Kids get a kick out of soccer tourney

Steven, Lucas, Rahul and Josh celebrate a goal for thier team from Mary McKillop Primary School. 95883 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

By JARROD POTTER

ROTARIANS from Narre Warren and Endeavour Hills were on hand on Tuesday 26 March for the annual Casey Cardinia inter-schools five-a-side soccer tournament held at Grices Road Recreation Reserve, Berwick.
Around 400 excited Grades 5 and 6 students from 14 local primary schools took part, with SEDA (Sport Education and Development Australia) students from the Melbourne Heart Academy program providing the match officials.
The event was organised by Rob Hastings, youth director of the Rotary Club of Narre Warren, in conjunction with Cardinia United Junior Soccer Club – and the theme of ‘Kick for a Cause’ was aptly demonstrated by the presence of ‘Disaster Aid Australia’ – a humanitarian project of the Endeavour Hills Rotary Club whose volunteers explained the program to interested youngsters between games.
In perfect conditions, the tournament was played in a wonderful spirit with all teams playing five matches throughout the day. The winning school in the girls’ tournament was Brentwood Park Primary School with runners-up – Maramba. The boys’ event was won by Mary MacKillop after a penalty shootout to overcome an unlucky St Michael’s, and in the mixed teams event, Mary MacKillop Red defeated St Catherine’s.
Presentation of the Graeme Maggs Award for the players voted most valuable boy and girl in the tournament was made by Suzie Maggs and her son Chris, in memory of the late Rotarian who lost his battle with cancer in 2010 after spending a lifetime volunteering in sport, community service with the Rotary Club of Narre Warren and working as a principal in a number of local primary schools.
The award was won by Matthew Hardy Brown from St Michael’s and Angelique Tourneur from Brentwood Park.
Points were awarded for wins, draws and losses for every game played, and the overall winning school on the day for the second consecutive year was Mary MacKillop, whose players will be rewarded with a coaching clinic from Melbourne Heart FC.
Teachers, students and parents were unanimous in their praise of the tournament and one youngster volunteered “it was the best day of school in their entire life”.