Optus Football Ambassador Lucas Neill, in conjunction with Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Optus, has launched the search for the next generation of football stars through the Optus Small Sided Football Awards.

Now in its second year, the awards program aims to recognise and reward players, coaches and teams participating in Small Sided Football. It follows on from the successful 2011 Awards which returned hundreds of entries from across the country and an outpouring of community support through online votes.

 

Last year, Gemma Morgan, whoplayed for the BMFC U8 Wolves, was the inaugural winner of the Lucas Neill Leadership Award.  Click here to read more about Gemma’s success (you need to scroll down the page to get to the article).

 

The 2012 Optus Small Sided Football Awards is comprised of four categories, developed in conjunction with Lucas Neill:

1. Lucas Neill Award Male and Female – recognises two players (a young male player and female player) who have not only shown skill on the pitch but also demonstrated a love of the game, learnt new skills and have helped others be their best. They don’t have to be the best player, but be someone who respects the referee, their team and the opposition.
2. Coach of the Year Award – recognises a really top coach. We’re not looking for the coach who knows the most, but a motivator, someone who inspires the team to do the best they can.
3. Team of the Year Award – recognises a team that shows great teamwork, a love of the game and a good attitude. A bunch of kids who just love playing football together. Win or lose, it’s about enjoying the game that counts.

Nominations for the awards are open until 31 August, 2012 with prizes including training sessions with top players such as Lucas Neill, and a $10,000 grant for the Team of the Year Award.

Through participation in the awards, Optus also provides money-can’t-buy opportunities for players to demonstrate at half time during matches or sit on the bench alongside the professional players on the pitch at selected matches.

300 Optus Small Sided Football Teams who enter will also receive equipment packs containing goals, balls, bibs and cones – all designed to provide coaches with better equipment to assist in developing their players.

 

Click here to find out more.