SOCCER
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
THE annual Friendship Games brough together a collection of Gippsland special schools converging at Newborough/Yallourn United Soccer Club.
For the 17th year running, the Friendship Games gave kids the chance to enjoy a playful tournament, prioritising participation and community connection.
Representation was seen from the likes of local special schools, such as Latrobe Special Development School and Baringa School, along with a further five schools.
Following the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon, kids eagerly rushed to the fields to warm up their skills through practice shots and dribbling.
Support was high, with parents and family getting down to watch, as well as business backing from the likes of the local power stations through AGL and Energy Australia providing drink bottles for the students.
Newborough/Yallourn United Soccer Club has been the home of the Friendship Games since its inception, founded by former club president, the late Michael Buhagiar, and Jos Adrichen.
A former Baringa School staff member, Adrichen began by taking a group of students to Dandenong before bringing the games to the local area as its own entity for all local special schools.
