A massive foundation stone has just been laid on the Central Coast with a school of football excellence established for kids from years 5 to 10.
Some years ago, I needed to make a choice between which one of the new Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners teams I would support.
I lived in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney. Gosford was about 50 minutes by car, plus say ten minutes to park and walk, so about an hour.
Sydney FC, with a 10 minute walk to the train, 20 minutes on the train, 20 minutes to the stadium, was around an hour also.
I choose the Mariners for two reasons. The parents of both my wife and I lived on the coast, and we had a weekender we rented that we planned to move into one day. The other reason was a speech by Lyle Gorman.
The Mariners arrived on the Coast and where mostly main up of Northern Spirit coaches, and key players and the Spirit was my NSL team after my Blacktown Demons went back to state level.
The Mariners arrived on the Coast about the same time as the Northern Eagles left and in a rugby league area were initially seen as a club taking advantage of another sports’ misfortunes.
I went along with maybe 150 others to listen to what Lyle Gorman had to say.
Essentially why should we support a team in a rugby league heartland with little money? How would we play? How would we compete with capital city teams?
How would we get a crowd from a regional centre of around 250, 000 who followed rugby league?
Lyle said he planned to build Australia’s biggest and best training academy, a Centre of Football Excellence.
This academy would get the best juniors around the country and by developing them they would help the team play good football, more importantly good football of a high technical quality would in time get crowds, and in time produce players we could sell overseas to help fund the club.
We all asked Lyle how, who, why, when will the funding be available. Lyle answered I will make it happen or the club will fail.
Sydney FC had Frank, Dwight, and heaps of money. They were talking up the bling.
The Mariners had a dream we all though it had little chance of success. I reasoned the Mariners need help, I will live on the Coast one day, but most of all I love his dream of building a technical centre of football excellence and a football academy to support it.
The announcement of the opening of the football school of excellence on the Coast is music to my ears. To fully understand it, you need to be aware of the Mariners’ academy structure and how the school will fit in.
Coaches employed by the Mariners and working through the COE, coach and design the coaching methods of the Central Coast Association representative teams of all ages, both boys and girls.
Further Mariners appointed and paid coaches also design the coaching methods for the Western NSW Association [roughly 12, 000] rep teams.
In both Associations the Mariners also train the rep coaches. Both Associations have rep teams from U9 to U18, who are coached consistent with Mariners’ methods, and both participate at state level.
In addition every Mariners coaching session is open to any coach in both associations. Graham Arnold takes pride in passing on his knowledge to local coaches.
The new school has two former Mariners players as head male coaches. The COE and the school are working together and looking to see how this can be expanded.
Now it is reasonable to assume if the kids that go to this school are good they will make the Central Coast Association rep sides where Mariners’ scouts watch every game. We have former coaches in the school passing on information about players.
This means we have laid one of Lyle’s hopes for the COE, that it would have its own school where kids could develop in football and academia.
They will be coached and watched by former Mariners players in association with the COE and play in representative teams.
Any kid who wants a career in football will try to come to this school and try to make the rep teams
As a Mariners supporter, it makes me very proud. And it’s all been done on a shoe string budget.
The COE is under twelve months away from being cash positive.
This is possibly a first for Australian sport, and shows that sport can still have valuable and viable links with the community.
Scottmac
Guest
Don't think WSW are doing it. There's is the reported football nsw facility. Not a club facility at all.
Midfielder
Guest
Chris Don't be such a sad sack.... just look at where we live ... and the kids coming to the school and going on to play for the Mariners will have a healthy lifestyle... http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1680&bih=925&q=central+cost+nsw&oq=central+cost+nsw&gs_l=img.3..0i10i24.1895.8636.0.10514.16.14.0.2.2.0.177.2094.1j13.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.2.img.2yXYan5mNgk
albatross
Roar Pro
And he'll want to put a chaplain in there too. I see that the school is located at Mt Penang which used to be the site of a boys reformatory (George Freeman was a graduate). Seriously though $4800 pa for tuition seems reasonable compared to say the Anglican school system. The fees include lunch too but I am not clear if the the football coaching is extra. It's good to see that they accept enrollment for girls. Hopefully this is a precursor to the re-establishment of a W-League side at CCM which was shamefully allowed to lapse in 2010,
Chris
Guest
Amazing what can be acheived when you are handed taxpayers money. Central Coast won't be so lucky in the future. Craig Thomson has ensured that the Central Coast seats will no longer be marginal, and Labor is doing its pork barreling in seats it can actually win.
pete4
Guest
Adrian - it's because the Mariners have a sister-club agreement/relationship with Sheffield Utd. Pretty sure their central defender Nick Montgomery came over at the start of the season because of it. It's possible Sheffield may be contributing $ towards the project but not sure
Bondy
Guest
I'm as proud as punch, I was up at Mt Penang yesterday and its a great environment for kids to be educated.This should also help the national team with the likes of Rogic Amini and Ryan destined to represent Australia,to have these kids in my own backyard so to speak and then go on to play for the Mariners then Natioanl Team duties, a dream for me.. We were an exhibition sport on the Central Coast ten years ago,my how things change. Another landmark moment for Australian Football.
Adrian
Guest
any body notices the Sheffield United logo on the football ground with CCM logo on the other side, in that video ?
Midfielder
Guest
Just talking to a mate and he said this could happen within two years or so Keeper .... Matty Ryan CB.............Trent Sainsbury AM ........... Rogic Striker....... Mitchell Duke Bench Musty and Bernie All came tho the COE...
MV Dave
Guest
Tom Rogic in the starting 11 for Celtics SPL game tonight KO at 11pm our time. great opportunity so early on in his career at the Celts! good luck for the lad.
The Bear
Guest
Love it, Middy. I too rate CCM the most successful club on the park. Table positions at the end of each season make you guys the most consistently competitive team ever. However the highs have never been as high as Brisbane's ; )
pete4
Guest
"SCOTTISH club Glasgow Rangers are on the hunt for academy opportunities in Australia with chief executive Charles Green said to be holding talks with A-League clubs during a lightning visit this week. Central Coast Mariners look the most likely target" http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/263242,rangers-in-a-league-hunt.aspx
Midfielder
Guest
Fuss MV & other clubs may have too.... Lyal Gorman is planning a similar thing for WSW... but given our success ....REMEMBER if you do a club table from season 1 to now with the 3 point a win , 1 point a draw , & 0 point for a loss .... we are the most successful club... The academy is just getting stronger as is the COE and now we have a Football school from year 5 to 10 ... and possibly year 12 ... we will get the best juniors... why do you think Rogic choose us he had offers to go to every club... Just look at Trent Sainsbury two year in the academy, put in the senior side last year, this year is a run on player IMO will be sold within 18 months and could be a bottler for the Socceroos.... Also Mitchell Duke two years in the academy side, this year promoted to the senior side, next year IMO will be in the first team... same as Caceres ... then there is Berine & Ryan both off at seasons end to Europe... When we played SFC in round two at one stage we had 7 player on the field 20 and under... Just imagine you are at a talented kid .... come to the coast, go to Football school ... train under the guidance of an A-League club on your Saturday park matches [ie CC Association rep teams] .... be in a club were overseas clubs are looking .... PLUS PLUS UNDERSTAND you will get coaching as good as anywhere in the world in Australia's best facilities... Fuss if MV and others don't compete then we will always have the best juniors and at A-League level the will make us a very strong side and we believe on the coast is the premiership that counts not the final series .. COYA
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Great news just don't let Abbott anywhere near it as soon sd he finds out it is for the common benefit for the majority he will try and destroy it
whiskeymac
Guest
Similar story to nordster and Mid - the choice for me for the Mariners in season 1 was their attitude and vision and a local connection. Well done to the club and Turnbull for seeing through what Gorman started. A truly remarkable club doing something even more remarkable.
nordster
Guest
Ask Tim Cahill to have a word to his boss in New York. FC South Coast Red Bull perhaps? Would fit the area and his plan for an academy down that way. Is that still meant to be happening? A CoE type facility for the south coast would have a great base from the strong football area it already is. Compared to the central coast, the south would probably do well very quickly development wise.
jamesb
Guest
The COE IMO will not only secure the Mariners future, but it would also make the Mariners a strong entity. Always nice to hear stories of how a fan starts following a certain club. I'm envious of the Mariners. Reading this great article, I really want South Coast Wolves in the A-League ASAP!
nordster
Guest
Similar situation to u Midfielder...after moving to Budgewoi which could be described as in the DMZ between Jets and Mariners territory...its the future mindedness of CCM that turned me into a Mariners fan. That and my first year going to NJ games they came last, next season at Bluetongue was rosier as to be expected! Glad to say i got to see Rogic for a season here and hopefully more no10s from CoE to come.
Cpaaa
Guest
That really is brilliant and its almost tempting to convert to a mariners fan or even start a family on the coast. An international football school was simply unimaginable 10 years ago. I will change the channel for just for a moment mid. Now 2 nights in a row on spanish national news that we have seen Australian Football mentioned with the doping scandal. Great footage of the recent ADU V MV match and Valkanis red carded. having just watched the video... the last time i saw something like this was in Barcelona. amazing
Midfielder
Guest
Strange how this makes news in NZ but failed to make a mainstream Australian paper.... maybe it had something to do when the principal said ... " "If you're not interested in football you don't come to my school basically.""" http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/8261890/Aussie-football-school-opens-for-students/ From the principal Mr Chapman The Mount Penang campus will cater for up to 350 students from Year 5 to Year 10, each paying $4800 a year. Two hours every morning is dedicated to training as part of the intensive football program which is integrated into the school curriculum with full-time coaches working alongside teachers. Coaches at the school include former Central Coast Mariners Andre Gumprecht and Bradley Porter, and ex-Matildas Julie Dolan and Joey Peters. IFS founder and chief executive Paul Chapman felt there was a desperate need to introduce the school in Australia. "I've come across a lot of parents who are passionate about the game and haven't been able to find an atmosphere where it's taken seriously," Chapman said today. "If you're not interested in football you don't come to my school basically. "One main difference is that they do football every single day where most schools only do two sessions a week." Chapman said he modelled the school on similar ones he'd seen in Europe and while all skill levels are welcome, students are assessed on attitude. "We really try to capture the attitude of the child and their willingness to be coached - that's the key criteria. "Technical ability doesn't matter so much because we're pretty confident once we get them in here they'll improve pretty rapidly." Chapman, a Central Coast resident, said he'd always planned to base the school between Sydney and Newcastle and admitted having the A-League's table-topping Mariners in the region was a huge draw card. While not officially linked to the Mariners, Chapman hopes to build a strong relationship with them and fellow A-League sides and establish his school as a breeding ground for their future recruits. "The goal longer-term is when the kids are getting to Year 11 or 12 we want the A-League clubs to be coming to us and looking at our kids and considering them," he said.
Midfielder
Guest
Its worth looking at this is the link to the school... please please read what this school is about ... and think why did they build this school on the CC .... http://www.internationalfootballschool.com/