ELITE sporting pathways should never be taken for granted.
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Ballarat battles proudly against powerful metropolitan clubs in strong, highly regarded state competition across major sporting codes – Australian Rules football, netball, basketball, hockey and soccer.
Our athletes are putting their games against professional athletes and mostly do so on a semi-professional basis, juggling training, match day and club commitments with their day jobs.
Our athletes are striving to play at the highest possible levels they can.
When Ballarat Red Devils put out a call for help, flagging a crisis meeting for ideas to ensure their long-term survival, they really swallowed their pride in a show to keep alive a viable pathway for our best soccer players to play with the state’s best. This goes for senior and junior levels.
The Reds lobbied hard, led by chairman and key benefactor Duncan Smith, to earn a spot in the inaugural National Premier Leagues Victoria.
Now, midway through the second season, they acknowledge a formalised club governance and earning back community and sponsor confidence is the way forward.
They are far from alone in NPL teething problems.
Football Federation Australia instituted the shake-up for added professionalism and uniformity across all states – each NPL is a step down from the A-League.
The Reds have stepped up from state league two into a whole new ball game.
Regardless of individual opinion on the Reds, it takes guts to ask for help. What they take on board is a whole other scenario, yet to be written, but they have made the first move.
We almost lost our netball pathway last year. Ballarat Pride was the only Victorian Netball League club in western Victoria and its licence was axed.
Sporting bodies across the city then banded together to earn a new licence under the Sovereigns branding.
Once lost, that was really, really hard to get back.
We cannot afford to take such a dramatic gamble again, this time with soccer.
The Reds spent the first season struggling in the NPLV and were relegated to the NPLV1 tier where they have hit good form this season. Their scalps include Bentleigh Greens, the team that reached FFA Cup semi-finals last year only to lose to A-League club Perth Glory. The Reds beat the Greens 4-3 last month.
They are playing an exciting brand of football under coach James Robinson.
This is not just about the marquee team.
Part of being in the NPLV means the Reds must field teams in under-20 reserves-like competition and six junior age groups, which they do under the Red Devils’ Academy talent program.
Should Ballarat lose an NPLV spot, or not take care of its place, it will have a negative impact on the game across the region.
Almost all the region’s most promising players – registration costs are a key barrier – play in the Academy.
They would otherwise be forced to take their games to a Melbourne-based club, or be absorbed fully back into grassroots clubs.
Whether it be Aussie Rules, soccer, netball, basketball – the skills and experience players can take from their time in the program back to home clubs can only help to develop the game.
The Reds pride themselves on the fact that the bulk of their playing list is homegrown.
Reds coach James Robinson has A-League playing experience and the club has attracted A-League playing experience, such as former Wellington Phoenix and Young Socceroos defender Jimmy Downey, who has moved to Ballarat.
Recruiting elite players is essential to compete at state level: Ballarat Miners have American basketball imports, Ballarat Rush has Women’s National Basketball League players, North Ballarat Roosters are preparing to go standalone in the Victorian Football League next season with former AFL players Orren Stephenson and Andrew Hooper back in their ranks.
Even the Sovereigns have limited access to Melbourne Vixens goal shooter Carla Dziwoki.
Such players in turn help draw the best out of homegrown talent, both in their teams and in working with junior programs.
Such programs also help attract professional teams to our city, which in soccer has included Melbourne Victory and the Bahrain national team this past summer.
Smith says he often watches basketball at the Minerdome and admits that, in the broad sporting scheme of things, the Miners could be viewed as competition for community support and sponsorship.
But Smith said Ballarat as a whole was far better off with strong sporting pathways across the board for all our athletes.
The Reds must now prove they have turned their club around to start winning back community confidence in this pathway.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au