Every Sunday afternoon at Taylor Park in The Entrance you’ll find a bunch of people who come together for a social game of soccer.
One of the organisers, James McLennan, says that the idea is to bring together players of all standards and ages to play in a way that allows people, especially young people, to express and develop their skills.
“It also adds a strong social and community connection element, especially between older players or parents and the younger players.
“What’s interesting is that we have very high standard players playing alongside people with little skill – and it works.
“It’s not a competitive thing just a kick-around which is great for anyone who wants some father/son or daughter time, or someone looking to practise their skills, keep fit or have some social interaction,” McLennan said.
The games have become popular in the few years they’ve been running and McLennan says the positive community atmosphere is what keeps bringing people in.
“We don’t have formal arrangements and numbers fluctuate from week to week with a mix of skill levels so people can free play and not really take it all that seriously and everyone seems pretty happy with that.
“We’ve been doing this for a couple of years now since it was kicked-off by Matt O’Neill who is involved in the local club and youth services.
“We’ve seen the long-lasting benefits from a health perspective and that people really get something out of it and that’s why they continue to come back,” McLennan said.
The social soccer games are held on Sunday afternoons from 5pm for about an hour at Taylor Park in The Entrance.
They run during the soccer off-season over the summer months until about March.
Sue Murray