To all our Avalon Soccer Club members, I hope everyone is safe and well, and enjoying the off-season.
On the back of two challenging years of Covid, this year we had to endure the wettest football season that I could remember. Everyone involved with the club and the community have been very resilient and patient. We are all hoping for a bigger, better and dryer 2023!
Now that the curtains have closed on our 2022 football season, I wanted to extend a thank you to our fantastic managers, knowledgeable coaches, generous sponsors, tireless volunteers and the positive and determined attitude of our players. From our juniors to our senior teams and everyone in between, the attitude, mindset and competitive spirit within our Avalon community has been second to none.
A special mention to all our sponsors starting with our major sponsor LJ Hooker, Brown Bros Skip Bins, Besteam Sport, 3D Automation, Lejen Marine, Coastal Kitchens, Linisil Plumbing, Loomina & Co, Ridgeback Transport, Barrenjoey Designs, Trust Tree Brewery, Avalon Law, Chill Bar, Polo Smash Repairs, Avalon Tyres, Barrenjoey Timbers, Word of Mouth Fencing, Ken Simpson Motors, Cranzgots Pizza, Anytime Fitness, Saintly and Happy Pics.
Being the last club on the Northern Beaches peninsula, we definitely bat well above our weight, with nearly 1,200 players and 90 teams, having another successful season with 18 Semi Finalists, 10 Grand Finalists and 5 Grand Final Winners. Well done to everyone.
Special congratulations to our 3 teams who were crowned 2022 League Champions, W12/1, U16/2s and O45/3s. The W12/1 went on to represent the MWFA in the Champion of Champions as well. We are incredibly proud of your achievements.
This year was the 40th Anniversary of the club’s amalgamation between Avalon Junior Soccer Club and Avalon United (Seniors) in 1982. We had a very successful and fun “BACK TO AVALON DAY” to celebrate this milestone in the club’s history. We were lucky to have many sponsors, life members, past
committee members and players turn out at Careel Bay. There will be a big Women’s Football Focus next year with the Women’s Football World Cup in Australia and NZ, so we are expecting to increase our
already impressive female player numbers. Currently, our female players makeup a third of the club’s players with a lot of the girls dual registering to play in our Saturday mixed competition as well.
After a few years of no international travel, our W16 girls are gearing up to resurrect the well-known Vanuatu Tour. This group of girls will raise money from fundraising activities and aim to leave in the June holidays next year. The main focus of this tour is to promote women’s football in the region.
This year we were able to have our Club’s Junior and Youth Presentation Day at the Avalon Public School. The rain did not ease up but that did not dampen the turnout or the smiling faces on the kids receiving their trophies and awards. Congratulations to all our award winners on the day, and also to the members of our community who took home our perpetual awards at last week’s committee dinner.
We have big plans for where we want to take this club over the next 5-10 years, and we have a vision of where we want to be, and create a whole club approach, which unifies Juniors and Seniors. To assist these plans we launched a few key initiatives – Development Program, Spirit of Football, Online Team
Photos and we have implemented an important document Project 2030 which highlights the 4 Key Club Pillars (Football Development; Club infrastructure; Sponsorship / Marketing; Member Services) to focus on. We are looking to form Sub-Committees to look after these areas so if you want to be involved, please reach out to me directly on president@avalonsoccerclub.com.au.
Our Club AGM is on Mon 21st Nov where we are hoping some great volunteers come forward to join our already fantastic hardworking committee. It is an incredibly exciting time to be involved at Careel Bay.
I hope that everyone involved has enjoyed their time playing with us this year and felt proud to pull on the famous red Avalon jersey to represent our Club, your family and football here on the beaches.
Enjoy your break, see you at the Bay in 2023, Avalon is Magic!
John Kowtan (JK)
President, Avalon Soccer Club.