New Ballina 6s to bridge gap between summer and winter soccer

A NEW Ballina 6s soccer competition will kick off next month, aiming to expand playing options for juniors while re-engaging parents through a flexible senior format.

The competition is designed to bridge the gap between summer six-a-side and the Far North Coast winter season.

It will offer junior divisions from under-8s to under-14s, along with open men’s and women’s teams.

Matches will be played on Monday nights at Saunders Oval from February 2 to March 30, running over nine weeks with a finals series.

The competition will run again during term 2 and 3 of the school year.

“It started as an idea between a few of us to get something going all-year round,” event organiser Jared Smeal said.

“The juniors don’t really have anything like this at the start of the season and those divisions are filling up quickly.

“We’re also hoping to appeal to people who can’t play on the weekends due to family commitments and bring them back the the game.

“There might also be other clubs who might want to use it as an additional training session.”

There will be eight junior teams in each division with senior numbers capped at 16 teams.

The organisers were involved in the successful Summer 6s competition run by the Tintenbar-East Ballina club and have experience delivering futsal and other modified versions of the game.

The competition has been designed to be low-cost and time-friendly, with games finishing by 6.30pm.

“We’ve got good people involved and sponsors who have helped us buy referee shirts and corner flags with the business names on them,” Smeal said.

“We’re focused on flexibility and making it easier for people to play.”

Registrations and further information are available at ballina6s.com.au