Our 13’s and 14’s Academy sides have jetted off to New South Wales as they get set to take part in the FFA National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour.
The annual competition, which consists of the member federation state teams, as well as invited two-star Academy sides, will see our boys take on the best young players in the country from Monday (30th September) to Friday (4th October) this week.
Academy Technical Director and former Glory midfielder Steven McGarry is looking forward to the tournament and believes it’s a fantastic opportunity for the young stars.
“It’s great to be invited back as a two-star Academy after the success of last year,” he said.
“The 13’s and 14’s came back as National Champions and that experience will put them in good stead this time.”
“We can’t wait to see the boys make the most of their opportunity to play against the best young players in Australia.”
Our @PerthGloryFC 13’s & 14’s Academy squads heading East to Coffs Harbour for the @FFA National Youth Championship this week. pic.twitter.com/DxVERNswie
— Steven McGarry (@stevenmcgarry) September 28, 2019
McGarry, who has overseen a hugely successful year with the Glory Academy, insists the tournament presents the chance for the aspiring youngsters to develop themselves on and off the football field.
“It’s a tournament the players look forward to and it’s for them to travel and experience football out of their comfort zone,” he said.
“It allows them to build on their relationships and rapport with both teammates and coaches as well as professional habits, in terms of recovery, eating habits and sleeping patterns as they’ll potentially be playing two games in a single day.”
“So for their maturity and independence, it’s an invaluable experience and we look for the players to take real ownership of that.”
Delayed flight up to Coff Harbour.. the boys have been well looked after in the @qantas club though 👌🏻 pic.twitter.com/F6zYDyRzlj
— Steven McGarry (@stevenmcgarry) September 29, 2019
The two squads, comprised of 17 players, 2 head coaches, Assistant Coaches, Goalkeeper coach, a team physio, as well as McGarry and the club’s Westfield W-League and Academy Manager Terry McFlynn.
“It’s really beneficial to have someone of Terry’s experience and footballing knowledge to travel over with us, I’m sure the boys will learn a lot from him.”
“The tournament is the perfect platform for the players to embrace a new challenge and to showcase their talents in front of National Technical Director Rob Sherman, Trevor Morgan and the Technical study group.”
“The squads are in a great space in regards to form and all preparations have been excellent. We are really looking forward to them showcasing their ability.”
The Championships kick-off today at C.ex International Stadium and we’ll keep you updated throughout the week across our socials.
#OneGlory
