An interesting opportunity to further local footballers’ aspirations within the round-ball game will descend on Shepparton.
Leo Szwec, who currently plays for and helps coach Shepparton Soccer Club in Bendigo Amateur Soccer League, has revealed plans for a week-long professional soccer camp in October aimed at boys and girls aged 10 to 13 years.
The news of this upcoming camp, set to run shortly after the league’s finals conclude, continues a bumper week for football in the region with Monday’s news of Melbourne Victory arriving in town next month for a pre-season friendly at McEwen Reserve.
Szwec, who himself put up a brace in a finals-clinching BASL victory for Shepparton at the weekend over Spring Gully, is hardly a stranger to elite coaching environments either.
“This is running by myself through my Powergoal Academy,” Szwec said.
“I have 20 years experience in football with a high-degree regiment.
“I practised coaching with DF Football after I coached under-13 at Monash Villarreal.”
The French import already operated as a one-on-one coach in the privately-run DF Football youth training set-up in Melbourne, led by current Western United under-23 manager Diogo Ferreira.
On this occasion, though, Szwec steps out on his own to conduct the sessions, which will run from Monday, September 30 to Sunday, October 6 in the heart of school holidays.
“I started my own business as a private coach doing one-on-one sessions and I’m doing this because I would like to help develop football in Australia,” Szwec said.
“There are good opportunities here and we would like to create a professional atmosphere and show them what it’s like in Europe.
“They’ll be training in the mornings from Monday to Friday with activities in the afternoon focused on things like nutritional advice.
“It’s nine-a-side training and it finishes with a big nine-a-side game on the Sunday on a half-pitch.
“We would like to mix the professional atmosphere in the morning with fun and good memories in the afternoon.”
Each weekday block will run from 8am to 4pm with a rest on the Saturday before the program concludes with match simulation.
Szwec outlined the afternoon plans throughout the week’s schedule, helping to educate the children on footballing topics ranging from diet and muscle recovery to art and media training.
The intake for the week will be capped at 40 children, with a minimum of 18 required for the clinic to run at Shepparton’s Vibert Reserve.
Interested applicants can contact the @powergoalacademyofficial Instagram page.