IN an effort to create independence among the youth and help them grow, a Sidwell woman has started a soccer club for the young ones in her community, and is actively looking to recruit more members.
Although still in its infancy, the Sidwell United Soccer Club has 17 members for two registered teams, u.13 and u.17.
Founder of the club, Aronia Stride, said that the soccer club is a community initiative to help keep the young boys of Sidwell off the streets, and from partaking in any substance abuse, crime or violence.
“We realised that soccer was something that the young boys all have in common.
“The club was formed by myself but I couldn’t have achieved this without the help of the Sidwell community and our committee,” she said.
Stride added that the idea to start the club originated from her previous involvement in a soccer club.
“I saw how it helped most children within my old community. Some are now playing professionally, and I thought that it would be great if we try to uplift another upcoming star from Sidwell.
“We are currently still actively recruiting and looking for boys under the ages of 13 years and under 17 years old. We normally have practice sessions every weekend, weather permitting, from Saturday to Sunday at our local park in Sidwell Road,” she explained.
“Independence and growth really is our main focus. We want them to realise their true potential and shine and thrive in everything that they do. We also want to help them build focus and be goal-orientated so that they can enjoy life and manifest positive things throughout their lives.”
The club will host a fundraiser this weekend with a Big Walk around the Sidwell area.
“The Big Walk is to hopefully reach out to more families and recruit more players for the club. As this is a community initiative, we want more than one side of Sidwell to be exposed to it. It is also to spread awareness around the club and make it a fun day for raising funds through food stalls for our gym equipment and so forth,” she added.
The Big Walk will take place on Saturday, March 11, from 08:00 until 10:00.
The meeting point will be in Patience Road and end at the park in Sidwell Road.
“We currently do not have any sponsors as the club is very new, but will start actively sourcing sponsorship once the team recruiting phases have been completed.
“We are, however, grateful to DJ Mikey from Club Twins who helped with a fundraiser event, as well as Jacques Erasmus from Woolworths Greenacres for donating balls to the club.”
Anyone requiring additional information about the recruitment or sponsorship initiatives can contact Stride on 071 851 3050 or Lihle Sokutu on 073 142 4020.
