FOOTBALL Australia’s National Club Development Program has seen two North Coast Football clubs recognised.

Sawtell was the first club in regional northern NSW to be awarded 5-stars under the program and it has recently been joined in having the highest rating possible by Nambucca Strikers.

Sawtell president Simon Portus said there a number of criteria clubs are assessed against before given a three, four or best of all a five-star rating.

“It has a lot to do with having the systems in place to ensure players enjoy the playing experience,” Portus said.

“It takes into account a number of factors ranging from the facilities at a club, the way the club is run from a board perspective and having policies in place that aren’t just to be followed by committee members and coaches but are able to be seen by anybody within the club.

“It’s basically making the club as transparent as possible.”

Portus said a positive of the framework provided by the NCPD’s guidelines is it gets actionable items into motion.

Actions that ensure the club’s health.

“You can’t just not do anything,” he said.

“You’ve always got to be proactive and continue developing not just the players in your teams but as a club.

If you stop, then eventually natural attrition starts to happen, it (a club) falls apart.”

The Scorpions had close to 500 players take to the field wearing the green and white in 2020.

“We actually had an increase in our playing numbers this year despite COVID,” the president said.

With an expansion to the change rooms at Toormina Oval due to be completed before the 2021 season kick-off, that number may just increase again next season.

 

By Brad GREENSHIELDS