Bringing a team to the NSR Kanga Cup can often be a daunting task logistically, but what about bringing a whole school? That’s right, the International Football School [IFS], based on the Central Coast, will be bringing a veritable army of talent to the competition as they enter a remarkable 23 teams across the board from under-9 to under-18. That’s pretty much their entire enrolment of football students.
So why would the IFS up sticks and decamp to Canberra for a week? That’s the question we posed to former Matilda Julie Dolan, after whom the medal for Westfield W-League Player of the Year is awarded, so she would know a thing or two about our great game!
“The attraction of entering the Kanga Cup for our school is many,” Dolan said. “There are categories to cater for all skill levels. We instil in our students the ethos behind the Kanga Cup, i.e. fair play, coaches who are professional in their coaching methods, we don’t tolerate anti-social behaviour from those in our group from anyone, be they parents, coaches or players. The competition is reasonably local and not cost prohibitive and is well organised. And it gives our players the opportunity to compete against many and varied opposition.”
The IFS Philosophy is simple. They preach balance in life, learning and play. No other school in the country offers two hours of elite level football coaching on a daily basis as part of the curriculum. Their top level coaches guide each player’s development providing every opportunity for them to reach their full potential on the pitch and treating each player as an individual.
“Through the inclusion of football training in the school day, our students (and parents) don’t need to go off to training 2-3 nights per week and as such are free to choose other pursuits after school, or simply enjoy family life,” Dolan explains. “We are committed to ensuring the students at IFS become the best they can be, both as an athlete and person.
“The Kanga Cup is very important in our curriculum and is a fixed tournament on our school calendar. Tournament football also very important to IFS as we assess the progress of our program through competition against others. Outside of football in Canberra, our students are involved in local winter competitions and also travel annually to other countries for tournament play.”
The School has a reputation for producing players already and one such talent, Trent Buhagair, recently signed a contract extension with the Central Coast Mariners in the Hyundai A-League until the end of the 2016/17 season. The Umina Eagles junior developed his game at Kariong’s International Football School and is currently plying his trade with the Central Coast Mariners Academy during the Hyundai A-League off-season.
The IFS are sure to be welcome visitors to the national capital and anyone interested in joining the IFS, and perhaps following in the footsteps of Buhagair, are encouraged to make enquiries through their website www.internationalfootballschool.com, or contact the IFS enrolment officer directly.
