Renzi Returns

Thomas Renzi returned to training with the Under 21 EDP squad last week and has pledged his commitment to The Round Ball program over the summer.

Skoko Cup Squad Prepares

Members from The Round Ball U21 EDP were put through their paces by Ante Skoko as they continued to prepare for the away fixture in Geelong on December 13.

Skoko was impressed with the squad and with 14 squad members already confirmed including Callum Ferguson and Matt Weistra, who have recently returned from a week long trial with Campbelltown City, they are set to be competitive to say the least.

The White Ribbon Cup

The White Ribbon Cup kicked off last Sunday with The Round Ball soccer development program hosting the event which next year will kick start White Ribbon Week in Mount Gambier. Event organiser and White Ribbon Ambassodor, Scott Dickson was delighted with the event and cant wait to see the the event grow next year. "It was fantastic to see the players take part in this years trial. We had a great game with our under 21 girls taking on a boys side for 45 minutes and then at half time both sides combining to play mixed football for the last 45. The game finished 5 goals to 3 but the result was not the important thing, it was the spirit of the game that was the most important aspect" said Dickson. "We want this competition to be special, a once a year opportunity for male and female footballers to compete against one another to raise awareness to a great cause."

This years game was held at Grant High School and featured the presentation of The Spirit of The Game Cup to Eleni Kourmosis and Alex Sims, the two players who demonstrated the values of the cup to the highest degree.

"At the end of the game we awarded the Cup and discussed the White Ribbon campaign. It was a great way to introduce the subject and inform a large group of people about White Ribbon" Dickson added.

Next year it is hoped that the White Ribbon Cup will involve several matches played over the Sunday prior to White Ribbon Day and the event will kick start the White Ribbon Campaign in Mount Gambier.

Mayor of Mount Gambier and fellow local ambassador Steve Perryman added his support to initiative saying the cup will provide a wonderful start to the week.

Hart Set to Begin Training

After 8 weeks on the sidelines Cameron Hart is set to return to training this week with the North Geelong Warriors Elite Development Program.

We wish him all the best.

Ante Skoko Coaching Clinics

Ante Skoko provided a huge boost for The Round Ball by visiting and working with over 60 players on the weekend.

Skoko offers advice to our under 16 boys.

Heart set to bring Skoko home

Former Socceroos star Josip Skoko is poised to join A-League club-in-waiting Melbourne Heart.

The Heart announced their first two player signings on Tuesday, snaring Newcastle Jets captain Matt Thompson and Adelaide midfielder Kristian Sarkies.

Skoko, currently seeing out the remaining months of his contract with Croatian heavyweights Hajduk Split, seems set to join them.

The midfielder wants to be close to his family, who are based in Melbourne and Geelong, and always wanted to end his playing days in Australia.

"I've always said after I've finished my career in Europe I'd like to come back and live in Australia," Skoko told AAP.

"My contract expires at the end of this season and I'll most likely be moving back down there with the family for a few years.

"It all depends on how things come together, I've had some contact with the Heart and I'm very open to suggestions."

Heart chief executive Scott Munn confirmed the club's interest in Skoko, but said coach John van't Schip planned to watch him play live before they moved on to contract discussions.

"He's going to go and watch him play a few times in Croatia and from there he will make a decision," Munn said.

"It would be fantastic (to sign Skoko), but it's one of the reasons we've employed John."

The Heart have also been linked to Sydney FC defender Simon Colosimo and Central Coast's Dean Heffernan.

But Colosimo has dismissed reports he has agreed to terms with the A-League's 11th club, saying if he left Sydney it would most likely be to head to Asia.

Van't Schip said he was excited about the signings of Thompson, a veteran of 107 A-League games, and former Melbourne Victory player Sarkies.

"Both players are technically excellent, great professionals and moving toward the peak of their careers," he said.

Skoko, with 15 years' club experience in Belgium, Turkey, England and Croatia and 51 caps for the Socceroos, would be a significant coup for the Heart.

"I'm feeling good, I don't have any major injury problems, hopefully the body has still got something to offer and perhaps it might be an interesting little end to the career," said the 33-year-old, who retired from the international game after the 2006 World Cup.

In other news, Skoko said his close friend and former Socceroos captain Mark Viduka had not yet called time on his playing career.

Viduka has been unsighted on a football pitch since late May and has repeatedly rejected offers from Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek to contribute to Australia's 2010 World Cup campaign.

Now back in his hometown of Melbourne, Viduka is - according to Skoko - still deliberating his next move.

"I don't think he's hung up the boots yet, I think if the right opportunity came up he could well put them back on, but for now he's just enjoying life as it comes," Skoko said.

© 2009 AAP
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Elite Development Training

Ante Skoko and Round Ball graduate Cameron Hart shortly after Hart's first game for North Geelong in the VPL.

Elite Development Program Sessions

This weekend Ante Skoko will be in Mount Gambier to work with players affiliated with The Round Ball.
Ante has had a fantastic career in football including an overseas career spanning nine years.
He manages Josip Skoko, his brother and was born and raised in Mount Gambier.
Session times are listed below

Friday November 27
6.00-7.15
Under 21 Boys

Saturday November 28
10.00-11.15
Under 14

11.30-12.45
Under 12

1.00-2.15
Under 16

Sunday November 29
10.00-11.15
Under 21

White Ribbon Cup

The first White Ribbon Cup squads after the 8 goal thriller Sunday morning.

Dinamo Zagreb 2010 Youth Academy

Mount Gambier's biggest star football star Josip Skoko questions Heart to play next year

Mount Gambier born Josip Skoko could be on the verge of ending his stellar career back in Australia.

Skoko is holding discussions with A-League newcomers the Melbourne Heart about being part of its inaugural squad when the club joins the competition next season.

The 33-year-old has revealed he's spoken with the Hearts' football operations manager John Didulica, a Geelong soccer identity, about the prospect of returning home and he will meet with coach John vant Schip while he is travelling around Europe looking at prospective players.

Skoko is in the final year of a contract at Croatian club Hajduk Split and said the prospect of joining the new A-League franchise was "exciting and interesting".

"The hunger isn't there anymore for me in Croatia and this will be my last season," Skoko said.

"But maybe what I need is a challenge and the Heart could be it.

"I'll be happy to meet with John vant Schip. I've already had a few discussions with John Didulica and a big part of me would like to put something back into the Australian game.

"It would be good to do my bit to help the A-League flourish. My body is feeling good. I've avoided major injuries and the Heart could be a very interesting and exciting project for me.

"A lot will depend on whether my hunger to continue playing is still there next year. That's the big question and one I don't yet know the answer to."

Skoko played 51 games for the Socceroos before retiring from international football in September, 2007.

He's spent the last 14 years playing in Europe at Hajduk, Genk, Genclerberligi and English Premier League clubs Wigan and Stoke City.

White Ribbon Cup

The Round Ball
White Ribbon Cup

Under 21 G Squad v U14 United

The White Ribbon Foundation of Australia aims to eliminate violence against women by promoting culture-change around the issue.

White Ribbon Day was created by a handful of Canadian men in 1991 on the second anniversary of one man's massacre of fourteen women in Montreal. They began the White Ribbon Campaign to urge men to speak out against violence against women.

In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and the White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day.

This Sunday will see The Round Ball support White Ribbon by hosting The White Ribbon Cup, a competition that will see both males and females compete on the soccer field.

White Ribbon bracelets and ribbons will be for sale during the game and Expressoworks will visit between 11.00 and 12.00.

All funds received by the White Ribbon Foundation will support the implementation of these strategies.

meet at 9.30am

ko at 10.00am

Good Luck Boys!

Callum Ferguson has made an early impression on trial this week, scoring in last nights internal practice game.

Matthew Weistra is well known to the coaches at Campbeltown City

Good luck to both Callum Ferguson and Matty Weistra who have week long trials with South Australian Super League powerhouse Campbeltown City this week in Adelaide. Good Luck boys, we wish you all the best.

Hot Weather Policy

The Round Ball Hot Weather Policy

Please be aware that our hot Weather Policy will come into effect if thepredicted temperature two days prior to a session is 33 degrees Celsius orhigher as published on the Elders Weather Sitehttp://www.eldersweather.com.au/sa/south-east/mount-gambier

If the temperature is forecasted to be 33 degrees Celsius or more, we willensure that all training sessions are completed by 11am or after 5pm, and that their duration is not longer than 60 minutes.

We shall encourage players to drink fluid prior to and during all sessionsto avoid dehydration, and for rehydration following training sessions.

In all training sessions coaches will provide breaks to enable rehydrationto occur.

You need these soccer answers‏

Greetings

Here we are again with another chapter of PlayLike A Soccer Legend.

In this segment we arepleased to bring you one of the All Time Greats..soccer goalies Gordon Banks. Gordon won theWorld Cup with England in 1966 but perhapsis best remembered for his stunning save of Pelein the 1970 world Cup.

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If not just click below and boom you willbe there... http://www.playgreatsoccer.com/makeyourmove.html

Yours in great soccer experiences

The Coerver Coaches

Alf Galustian Charlie Cooke

FOOTBALL4FUN TIMES NEARLY FINALISED

THE ROUND BALL SUMMER DEVELOPMENT TRAINING TIMES CONFIRMED

DEVELOPMENT SQUADS

STARTS TUESDAY NOVEMBER 3

UNDER 13 - TUESDAY 5-6.15pm/ THURSDAY 5-6pm

UNDER 15 - TUESDAY 6.30-7.45pm/ THURSDAY 5-6pm

BOYS UNDER 21 - THURSDAY 6pm-7.15pm/ SUNDAY FORTNIGHT 10.30-11.45am

GIRLS UNDER 21- TUESDAY 5.30-6.45pm/ SUNDAY FORTNIGHT 10.30-11.45am

UNDER 13/15 CATCH-UP SESSION

SUNDAY FORTNIGHT 9-10.15am

SUNDAY SESSIONS

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

THE ROUND BALL NARROWLY MISSES FINAL

Matt Weistra gets warned that you are not in Mount Gambier now!

Dickson gives the boys a lift

The Round Ball U21 Squad - A jump ahead of the rest!

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THE ROUND BALL SCORES AGAIN

The Round Ball soccer squads returned to Warrnambool last weekend as the South West Games Senior Soccer Tournament kicked off.
On Saturday the U21 girls squad took part in the open aged competition and despite having a much younger side went through the minor rounds undefeated.
Seeded in Group One the local side defeated Warrnambool Wolves in the first game 3 nil and then easily accounted for the Melbourne based Brunswick Zebras by the same margin to sit top of the ladder moving into the final game of the group stages.
The Brunswick game confirmed the strength of squad and coach Scott Dickson was quick to highlight the importnace of the victory to the girls.
"Brunswick Zebras are a massive club with a fantastic history.
They have seven girls teams that take part in the Metro Melbourne competion and 2 Women's sides, one takes part in the Metro North West Competition and the other competes in the State North West League. To defeat such a strong club is fantastic for the girls and a clear indication of how good a squad this is."
the final group game was against Ballarat North and after a physical encounter the girls rounded off the first stage of the competion 2 goal winners.
The final pitted the second Warrnambool Wolves squad against the Round Ball and after a slow start the girls found themselves a goal down early on. The girls started to control the play and after some brilliant play in the midfield the Mount Gambier girls leveled the score and later in the half took the lead 2 goals to one. The second half saw the Warrnambool side pile on the pressure and equalize then take the lead 3 goals to 2 with less than five minutes to go. With their backs to wall the girls rallied and in spectaculr fashion equalized in the last minute to take the game into extra time. After ten minutes of extra time the sides still could not be seperated and a penalty shoot out was required to split the sides.
After the required three shots the sides were locked and sudden death shots were required.
After an enthralling match Jayme Grygetic stepped up and cooly slotted home to bring the South West Games Champions trophy back to Mount Gambier for the first time.
"The girls were fantastic, we have a very young squad and they will be the basis for our Under 21 G Squad that we are putting together this summer. This is a fantastic group of girls that have dominated womens soccer for nearly a decade. They have excelled at SAPSASA, won State and Country Championships, dominated local soccer and not to mention in this group we have four State representatives. I am really looking forward to working with them".
The Round Ball under 21 G-Squad trains on Tuesday night 5.30-6.45 and Sunday mornings at Grant High School.