Packapitch helps young Australian footballers hone their skills

More action, more time on the ball, and more fun. That’s the difference a new fully-contained inflatable pitch is making for children taking part in the Grasshopper Soccer Redlands junior football programme in Queensland, Australia.

The programme is run by William Fraser, a former Queensland U18 national premier league assistant coach and Brisbane Roar community coach.

Mr Fraser has coached football for 20 years and now devotes his time to developing the next generation with a programme that focuses on improving children’s athleticism and motor skills using the beautiful game as a vehicle.

He recently purchased the 16-metre long by 10-metre wide Packapitch from Packaworld International to use at the school- and childcare-based training sessions he runs for around 200 children between the ages of two and 12 in the Redlands area.

He says the new pitch has made football more enjoyable for children taking part in his programme by reducing the amount of time spent chasing balls that are kicked out of play.

“The barriers around the outside are perfect for stopping the ball going out of play,” Mr Fraser says. “They keep things flowing and the more touches kids get on the ball, the better it is for their skills.”

Packapitches feature a modular design that includes two 2-metre wide by 1-metre high inflatable goals and a customisable number of inflatable Packafence side barriers that can be connected together to create an enclosed football pitch.

“You can buy other inflatable pitches that look like a bouncy castle but it was in my mind that the kids would just get distracted and bounce on the sides instead of playing football. The Packapitch looked perfect and the price was better than the other options as well.”

Mr Fraser says he finds the removable goals ideal as they can be separated from the rest of the pitch in instances where the whole pitch is not required. The goals and pitch sides are inflatable, reducing the risk of injury posed by conventional metal or steel goals, and the pitch can be deflated and packed away to fit into the back of a car, making it highly portable.

The Packapitch being used by Grasshopper Soccer Redlands is the first Packapitch to hit Australian shores. The product is sold globally by Packaworld International – a sports equipment provider headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, that is working to make the joy of sport real to more people.

For more information about the Packapitch, visit the product page>>