By LIAM TWOMEY
FOR anyone who thought football was just a winter sport, take a close look at Burnside Heights.
The club is bursting at the seams with players from the western suburbs lining up to join its “Skillz ‘n’ Drillz,” summer training camp.
The program is set to run every Tuesday until 18 December and aims to provide high level coaching clinics, from AFL accredited coaches, for junior players who never want the season to end.
Burnside Heights president Justin Peagram said the club had received a fantastic response from young footballers and their parents.
“We know football is finished but we decided to try something different this year by running a spring/summer camp,” he said.
“We thought if we put it under the banner of Burnside Heights people might think that it is just pre-season training so we put it under the banner of skills and drills.
“As a result we have ended up with about 150 kids doing a spring/summer camp down at the football club. It is being run by Burnside Heights but we have really opened it up to the whole community. Hillside, Taylors Lakes, Caroline Springs, everyone is welcome.”
The program is set to focus on a vast array of skills for footballers to ensure they will hit the 2013 season running.
“So it is not pre-season, I suppose if you think of what AusKick provided but we are sort of taking that to a higher level. We will really be concentrating on the improvement of skills,” Peagram said.
“Some of the kids will only be here over the summer and then they will go back to their own clubs so the whole idea is to give them a concentration of skills in a not so competitive environment so all the kids can work at their own pace.
“The response we have had from parents has really been fantastic. Probably the number one comment has been, I can’t believe no one has done this before.”
The good news continues for the Bears with the club set to field an under 16’s side next season while its other junior teams will be making the jump from the Essendon District Football League’s sixth division, up to division three.
