MINIMAL opportunities for local football players to currently develop into top-level systems is the reason why a new junior league (J-League) football tournament will start at the end of October.
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Only one other location in Australia is believed to do something similar - the Caravella Football Academy in Cairns.
It is the reason why J-League director Mick Day decided to pick up the idea and run with it in Port Macquarie.
"Our country kids deserve more," he said.
"It's about offering our players opportunities that they have never had and currently don't have.
"It's not something we normally do in Australia, but it's in line with what they do in Europe and Brazil and this is how we transition our juniors from futsal and small-sided games into the bigger game.
"It is a really big deal and people don't understand that, but this is how they become the best of the best."
Day wanted to help developing local superstars reach the next level - whether that was to achieve their goals or dreams with the Newcastle Jets, Brisbane Roar, or any potential overseas club.
"It's a competition where the entry fee is going back into prizemoney for those clubs and those teams to participate," he said.
"It's about getting the right development plan down for kids of our region so that we're competitive when we go national or international."
The tournament will involve teams of seven with local clubs including Port United and Western Phoenix to be represented.
"(Playing seven versus seven) is how you transition kids correctly into the football world," Day said.
"It's still getting multiple touches and they're learning formations and systems.
"We're already getting enquiries from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane asking if we can take it there, but we're doing it for our region at the moment."
We're already getting enquiries from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane asking if we can take it there, but we're doing it for our region at the moment.
- J-League director Mick Day
The decision to play the competition on the synthetic surface at the training pitch of the Alexandria Soccer Academy was due to a number of factors, but mainly to bridge the gap at the next level.
"We've chosen that for a number of reasons," Day said.
"When you get to a representative level in outdoor here, you generally play into Newcastle or Brisbane.
"If you play at Newcastle, some of those pitches are synthetic so our kids aren't used to playing on that because we play on turf so this gives us that experience."
The competition has already received support overseas with Eleven Sport director Nicoletta Sergiano suggesting they could select players and coaches from the competition to train and compete in Italy.
"Players selected from the J-League will be offered opportunities to compete in Italy," Day said.
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