HAWKS DROP IN
United States team visits city during football tour
FOOTBALL: Harristown State High School’s young footballers are adding to football’s status as the “world game”.
The school played host to the Temecula Valley Hawks late last week – a California-based United States club team touring Queensland.
Harristown State High School Boys Football Academy coordinator Mark Burchardt said the match was part of budding relationship between the two organisations.
“As a school our goal is to tour the US every two years,” Burchardt said.
“It’s a great experience for the kids involved. There’s a lot of different benefits outside of football that flow out of it.
“This time it was their (Temecula Valley) turn to visit us.”
Lacing up their boots for the last match of a hectic schedule, visiting coach Pete Gregory said his players would return to the US full of confidence.
“It’s been a pretty busy schedule for us,” Gregory said.
“I think we will have played 14 or 15 games by the end of it.
“The boys get a lot of confidence out of it, though.
“We deliberately limit their phone use so they can enjoy it – we want it to be a team and confidence-building experience.”
Gregory also had high praise for Harristown Hawks player Ky Richardson who spent a number of months in Temecula last year.
“He’s a great young kid – he really stood out,” Gregory said.
“It was a big learning curve for him coming to the club and having to adjust to the way we do things. But he adapted, listened and worked really hard.”