The Matildas are one of Australia's most popular sports teams of either gender, and a new program in Parkes has been making sure the next generation of 'Tillys' are keen and ready to follow in the footsteps of players like Sam Kerr and former Cowra junior Ellie Carpenter.
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The Parkes and District Amateur Soccer Assocation (PDASA) has been running the 'Parkes Soccer Academy for Girls' over the past month in the lead-up to soccer season, with Parkes Cobras and Young Matildas coach Meaghan Kempson heading it up alongside Parkes' Angela Bottaro-Porter, who has just begun studying for her Football 'C' Licence.
There's been two groups to ensure all the girls are having as much fun as possibile and maximising their development.
The first phase is a 'Discovery' phases for five to eight year olds, with the second phase a 'Skill Acquisition' phase for 9 to 12 year olds.
Bottaro-Porter spoke to the Parkes Champion Post after one of the 'Discovery' sessions on Monday evening at Harrison Park, and said it really is all about getting as many girls playing football as possible.
"It's all about having fun and learning as many new skills as possible," she said.
"When girls play with boys, the boys will take control; but when it is just girls, it gives them more opportunities to gain a bit more confidence and practice their skills at a different level.
"With myself and Meaghan as well, they can see girls can be involved in football. That being said, we're hoping we won't just do it for girls either, we'll do a similar program for boys and increase their skills as well," said Bottaro-Porter.
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Will Flynn from Exergames Parkes assisted Bottaro-Porter with the younger girls, and said with this age group coaching was about trying to inject as much fun as possible.
"It's about encouraging girls to play football by helping them have fun, make new friends and learn a bit," he said.
"We introduce different sorts of games with fun focuses; like instead of just dribbling drills, it's dribbling in and out of the castle.
"It's focusing on fun, not skill acquistion, but we're trying to get them to learn how to dribble a ball and use the outside of their foot in a fun way," said Flynn.
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