By Kate Lockyer
Brisbane Strikers Football Club is expanding horizons for their players as send a team off to Madrid and continue to grow their Mini Strikers program.
Football Director Salvatore Sottile said the trip to Spain will be a very exciting experience for the young players, something that previous generations have not had the opportunity to do.
The Under 11 (U11) team of 12 players and their parents will be visiting Madrid and the Spanish Football Federation for two weeks from September 18 – 28, as they train with and play against young Spanish teams.
They will go up against players from the academies of Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Real Vallecano, and others.
Team Manager Ivor North said it was a great opportunity for the whole team to go over and they are excited for the players to see how football is played by their peers in Spain.
With the Spanish team having just won the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, Mr North said one of the most exciting aspects is that Spain is one of the top countries in the world when it comes to football.
U11 players Moses Martin, age 10, and Levi Calderon, age 11, said they are excited and nervous about playing against Spanish teams.
The Strikers teams play in the gold rated league with Football Queensland, and they are training more young players to a high level with their Mini Strikers program.
Previously, their youngest team was the U9 team, but the Mini Strikers program introduced last year gets children aged four to eight involved too.
Manager of the program Damien McPhee said they want to be able to train their players from a young age to get to know them better.
Mr McPhee said the program now has 50 children participating, and he is hoping they can increase to over 100 players next year.
He said most soccer clubs just have parents kicking the ball around with the younger players.
“We’re giving them proper drills, as crazy as that seems, and the kids are really taking to it.”
He said by the time these players reach the U9 teams, they are “amazing”, because they have been training several times a week for years.
He said it is about developing coordination, not just skills, and most importantly, the opportunity for children to play with their friends.
Photo caption: Grayson McPhee from the U8 team with coach Caleb Teale