Junior Skills MasterClass Series kicks off in style
Dynamic Footy Skills successfully launched its 2015 Junior Skills MasterClass Series on Saturday the 2nd May at Loyola College, in Bundoora.
More than 70 budding superstars from the Northern Football League and Yarra Junior Football League had the chance to develop their skills throughout the three-hour session.
More details about DFS Junior Skills MasterClass Series
As the premier skills development provider in Australia, DFS runs the MasterClass Series as a way to give back to the local community, as well as strengthen its ties with junior clubs.
The participants, from the Under 10, Under 11 and Under 12 age groups, certainly grasped the opportunity with enthusiasm, determination and skill.
Young players who were committed to improving and fine-tuning their footy skills gained invaluable experience from coaches who have been through the AFL, VFL, TAC Cup and interleague systems.
There were also some familiar faces on hand for the kids to look up to with two Under 16 TAC Cup Rep players lending their knowledge and helping out as umpires too.
The program focused on sculpting the players’ kicking, handballing and marking technique, as well as honing in on the crucial physical aspects of tackling and body positioning.
26 different clubs were represented, which also offered the kids a chance to meet like-minded peers and learn through one another.
“We’ve had positive comments about how well the program is running and how attentive the kids are,” DFS coach Steve Musico said.
“We have got a wide variety of kids from Heidelberg all the way to Wallan, so it has been good for them to mix socially as well.”
The players trained according to age group before putting together what they had learned in a series of round-robin matches.
“Teaching the kids to apply the skills they learnt directly to a match situation is so important and something I really like about the MasterClass program,” parent Dave Hatzis said.
“Acquiring the technique is one thing but it’s knowing when and how to use it during a match that is the end goal, and the kids get that here.”
The players weren’t the only ones learning and enjoying themselves. The coaches and parents were also delighted and pleasantly surprised with how the kids went about it.
“The capacity of the kids to learn and the level of focus when they put their mind to something never ceases to amaze me,” DFS coaching director Adrian Talarico said.
“Their attitude has been first rate and I am confident that they have all gone away from today with the rewards.”
The DFS MasterClass Series will continue to be held at varying locations around Melbourne during the entire 2015 football season, with Kew, Essendon, Mt Martha, Burwood, Casey Fields and Sunbury all on the hit list.
More details about our DFS Junior Skills MasterClass Series
