A group of girls from the south coast have made history in their club and want to bring it to Canberra. The Far South Coast girls have been a record-breaking team which, considering five years ago there wasn’t a single girls’ representative side in the far south coast and there are now teams from under 12s all the way up to under 16s, is some achievement.
Dean Denaro and Cat McLean are a part of the clubs rising success, as the coach and manager of the under 16’s girls who are heading to Canberra for Kanga Cup. The Far South Coast is a club with aspiring dreams and a good mindset. They have a mission to create a great club culture that is aiming to grow and improve as a whole.
“The Far South Coast under 16 girls has been the work of many years lifting the profile of girls in sport in the region,” Denaro said. “We live in a rural area in the far south coast of NSW, next to the Victorian boarder and enjoy both the beaches and the mountains.”
This is their first time at the tournament, and they are grateful to have the opportunity after not having a full team before. The experience of the tournament and what it brings is what keeps teams coming back or gets them interested in the first place. These girls got hooked and are excited to see what’s in store.
“For all of the girls in the under 16s this will be the first time that they have been able to participate in the Kanga Cup,: Denaro confirmed. “This tournament is an opportunity that many of the girls have been looking to compete in for many years, this was the first year that we were able to get a team together to make it happen.
“The Kanga Cup will be a great experience for the players, being the first large scale tournament against teams from metropolitan areas. That being said, while they may lack some of the advantages that living in metropolitan areas can bring, the players perform incredibly well and bring a lot of passion and dedication to the pitch.
The trek from the South Coast will see the squad supported by family and friends, with many utilising the opportunity to come to Canberra to get in some sight-seeing and to create some memories. For it is the experience, the fun, and the opportunities that each player can create which is their aim for the week.
“Lots of families in the team are treating participating in the Kanga Cup as an opportunity to have a family holiday during the school holidays,” Denaro revealed, “Canberra has a fantastic range of family friendly activities such as museums, art galleries, and other activities that you cannot access in our regional centre like go-karting, mini golf and shopping.
“This is a tournament that is recognised on a national scale, to be able to give kids from our regional area the opportunity to play against teams based in city centres will offer them a fantastic experience and give those players who wish to take their sport further, the opportunity to see what’s involved in larger scale competitions.”
