Narrogin kids give soccer thumbs up ahead of Wheatbelt South Miniroos Come & Try day

After the success of last year’s Narrogin Festival of Soccer, Antoni Muto is hoping to see momentum build with a Miniroos Come and Try day slated for next month. Mr Muto, a deputy principal at St Matthews Primary School in Narrogin, said the Football Australia clinic that will take place at Thomas Hogg Oval could shape the future of the sport in the Wheatbelt South. “I think the main purpose is to gauge how much interest there is in soccer,” he said. “Depending on the turnout is what they’ll do going forward, whether or not they’ll think, ‘oh you know what, we can invest a bit in the Wheatbelt’, and maybe have Narrogin as a platform for the surrounding towns.” Keen to see a future league, Mr Muto has reached out to neighbouring towns and schools to get kids excited about soccer — something that is not difficult to do in a region that loves its sport. “I want footy to exist, I want them all to exist,” he said. “But the more opportunity you give kids, they might find that sport that they’re interested in. “Luckily for the kids in this town, they’ve got a lot of opportunities, but soccer isn’t one of them.” The free clinic for four to 11-year-olds will take place at Thomas Hogg Oval on May 18 from 9-11.30am. Registration for the event is required and can be made via account.footballnetwork.com.au/register.