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Sport UNE hosting top-level soccer camp

April 24, 2006

Steve Griffith The Northern NSW Soccer Federation State Selection Camp is being staged at The University of New England (UNE) from Monday 24 to Thursday 27 April. Hosting the camp has been described by the Executive Director of Sport UNE, Steve Griffith (pictured here), as a coup for the University and for Armidale.

“Our ability to attract the State Selection Camp for the first time has resulted from UNE’s ability to provide high quality sports facilities and support services within close proximity to residential colleges,” Mr Griffith said.

“This is essentially a talent identification camp for 14s,15s and 16s boys and 16s,17s and 18s girls from throughout northern NSW,” he explained. “It will provide the final selection for the Northern NSW representative squads for the respective age groups to compete in the National Championships. The Northern Region spreads west and north (to the Queensland border) from Newcastle.”

“There is also a talent camp for leading young referees from across northern NSW,” he added. “Around 150 players and 30 young referees have converged on UNE for the four-day clinic, with 20 support staff – including some of the State’s top coaches, managers, and sports medicine specialists in attendance.

“The promising soccer players are staying at Robb College, which has been the traditional home of soccer clinics at UNE since 1981. With UNE on holidays, the use of UNE’s sporting and residential college facilities during term breaks provides a win for participants, UNE, and the Armidale economy, which clearly benefits from 200 visitors staying at UNE for four days.”

“This is the first time that the State Selection Camp has been held in Armidale,” Mr Griffith said. (They have been held in centres such as Coffs Harbour and Kurri Kurri in the past.) “This demonstrates the importance of the facilities at Sport UNE and The University of New England to the broader New England region. Aspiring and talented sportspeople from this region are frequently forced to travel far afield; they welcome major trials that are close to home. This is also the first time that girls and boys have been accommodated at the one location at the same time, which was also made possible by UNE’s extensive facilities and dedicated staff team.”

For further details, contact David Smith NNSWSF Football manager on 0438 634 684.

Posted by Gary Fry at April 24, 2006 03:18 PM