Copthorne Strikes Back

July 21, 2010

The local league was asking for each community / team to develop a squad of 14 children. With only 8 players, they needed at least 6 more to enter the league with the minimum 2 team requirement – things looked bleak!

The manager realised the only way to play against other groups of children was to enter one of the many local six a side tournaments and encourage the community to respond.

Regardless of how well teams or individual players did, every child left the tournament with a medal. The children decided they would wear their medals into school to promote their achievement. Soon other children wanted to come along to see if they could be part of the squad: more tournaments, more medals, more children. A float in the Copthorne Carnival supported the effort and the village was temporarily deafened by some hearty singing voices (but regrettably no X-factor candidates!)

A year on and things have changed considerably. A local business DMA Signs Limited kindly offered to sponsor the team. Shirts were purchased, then caps, then jackets and more children were attracted so that by September 2009 and the beginning of the footie season the squad had been built up to 15 strong and by Christmas was 17 strong. They have now completed their first season and next year we hope to tell you of more successes for the Copthorne Under Eight team.

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