Sunshine Coast FC will host over 250 players in the first SAP Academy carnival of 2016 on Sunday, 14 February.
The single-day event, to be held at Kawana Western Sports Precinct, will see kids from U10 and U11 age groups test their skills against counterparts from other Skill Acquisition Programs around South-East Queensland.
FFA Skill Acquisition Trainer for Queensland Dean Simpkins is looking forward to the carnival being held on the Sunshine Coast for the first time.
“While it’s only a couple of weeks into this year’s program, I am happy that we are finally able to bring the SAP Academy carnival to the Sunshine Coast,” Simpkins said.
“Ashley Kingdon has done a great job and put a lot of effort into securing this first carnival for the local players.”
Eleven of Sunshine Coast FC’s Skill Acquisition Program participants successfully trialled for PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues teams in 2016.
Fire Academy Director Ashley Kingdon said the club is excited to be hosting and competing in the first SAP Academy carnival for the year.
“We have been working hard to get this carnival application approved and this is going to be a fantastic opportunity for players and parents who are curious about the Sunshine Coast FC SAP program to come and let the quality of football on show speak for itself,” Kingdon said.
“This is going to be a huge benefit to local players on the Coast to be exposed to playing against other SAP licensed teams from all over Queensland and see just how competitive elite level football can be.”
With over 1,000 people expected to be in attendance on the day, Kingdon believes the carnival can be a poisitive for the region beyond football.
“This has been one of the main driving forces in us wanting to hold the carnival here on the Coast as we can help to boost local economy and build relationships with local businesses going forward,” he said.
The Skill Acquisition Program is designed to perfect and accelerate the skill development of players at the critical ages of 9 to 13 with the goal of giving them the technical tools to play football at the highest level.
February’s carnival is the first of six arranged by Football Queensland throughout the year.