Kids back on the ball as Soccer Sevens gets under way
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ONE of the biggest sports clubs in the town has kicked off its new season.
A total of 125 children are currently registered across three age groups with Forres Area Soccer Sevens (FASS), and their coaches are thrilled to see them back in action.
FASS chairman Paul Lynch said: “The opening day was a great success with lots of new faces, which is fantastic to see.
“It’s so good to be back playing and we hope to see even more players join us as the season goes on.”
Pre-season selection took place on Sunday, May 23, when the boys and girls tried out for teams in their Developmental 4s (4-6-year-olds), Super 5s (7-9-year-olds), and Junior 7s (10-12-year-olds) sections.
Matches played help the coaches gauge player ability and divide them into fair teams for the upcoming season.
FASS currently has 16 coaches covering six Super 5s and three Junior 7s teams. Six of the coaches help with the Developmental 4’s section.
The group put their coaches through the SFA Level 1.1 Early Touches course to help them design their midweek training sessions, and use training equipment including hurdles, mannequins and a play tunnel to help the younger players improve.
A target goal helps develop accuracy and a heading gantry also improves agility and hand-eye coordination.
“The kids like the equipment as it’s something different,” said Paul. “It keeps them entertained and focused on drills.
“It’s mainly for the Development 4s but is also used by the other sections in training.”
The season usually has a break during the holidays but the club hopes to provide games in July and August this year – as a one-off.
Paul added: “We are looking into the possibility of running sessions throughout the summer.
“As everyone will be staying local or having staycations, we think it will be a good idea to keep going and give the players something to look forward to.
“We usually finish in October every year but we are thinking of extending that too.
“To finish off the season, we will hold our annual tournament and party.”
All necessary Covid-19-related precautions are taken by FASS.
On arrival at Grant Park a register is taken for track and trace, while players and adults are encouraged to use sanitising stations provided.
