By NICOLE VALICEK
A SOCCER club that provides an opportunity for every kid to get involved in a world sport thinks of itself as all embracing – with good reason.
The Barnstone Worth United Junior Football Club (BUJFC) started in 2009 with the simple aim to provide children with an affordable opportunity to engage in a team sport and develop their interest for the ’World Game’, Club President Dave Pettet said.
Mr Pettet said as a community-minded club, all of the officials and coaches work purely on a volunteer basis and the club is “truly open to all, regardless of ability”.
“We are very proud of the role we are playing in providing an affordable opportunity for all children, regardless of race, gender or ability to play soccer within the Hobsons Bay Municipality,” he said.
“Our vision is to become the leading community based sports club in our region promoting fun, inclusion, equitability and fair play within a friendly and healthy competitive environment.”
The club trains at JT Gray Reserve in Williamstown and started with three teams and 59 members in 2009 and has grown to a club that will field 28 teams, including six girls’ teams, consisting of over 400 members in 2014.
This makes BUJFC the largest stand-alone junior soccer club in Hobsons Bay.
Mr Pettet said the club’s focus was to keep fees low, provide a good coaching and community environment for kids with a focus on the spirit of fun rather than winning medals.
“The club is very much open to all kids who have never played team sport, open to accommodate them – that’s the structure of the club.”
“We see winning as an outcome not a target, we are an embracing club that accepts all children in the area if we can.”
He said two comparable differences between the club is the junior club funds do not go to support the senior club or to pay for players for the senior club, and the club has registration prior to selection so they do not only take in the better players.
The club launched its pre-season training on Sunday. Registrations are still open for more information visit www.bujvc.com
