Four Parkes soccer teams competed at the Forbes Gala Day last weekend and the U16 Boys side came home as overall winners. They beat Orange 2-0 in the grand final. The U14 Girls team went down in the semi-final in a penalty shoot out to Bathurst. The U16 team are at the back (L-R) Coach: Angela Bottaro-Porter, Kai Airey, Jake Sinclair, Harrison Budd, Harrison Kennedy, Cameron Frogley, Dusty Annai, Tom Burkitt, Charlie Cowie and Fraiser Beaton. In front are Riley Mcmaster, Hayden Lamond, Danilo Bottaro- Porter, Alexander Macgregor, Ruby Smith, Kaden Charlton-Little and Conner Batt.

Parkes High School PE teacher and Parkes Cobras coach Meaghan Kempson will be going with the Young Matildas to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 in Costa Rica. 

Meaghan recently attended the Young Matildas preparation camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) for the Under 20’s Women’s World Cup as Equipment Manager. She will be attending more preparation camps in the lead up to the World Cup in Costa Rica from 10th to 28th August. 

The Young Matildas coach Leah Blayney, who represented Australia and played in the US, invited Meaghan to join the coaching team at a Young Matildas camp last year. Meaghan is now a valuable member of the coaching staff. 

The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup takes place biennially and sees 16 nations compete against each other for the prize. The competition has seen four past champions; USA, Germany, Japan and Korea DPR. 

The tournament was originally planned for 2020 and intended to have Panama as co-host, but it had to be postponed due to the COVID pandemic. Costa Rica were then named sole host. 

With the 2021 season coming to an unfortunate early finish due to COVID lockdowns, the Parkes & District Amateur Soccer Association committee has been working hard behind the scenes finding ways to wind up the season.

The Policies and Procedures Meeting will be held on Monday, 18th October at 6:30pm at Parkes Bowling & Sports Club. Any application to change current by-laws must be received via email to pdasasecretary@outlook.com.au by 6pm Friday, 15th October. All Open Ladies teams from the 2021 season need to have a representative in attendance.

The Junior Presentation will be held on Saturday, 30th October 1pm at Harrison Park. COVID rules and regulations will still apply with QR check in and social distancing enforced. All participants in our non-competitive junior teams will receive an individual award with a team photo taken. Presentation times for each group are: 1pm – Under 6; 1:30pm – Under 8; 2pm – Under 10.

In the competitive age groups only premiers and runner-up trophies will be presented with the individual best and fairest awards. The following teams will receive trophies from 2:30pm: Under 12 Premiers: Strikers; Under 12 Runners-Up: Victory; Open Juniors Premiers: Rangers; Open Juniors Runners-Up: Wolves

No presentation will be held in both divisions of our Open Ladies Competitions with teams instead receiving awards at the compulsory Policies and Procedures meeting. The teams are: 1st Division Premiers: Cougars; 1st Division Runners-Up: Commercial Kookaburras; 2nd Division Premiers: Forbes Power; 2nd Division Runners-Up: Railway Bowling Club.

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday, 8th November at 6pm at Parkes Bowling & Sports Club. All positions on the committee will be declared vacant. Anyone interested in volunteering to join the committee should attend the AGM or email pdasacommittee@outlook.com.au.

 

 

 

 

 

The Parkes & District Amateur Soccer Association held its Grand Finals at Pioneer Oval last Saturday. It was a great
day of soccer, despite the dust storm turning the sky brown! The winners were U12- Glory; U17- Rangers; B Grade-
Peak Hill All Stars and A Grade- PLC Raptors. Pictured are the Peak Hill All Stars.

The future of soccer in Parkes promises to be exciting with the completion of the refurbishment of the 41-year-old amenities block at Harrison Park Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith, Councillors and representative from the Parkes & District Amateur Soccer Association attended the opening of the new $378,000 project last Thursday.

Harrison Park, home of the Parkes & District Amateur Soccer Association, is considered one of the premier soccer fields in the Central West, but the amenities were in desperate need of refurbishment.

The new facility features two spacious change rooms, eight additional toilets, and additional facilities for disabled/ambulant access. The change rooms provide direct access to shower facilities, which can be closed to the public when required.

The new amenities block has been designed for maximum ventilation while still being sheltered from the weather, and also features a new referee room, and accessible parent change room. Energy and water efficiencies include timed taps and bubbler, LED lighting on timed sensors, and drinking bottle refill stations.

“These upgrades will certainly be a game changer for local soccer. There are more than 500 registered players, as well as spectators and family members who regularly use these facilities, while the Parkes and District Cricket Association also utilise the field,” the Mayor said.

Parkes & District Amateur Soccer Association’s President, Wayne Osborne said the new facilities would give Parkes a competitive edge when bidding to host future sporting events.

“We are looking to apply for some rounds of the Western Youth League, and following that State titles. Councils are really investing in the playing surfaces and sealing work on the car parks, so we will end up with a premier product.”

The works were managed by Parkes Shire Council’s Building and Projects Officer Bart Ingram and delivered by local building contractor Rodney Barnes.