After the COVID-19 pandemic put a hold on many events in the calendar at the Benalla Rovers Soccer Club, the club is starting to build itself back up again.
The Rovers have kick-started their MiniRoos program, with the first session held last Wednesday afternoon.
The program, designed for kids between the ages of four to 12, will run for six weeks from 4pm to 5pm every Wednesday at Churchill Reserve.
Rovers president Rhiannon Collie said the club was buzzing to get their junior program running again.
“It was a tough time over COVID, but we’re looking to try and get things back up and going,” she said.
“Anybody can come down and have a kick around.
“We’ve got a couple of young game leaders who are keen to share their knowledge who were junior players with us a few years ago.”
With a number of players who came through the ranks at the Rovers throwing their hands up to help run sessions, Collie said the focus would be participation and getting kids into soccer through games and activities.
“We’re really working hard on participation, everybody gets to join in in a way they feel comfortable,” Collie said.
“If we can get the numbers, we can build pathways towards a competition, whether that’s in Wangaratta or Shepparton, we can work on that development.”
Growing club numbers through MiniRoos will be a focus, Collie says, and if successful, a number of club social events could be on the cards in the not too distant future.
“We’re looking to bring back our evening social which was for teenagers and adults and we’re hoping we can bring that back over summer,” she said.
“We’re just trying to get back to where we were, but we’re literally starting from scratch again.”
Collie said the work of a dedicated few had made the difference during a challenging couple of years.
“There’s only a couple of us trying to work together with it — but we love what we do.
“Our main focus is sharing our fun and enjoyment with everybody.”
For more information on how to get involved at Benalla Rovers, visit: https://www.facebook.com/benallarovers