HUNDREDS of footballers spanning from Newcastle to the North Coast converged upon Forsyth Park in Coffs Harbour for an exhilarating Gala Day of football on Sunday, March 24.

The SAP (Skills Acquisition Program) caters to junior footballers under twelve-years-old who represent their community football clubs during weekend fixtures.

In a carnival atmosphere, players relished the opportunity to compete against teams hailing from various regions including Newcastle, Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Taree and the Coffs Coast.

Head coach and former Socceroo Greg Brown emphasised the importance of having fun.

“At this age it’s all about nurturing the love for the game and having fun,” he said.

“These players all represent their community football clubs and with additional coaching under the SAP program and Gala Days.

“It’s an opportunity to play against other regions including teams from the city such as Newcastle Olympic.

“We encourage the players to make decisions themselves with very little shouting from the sidelines.

“Through trial and error the juniors develop their instincts of when to pass, when to dribble and when to shoot.

“North Coast teams played very well and fared well against the teams from Mid Coast, Tamworth and Newcastle, with some big wins, big defeats and close games.

“The variety of opposition was a good learning curve for our players.

“This is a key period in their development and it was great to see them play with a smile,” Brown said.

By David WIGLEY