Events
1. Events in the Community
The Community Street Soccer Program hosts and participates in a wide range of community events designed to educate about the issues faced by homeless, marginalised and disadvantaged people in local areas.
Community events also provide our participants with the opportunity to interact with people who they would not normally meet in the friendly sporting environment. Our participants build relationships and break down barriers with services such as law enforcement, emergency services and welfare services which ultimately helps them in their everyday lives.
Community events hosted all around Australia include Homeless Connect Events and challenge matches with Police, Fire Brigade, Correctional Services, Prisons and Welfare Agencies.
The Community Street Soccer Program also hosts soccer activities throughout a range of other community events such as Anti Poverty Week, Mental Health Week and Homelessness Week.
2. State Championships
2011 Victorian Street Soccer Championships
Over 100 participants, TBI staff and Southbank Rotarians attended the Victorian State Camp - 4 - 6 March 2011 at Toolangi in the Yarra Valley.
Set amongst the forest, 9 Victorian Street Soccer Programs (Dandenong, North Melbourne, Women’s Only, Broadmeadows, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Mildura and Morwell) competed against each other in ‘big bertha’ on Saturday and Sunday for this year’s championships.
The Broadmeadows program was victorious; with Morwell receiving the Fair Play Award; Tanya Ashmore from Ballarat ‘Best Female’; and Peter Malesh from Dandenong ‘Best Male’.
Off the pitch, Street Soccer participants engaged in a variety of personal development activities throughout the weekend including:
- Outdoor activities, hosted by Rotary with many players pushing themselves beyond their comfort zone to achieve the activity.
- Trivia and giant games hosted by individual programs enabling players to take on roles of responsibility amount their peers.
- Part 1 ‘National Challenge’ undertaken by each program where Street Soccer participants provided some insight on their program including what, where, who, why and how they train.
- Melbourne Heart players Peter Zois and Eli Babalj attended on the Sunday and participated in a Q & A, medal presentations and final pitch dance!
- Music performance from Heidi Everett, who uses music to help relieve her mental illness http://www.heidieverett.com.au/Heidi_Everett/Home.html and a real highlight for staff and players alike.
Click
here for photo highlights from the weekend (link to Photo Gallery for 2011 State Championships)
Sponsored by:
Rotary South Melbourne
3. National Championships
Street Soccer National Championships 2011 - SydneyThis year’s 2011 National Street Soccer Championships proved to be a brilliant success. It featured as the highlight of The Big Issue’s first Street Football Festival. In the backdrop of Darling Harbour, the national network of Community Street Soccer Program came together to represent NSW, QLD, VIC Metro, VIC Regional, SA/TAS, WA and ACT in a stunning display of sportsmanship and camaraderie. The Championships highlighted the participants who excel in their commitment to make positive changes in their lives.
The first time, ACT and Queensland reached the finals and played off beautifully with ACT being victorious in the end and Queensland gracious in defeat.
The Fair Play Award went to VIC Metro for their genuine spirit of football, sport and fair play.
Best Female to Sherlene Miguel from Geelong and Best Male to Michael Grieve from Brisbane.
Final placing was as follows: 1. ACT, 2. Queensland, 3. VIC Metro, 4. NSW, 5. SA/TAS, 6. VIC Regional, 7. WA
4. Homeless World Cup
From 21-28 August 2011, France and the City of Paris will host 64 teams – 48 teams in the Homeless World Cup and 16 all women’s teams, uniting together at the 9th Homeless World Cup. Over 500 players, including an 8 person Australian team, will unite on the Champs–de-Mars, in the shadow of the Eiffel tower, for the week long tournament which uses football to energize homeless people into changing their own lives.