President's announcement: 'I
am very proud to announce that Westside FC have entered into a
partnership with the Brisbane Paralympic Football Program (BPFP) to
become formally a part of Westside.
For the past 6 years, Jay
Larkins and his crew have run a program to provide football development
skills, fitness and fun activities with a focus towards people with a
physical disability. This program has been run out of the Westside
fields but as a totally independent group.
From 2012, the BPFP
become part of Westside and will be bringing their inclusive style of
football to all members. The program schedule will be available soon,
and all Westside members are encouraged to join in. As members, the
BPFP will be able to call Westside "home" and have full use of the
facilities in line with any club member. The partnership has the full
support of the Sporting Wheelies & Disabled Association and they
will provide support and assistance to make the partnership a success.
Westside
have a long tradition of inclusion with the firm belief that football
is for everyone, and I encourage everyone to show their support.' Shane Downey, President
Westside FC: Home of the Brisbane Paralympic Football Program
The Brisbane Paralympic Football Program started in 2005 and is run
under the umbrella of the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association. Under the
direction of Head Coach Jay Larkins, the Program now has more than 40 athletes,
three assistant coaches, managers and a regularly attending physiotherapist.
Click here for more information including a calendar of training and events.
A
number of boys in the current state and national teams came through the
program. But we are not just about advanced athletes. The program is fun and
encourages family participation. Our aim is to get young people with a
disability to stay active and healthy. For more information contact Jay Larkins at: cpfootballbrisbane@hotmail.com
Jay Larkins: Program Head Coach
(Extract from Football Federation Australia)
Jay Larkins has never been backwards in
coming forward. Jay calls it, the way he sees it and if you don’t like it then
he’s not really worried. An attitude that gets people off side at times, but
also an attitude that at times gets things done
Jay can be pushy and opinionated and some
people don’t like his ‘way’. Saying that, it is his ‘way’ that has done so much
for Paralympic Football in Queensland since 2005.
“The program has grown since then, nobody
wanted to know about,” he said. “Now we have Brisbane Roar from the A League
providing us with gear."
Jay played for Brisbane Olympic in the 80’s in
the Brisbane Premier League and got involved in Paralympic Football after his
son, Jarrod, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy as a child.
Jay spent a number of years as the Queensland
Coach and now is one of the coaches involved with the Queensland Junior Development Program. This
position involves dealing with athletes with a disability across many sports.
The Junior Development Program Football squad
hosts 6 players that he hopes one day will play for the National Team. When
asked about his coaching philosophy and what he thinks is important when
dealing with his players he replied “I teach them motivation and self- belief”
Jay has had a lot of help over the years
especially from Brisbane Roar, a number of sponsors like Keperra Meats and West
Side Football Club. When asked how he managed to get sponsorship from Keperra
Meats he simply replied “I asked them”.
Such is the confidence that he has in his
players that 5 of them have played in the 11-a-side able bodied Brisbane Metro
Division this year. Some good Paralympic players have come out of Brisbane over
the years and Jay has had a good deal to do with that.
