In a stroke of Junior Football genius, Majura FC is sending an Under 13 Girls team to Borneo to play Football against the local teams.
Majura FC Under 13 Girls - the wild girls of Borneo!
A very small number of ACT junior football clubs have sent teams to campaign overseas. There is an enormous amount of work associated with getting things organised. Woden Valley SC has a fine record in both boys and girls overseas tours. Monaro FC has a wonderful relationship with the South Korean Singok Primary school. But it's Majura FC that is cutting new ground in Asia.
Why is this important? Really important!
Simple. Asia is our region, they play a lot of very good Football in our region and we qualify through this region to compete in all the Age and Open World Cups, men and Women. It makes a lot of sense to go to Asian countries to develop the young players. There is an established Boys Borneo Cup tournament and next year there is the inaugral Girls Borneo Cup. And the Majura FC girls are doing a first rate Football recon.
This is the way to develop our young female players. Europe is nice, South America too far away - but Asia (Bornoe) is spot on.
So its the young Majura FC Under 13 girls who will pave the way for the rest of Australia at Club level. All research to date indicates that this is the first girls junior team to tour Borneo. What a coup for Majura FC!
Now remember, this is a community based club girls age team, not an ACT representative team, but they are certain to represent our football community in good style.
The Coach, Heather Fitt has them playing good football, following the FFA's National Curriculum, 1-4-3-3, playing out from the back and playing possession based football. In so many ways they are a model for how it ought to be done with our young players at every competitive level at Clubs. Just as the FFA Technical Director would wish it to be.
As ever, its the selfless efforts of Club officials, Coaches and parents that make these Football adventures possible. Just fantastic. This one started two years ago. The girls will remember it all their lives. They are only this age once! And one other thing - it may be the experience that inspires one of them to go all the way in the beautiful game. You never know what lies ahead. But perhaps more importantly, it is likely to be the reason they simply continue to play for as long as life allows. That would be a priceless dividend for the Club and the game in Australia.
Good luck to them all I say and plenty more of it from every other junior Club.
Majura Football Club
PO Box 449, Dickson ACT 2602
Email: info@majurafc.org.au
Website: www.majurafc.org.au
ABN: 26 369 499 451
Majura FC head to Malaysia
Majura U13 Girls are in for a trip of a lifetime. They’ll head to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on Friday to play football against three local teams.
Coach Heather Fitt said, “The girls have played football for many years, and after winning the Kanga Cup a couple times what better way to extend their football experience. We’ll train and play futsal, before playing three games against Borneo (Malaysia) local teams. We’ll then have a few days to experience the local sites.”
“The local teams had a competition recently to see which three teams would earn the right to play Majura.”
The squad is a mixture of Majura U13 division 1 and 2 with a number of ACT Representatives and former Majura players also travelling.
“We’ll come together for a couple of games prior to leaving but I think it will be a big shock for the team as we’ll go from Canberra weather to 33 degrees. The girls can all play football, but we’re not sure how they’ll manage the heat. We’ve asked Socceroo Technical Advisor Ron Smith, who used to Coach in Kinabalu, for a few tips” added Fitt.
Majura midfield dynamo Grace Fieg, 13, is heading on her first overseas trip.
“Playing football in Borneo will be a great opportunity to play some international teams. It’s a chance to experience some things outside of what I am used to in Australian soccer. My whole team will be there and we can all share in the experience together.
In Borneo we are going to spend some time doing more than just football. We’re going for a kind of holiday but even better because we will be playing my favourite sport and I’ll have all of my team with me.
“I’m looking forward to lots of cool activities as well, including going to an island for a whole day to chillax and do cool stuff like snorkelling, paraflying and banana boating. We also get to check out some Borneo culture and wildlife so I can learn about Borneo too.”
ACT Representative Aleka Serras, 12, said “I have been playing soccer since I was 7. Soccer is a big part of my life and means a lot to me, because it’s a great game to play, and almost anyone can play it.
“It always so exciting when you get a great result, and even when you don’t it’s good to try to improve as much as you can and work on the little tricks and skills that make the game a whole lot different. My friends and I are always talking about the trip, and how excited we are to travel so far away from home.”
Telopea Park High Student Mika Leslie has been playing soccer since she was 6. She played most of her football in Colorado, USA and joined Majura two years ago when she moved to Canberra.
“I love soccer, and this tournament will give our team a chance to play some international teams. Soccer is hard to be really good at, but it’s my favourite game, and the feeling of scoring a goal is amazing! Everyone on the team is friends, and we can’t wait to go see Malaysia and Borneo and swim in the ocean and the pool, while our fellow classmates are freezing in the Australian winter! We’re all really excited to have the opportunity to play in Borneo!!
Former Socceroo Scott Ollerenshaw is based in Borneo and organises tours for Australian teams, boys and girls.”
“The Borneo Cup for boys is well established and runs every year in October. Our first Borneo Cup for girls will start in April 2013 but we’re delighted to host the Majura girls, our first Australian girls’ squad. The local teams are really looking forward to playing and meeting the girls from Majura. Sabah is a beautiful place and the girls are in for a treat.
For photos/interviews
Bus Departs Dickson College Car Park, Phillip Avenue, 7.00am Friday 6th July
For all other information interviews or photos contact:
Eamonn Flanagan, Majura FC mob. 0432 250 759