By Victoria Stone-Meadows
A new soccer team, part of the Berwick City Club that caters for children and young people with a disability, is calling out for members.
The new seven-a-side team offers kids aged between five and 16 years old who are living with a disability a chance to get involved in a sports team.
The new team is being run by volunteer at the soccer club Jo Clemens, who understands how difficult it can be to have an active child living with a disability.
When her son Will was just two years old, he suffered through two major stokes, leaving him with right-side hemiplegia.
Now 13 years old, the effects of the stroke have rendered the right side of Will’s body significantly weaker than his left, but Ms Clemens said he had been an active sportsman despite this.
“Will has always been very active, determined and motived and just loves sports,” she said.
“He couldn’t walk or talk after his strokes but during nine years of rehabilitation we found out about a soccer team in Northcote for kids with acquired brain injuries, cerebral palsy and stroke-related injuries.”
Will played soccer with the team in Northcote for three years before he was recently selected for the Victorian development team run through the Football Federation of Victoria (FFV).
Since then, Ms Clemens has been pushing to have more seven-a-side teams for children with a disability closer to home.
According to the FFV, seven-a-side soccer is played by footballers with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injuries and those with stroke-related impairments.
However, Ms Clemens said the new team at Berwick City Soccer Club was open to kids with all types of disabilities.
“We say it’s a relaxed atmosphere and encourage anyone to come along and have a try,” she said.
“It’s a fun-based sports team that is almost a different way of doing rehabilitation with other kids, and for parents to connect in their shared experiences as well.”
Ms Clemens wanted to thank the Berwick City Soccer Club for the use of the facilities at Foxes Road and for supplying a coach in the form of their women’s team star Kate Wilson.
The seven-a-side team at Berwick City will have direct links to the Paralympics through the FFV, which allows the children to grow and develop their skills.
The new team at Berwick City has four participants and only need three more to have a full team up and running.
To find out more about the new team or to sign up, contact Jo Clemens on 0417 339 140 or Nicky Woodward on 0438 521 503.
