Australia Floorball Open hosted at Woy Woy
The 2017 Junior Australian Floorball Open has been hosted by the Peninsula Floorball Club at the Peninsula Leisure Centre, Woy Woy.
After the success of 2016's inaugural Open, Peninsula Floorball Club were invited to organise the second Open, which took place from July 5-9.
Peninsula Floorball Club welcomed over 300 children and adolescents (age groups ranged from Under 9 to Under 17) and their parents, coaches and supporters from all over Australia and New Zealand for the event.
As part of the five-day event, various workshops were run to bring children from different clubs together.
The event also included pecific training sessions with national and international players and coaches, yoga, movement and sports nutrition workshops.
Representatives from the International Floorball Federation led coaching and refereeing workshops.
The Opening Ceremony took place in the Peninsula Leisure Centre on Wednesday, July 5.
It was followed by training sessions with national and international coaches.
All the grand finals were played on Saturday, July 10.
In the last few years, Peninsula Floorball Club has developed and coached over 10 Australian national players (Under 19, men and women) who have and are still representing Australia at world championship qualifiers and world championships.
Floorball in Australia is a relatively small but rapidly growing sport.
In December 2008, the Federation and the sport of floorball received recognition from the International Olympic Committee and officials are in high hopes that the sport will be included as an official Olympic Sport in the very near future.
Floorball was played as a demonstration sport at the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter
Games and was played as an official sport at this year's games.
Peninsula Floorball Club is now the biggest and fastest growing club in Australia and has the most juniors of any club (from Under 9 to Under 17) playing.
SOURCE:
Media release, 23 Jun 2017
Bettina Lucini, Peninsula Floorball Club