.
“We are aiming to cater to all abilities, levels and interest. We had teams who were mixed in terms of different characters, and it was a great thing, which allowed us to meet people who we might not have before.
“I think some people do think of soccer in a particular light, based on what they see in Europe and on the TV, but the ones who did come in and had a go really enjoyed themselves.”
The work between George, Clinton and Melton saw members of the Maryborough Soccer Club work together to bring the four teams to life, with four captains delegated to ensure that demand could be met.
George said the demand was that high, he was almost forced to turn players away, and learned that there might be enough interest to grow the tournament.
“Tullaroop worked really well in terms of access and having the availability, which was surprising, as we never had any conflict with booking it,” he said.
“We used it a fair bit with the soccer club over the winter when we had issues with lights at Jubilee and extreme weather, so it sort of became a second home in some ways.
“Rallying the troops was a big thing. Joelle was very positive in her attitude, making sure she got bookings done and made sure everyone was going to turn up. Johno was fantastic in getting people together.
“I also allocated four captains and we delegated and managed our own little group, making sure we had at least five players on the court.
“Having said that, the numbers were great. We were almost turning people away, so we believe there is room for growth.”
It’s all part of a wider regeneration of the Maryborough Soccer Club, something George is heavily invested in.
“There is a lot going on,” he said.
“We are trying to develop our juniors, help out with the women’s side of soccer, also have the seniors to look after.
“There is a lot of responsibility, and I know I can’t do all those myself, but we have a group of people that are passionate about futsal, so we’ll meet as a committee and we’ll appoint a futsal coordinator, to grow this, as well as make it an annual event the town can get behind.
“The club is in a regeneration process at the moment, so what I am looking to do is streamline our calendar, focus on the senior outdoor stuff during the winter, which frees things up in the summer months where we can capture people who aren’t playing regular weekend sports, harness that and get them involved, and offer something outside of the time when people aren’t invested in their footy, soccer or netball.”
That means George is prepared to open up for entries early next year to get the tournament sorted as soon as possible.
“We’ll open up expressions of interest early next year, so people can get themselves organised,” he said.
“I know there’s a lot of businesses in town, and footy clubs might want to get involved and based on those expressions of interest, we’ll make decisions based on demand and the audience, and whether we can open up to juniors or go with mixed and get women involved.”