Orara futsal team kicking butt | Coffs Coast Soccer | Football in Coffs Coast

David Adjassou, Dion O'Keefe, Mark Ifrah, Josh Helm, Jeffrey Odgers and Ben Davis surround Australian Matildas midfielder Jo Burgess.

Brude Thomas

ORARA High School's under 16 boys' futsal team received a big thrill at Sportz Central yesterday.

They were handed winning medals from last week's Northern New South Wales Champion of Champions tournament by Australian Matildas midfielder Jo Burgess along with plenty of encouragement for their future football careers.

Away from the football field, the Brisbane-based Burgess is employed by Australian Vikings Futsal and jets around the country, spreading the gospel and conducting clinics for young players.

“It was out of bed this morning at 4am to come to Coffs, then it's back home for the night before doing the same thing tomorrow,” she said.

“This time it's on the 'plane to Townsville and Cairns before repeating the dose again.”

While she enjoys the travel, Coffs Harbour holds a special place after the Matildas' residency in the city during 2006.

“That was a fantastic time as everybody was so kind and looked after us so well,” Burgess said.

“The training facilities were exceptional and if we were asked to come back tomorrow you'd find the team would jump at the chance.”

Burgess conducted her first clinic with 30 Senior College students before receiving a squad from John Paul College.

“The first kids had very impressive skills and I was surprised only two of them had tried the game before,” she said.

“Particularly among the girls, their footwork and ball skills were totally awesome.”

Vikings Futsal is about to expand opportunities across the local region with new competitions beginning in late September at Bellingen, Macksville and Coffs Harbour.

Teams will cater for all ages and skill levels, from Kindy futsal to seniors. Details from Sportz Central or www.vikingsfutsal.com