Top accolade for Tauranga club Blue Rovers

WELL DESERVED: WaiBOP chief executive Mark Christie, left, congratulates Blue Rovers president Theo Ursum after winning the 2016 WaiBOP Club of the Year. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Blue Rovers Junior Football Club is the 2016 WaiBOP Club of the Year.

The club based at Pemberton Park in Greerton had to be better than all the other clubs in the region in organisational development, having club co-ordinators, encouraging referee education plus forming alliances and links to other clubs and schools.

Blue Rovers achieved all that and more in a breakthrough season with a formal relationship brokered with Tauranga Old Blues and buying and renovating Meredith Hall at Pemberton Park.

Club president Theo Ursum said it was great to get formal recognition from WaiBOP Football for all the changes made, particularly last year when they set up the girls' leagues and under-12s.

"We have been really promoting the girls' football and also WaiBOP liked us working together with other clubs for the U12 Federation League," Ursum said.

"We invited people from Aquinas College football club and also Bethlehem College and Waipuna to the trials so becoming a bit more inclusive."

Another key factor in Blue Rovers' success was promoting themselves as a family club.

"We take care of the really good players but we are not forgetting about the social teams that we have. We make sure our teams have a manager and coaches plus provide training for them," Ursum said.

"We have had Ricki Herbert coaching our coaches twice now so we acknowledge our coaches and give them the opportunity to develop, plus also taking care of the volunteers we have in our club."

Forming a partnership with Tauranga Old Blues club was something Ursum saw as a key strategy for the future to develop strong pathways from junior to senior football in Tauranga.

"WaiBOP connected us with Old Blues and it was the right timing for us. We had a really good discussion with Peter Saunders of Old Blues and they are called Tauranga Blue Rovers now.

"We have bridged the gap basically between 13 to14-year-olds we have and the 16-year-plus kids onward they have. It is really making that leap and see if we can keep more kids playing football.

"It is early stages but the word is spreading now and I think next year we will really see hopefully an influx of players. Seeing senior players training and playing at a junior club is a really good way to see how they can stay at one club."

WaiBOP chief executive Mark Christie said Blue Rovers was a very proactive club, well run and organised.

"They run early season trials and training sessions and every grade has a co-ordinator. Club president Theo Ursum and committee member Brent Armitage are always looking to improve the club and give the opportunity to the kids and coaches to develop," Christie said.

"Theo and Brent also personally mentor youth at risk spending a lot of time and resources on them, they are doing a good job.

"They have purchased their own clubrooms and refurbished the building including change rooms and kitchen area. The club has a great management style and looks after their volunteers.

"They worked hard at the end of last year and in the early part of 2017 to be involved in the new U12 Federation League and have been very supportive regarding our talent programmes."