A new Futsal league is now up and running at the Leisuretime Centre.
The Multicultural League comprises six teams of young men aged between 16 years and 28 years, who are from Burma, Thailand, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
The league was made possible through sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Corio Bay and a partnership between the fOrT Youth Centre, Leisuretime Centre and Football Federation Victoria. The Rotary members attend each Monday night to support the guys, watching some very competitive games.
The focus is developing young leaders into club managers, holding committee meetings, qualified referees and supporting them to expand the league into incorporating volleyball teams, girls-only soccer teams and junior teams.
Each club has their own captain, whose job it is to reinforce good sportsmanship, competition rules and encourage family participation. The team members will hold Family Fun Days over the school holidays and monthly barbecues after matches for all members.
This positive initiative included a number of lead-in workshops that all team members participated in. They covered developing competition guidelines and rules, positive mental health and looking after your mates, health and wellbeing and bonding sessions.