Redlands United are forging strong relations with their local bayside community as an important part of delivering high-level football programmes to their area, according to Football Operations Manager Terry Parle.

While the club is already one of the biggest in Queensland – with more than 1,100 registered participants at all levels – Parle said they were continuing to expand their reach in the idyllic Redlands region immediately south-east of Brisbane.

“We want to take this club to not only the community but also be a National Premier Leagues club,” Parle explained.

“Before Matt Chandler came on board as the head coach, the club was quite happy being a community club with a first team.”

“Now we’ve moved that on to being a National Premier Leagues club, we have community support below us, so we cater for anyone that wants to play any level of football.”

Parle said that engagement focused on three areas for the club affectionately known as ‘The Red Devils’ – local businesses, the local council and schools.

“We’ve been very conscious of looking for sponsors in our local community and it’s very important that we engage with them.”

“We’ve worked really closely with Redlands City Council this year to engage with them and get their support for the grounds because they are council grounds,” Parle elaborated, referring to the club’s home base at Cleveland Showgrounds.

Parle pointed to the club’s relationship with local school as a key component of their community-wide outlook.

“We’re engaging the kids through the schools, we have a schools programme that goes on and enables us to some of our first team players in the schools.”

“A perfect example is Cleveland State High School which is adjacent to us, we go in there and we look after their school teams.”

“In the junior schools we go in and deliver active after schools programmes and we also go in and do skills programmes during the day.”

“This is all funded by Sports & Recreation, so we’re in liaison with the local community and with the government departments that fund it.”

Parle also explained that their club’s outlook doesn’t stop at the water’s edge, with players regularly visiting nearby North Stradbroke Island to bring coaching skills to the farthest reaches of the bayside community.

“We send out coaches out there regularly, out to Dunwich, to spend days at the schools.”

“It’s a fantastic opportunity and they have great facilities at Dunwich now. It’s a fantastic set-up and the kids love our players coming over and doing their bit.”

At all levels, Redlands adheres to the National Coaching Curriculum as established by Football Federation Australia, which forms a key component of the National Premier Leagues Queensland.

“The coaching now that is requested by Football Queensland and Football Federation Australia means we have an advanced pathway system,” Parle explained.

“All our coaches are a ‘C’ license coaches as a minimum and we actually have three of our coaches now who have done part one of their ‘B’ license.”

“It’s very important for us that we stick to that curriculum and we have a style of play at Redlands that fits in with that curriculum and we push that with all our teams.”

“So what the kids are being taught by the NPL coaches is no different to what the first team is told – everything is based around the curriculum.”

While the emphasis on NPL for the club’s elite players is foremost in his mind, Parle pointed out that Redlands remains a club for everyone.

“Really we want people playing football at the best level they can and, more importantly, enjoying the game and growing the game that we love.”

Redlands junior boys and girls commence their NPL fixtures this weekend against Moreton Bay United Jets, with a full days of fixtures scheduled at the Jet’s Wolter Park home ground.

The Redlands senior team face their first competitive match of the NPL Queensland season against Brisbane Strikers March 2^nd – the first of three straight home games for the Red Devils.

 

Words & Images: Michael Flynn (Football Queensland)