With plenty of smiles across the faces of both children and their parents as they got their first taste of football, the ALDI MiniRoos Road Trip has come to a conclusion for 2019.

Visiting 17 regional locations across Queensland for the last month, the ALDI MiniRoos Road Trip invited children of all skill levels aged 4-11 to experience the game of football in a fun, safe and inclusive environment under the guidance of qualified coaches.

With over 550 children participating across the 17 ALDI MiniRoos Road Trip clinics held across the state, the next generation of potential Caltex Socceroos and Westfield Matildas were introduced to football as the ALDI MiniRoos Road Trip continues to grow each year.

From Gympie to Emerald, Moranbah to Mareeba, the ALDI MiniRoos Road Trip not only provided an opportunity for kids to participate in football, but also offered free ALDI MiniRoos coaching courses for parents eager to learn more about the game.

With much of North Queensland suffering as a result of recent floods, free clinics were held in both Ingham and Townsville to allow as many children as possible to be able to participate.

The ALDI MiniRoos clinic held at Townsville recorded the highest rate of participation for the Road Trip, with over 80 children participating in the session.

It is these numbers that despite adversity, showcase the strength of football at a grassroots level throughout regional Queensland in bringing a community together.

Travel did not deter some from getting involved and making the most of the chance to participate in football, with one family in particular travelling over three hours to Mareeba from Cooktown to take part in the ALDI MiniRoos clinic, as well as some travelling two hours for the Biloela clinic.

Football Queensland would like to thank everyone who participated in the ALDI MiniRoos Road Trip clinics and coaching courses, and the clubs and zones across regional Queensland who welcomed the FQ coaches.

Words: Jacob Cocciolone