Glenhaven FC built on community spirit
with Matt “ Duck Man ” Austin
Football is the world game . It is played everywhere around the world , from Milan to London , Paris to New York , Tokyo to Glenhaven . Did you just say Glenhaven ? Even the beautiful leafy town in the Hills Shire has a presence in world football and the club are going places .
Kick-starting their journey in the world of football in 1990 on the back of another club in the Hills area not grading under 9s teams for the 1991 season , Bruce Fraser , Gregg Levett and a group of parents who had children at the local school had a meeting and decided to form the Glenhaven Sporting Club .
In their inaugural season in 1991 they proposed to field sides in at least
Glenhaven FC volunteers . Credit : Glenhaven FC . the under 8s and under 10s with the support of members . The club entered the Gladesville Hornsby Association as a new club and adopted the colours of the local school , green and red and the rosella as their emblem .
In their inaugural season they fielded 7 teams including teams in the following ages , twice under 6 , under 7 , under 9 , under 10 and under 11s to start their football journey . They started off at Holland Reserve in 1991 , which has just become Bruce Fraser Field in February this year , after the inaugural esteemed founding father of the club .
Today they play at Glenhaven Oval and the Bruce Fraser Field . In 2022 the club fielded 43 teams with sides in both men ’ s and women ’ s football teams ranging from under 6s through to over 45s competitions .
The club is run by volunteers who do their best every week to ensure all of the players in the club get to play together and represent the community , where most of the members are active participants . They have acknowledged the contribution of all of the volunteers this season and there are good individual profiles on the Facebook page . There is a profile on current president Bill Kafkis , who took the reins of this small club at the end of last year . He spent a long time as ground manager before stepping into the president role .
They also have life member and treasurer Graham Streeter who joined the club 30 years ago and has been involved in many teams as well as being former president . Graham introduced his sons to football ; Emma Graham is member protection officer and referee coordinator ; an enormous job in a club with more than 40 teams . She is also a qualified referee .
Club secretary Terry Louras Hoyle started in 2003 and has helped grow female participation rates , now thriving on the back of the success of the Matildas . Terry first helped put a ladies ’ team on the park 15 years ago and loves being involved .
Events , canteen and sponsorship coordinator , Sasha Abram , has been with Glenhaven since 2016 , and on the committee since 2021 . She has a big portfolio and works with Abi who is the newest and youngest committee member
Glenhaven FC U9 Duke A . Credit : Glenhaven FC .
who joined in 2020 .
Vice president and registrar Glen Streeter has been with the club for 25 years , first a player and now a committee member . He has been a volunteer at the club since 2015 and vice president for 7 years .
Competition secretary Jen McCann began in 2018 and has been on the committee since 2021 . She has played football for many years and plays with the over 30s women ’ s team .
Coaching coordinator Dean Abram has been with the club since 2016 and in his current role since 2021 .
Without all these brilliant volunteers since day one in the club ’ s history , it would not be the community club that it is today , and the community are incredibly grateful .
Hills Shire Council and WSAS celebrate 20-year partnership and Indigenous Talent Identification Day 2024
with Matt “ Duck Man ” Austin
Sports in our area is huge , and the Shire has many athletes competing at elite levels . This year more than 40 young athletes , coaches and umpires from Western Sydney Academy of Sport ( WSAS ) were honoured for their achievements in a ceremony at Hills Shire Council .
WSAS is in its 20th year and offers opportunities to assist young athletes to reach their full potential through skills coaching , education and personal development with access to elite level coaches and technology .
The Hills Shire Council has been a foundation partner of WSAS since its inception in 2004 . WSAS started with three programs and 30 athletes and CEO Martin Bullock said this has now grown to over 3000 athletes in 14 different programs .
There was an increase in numbers from the Hills Shire across a wide range of sports in 2024 , and it is a testament to the council for the care and interest they have in sport within the local community .
WSAS athletes at the Hills Shire award ceremony . Credit : WSAS .
WSAS are now official training partners of the Australian Olympics which means they are setting their athletes up with the right pathway to potentially become future Olympians . Local athletes represent WSAS in volleyball , netball , BMX , badminton , cycling , softball , triathlon , racewalking and athletics .
WSAS and the Hills Shire Council have had a fruitful partnership over the last 20 years which has seen over 560 young athletes pick up scholarships to assist with the development of their sporting skillsets . WSAS is a not-for-profit community-based organisation .
Several athletes from the Hills Shire have gone from local grassroots sports to the international arena . These include Australian tennis star Jordan Thompson , who picked up a world ranking as high as 32 in February this year and currently sits ranked at number 37 . Also , athlete Jana Pittman who went to Crestwood High School , Mount St Benedict College at Pennant Hills and Girraween High School . Jana competed as a junior athlete with Hills Athletics Club . Michelle Jenneke has been selected for her second Olympic games in Paris , representing Australia in the 100m hurdles .
WSAS are particularly interested in engaging with the local Aboriginal community in Blacktown , Hawkesbury , and the Hills Shire to promote diversity and inclusion in sports , and provide opportunities for Indigenous athletes to highlight their talent .
As part of their commitment to supporting Indigenous athletes , they are excited to announce our upcoming Indigenous Talent Identification Day ( ITID ) on 27 August 2024 . The ITID event aims to identify and nurture talented Indigenous athletes in various sports disciplines . The event hopes to :
1 . Provide a platform for Indigenous athletes to display their talent and potential .
2 . Foster community engagement and pride by celebrating Indigenous achievements in sports .
3 . Promote diversity and inclusion in sports by providing equal opportunities for all athletes , regardless of their background .
4 . Partner with local Aboriginal organisations , schools , and community groups to ensure the
Indigenous athletes at WSAS . Credit : WSAS .
event ’ s success and reach a wider audience within the Indigenous community .
With the unique opportunity to offer talented Indigenous athletes the opportunity to showcase their talent to elite coaches on Tuesday 27th August and demonstrate how good they are is an opportunity of a lifetime for some of these brilliant young athletes .
We may unearth the next Reece Walsh or Cathy Freeman !
28 ISSUE 109 // JULY 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT