The Quilty view......football opinion: Representative football coaching....oh what a buzz!

Representative football coaching in Australia.
Having originally emmigrated to Australia in 1992 I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with numerous school representative football sides since then.
MCS
Having started teaching in the Catholic system I was initially involved with the Metropolitan Catholic Schools (MCS) in the mid-1990's. This side drew players from the immensely strong league of Fairfield, Campbelltown, Parramatta, Marayong, Emu Plains, Eastwood, Greystanes, Ryde and Auburn. This MCS grouping itself went forward to play the Sydney based Metropolitan Catholic Colleges(MCC), South Coast, Central Coast and North Coast representative sides in a tournament to select the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (NSWCCC) team.

Adam Scarpin
MCS>CCC>NSW 1996

NSWCCC

Once selected the NSWCCC team went forward to play at the NSW All Schools tournament.

Valentines Park - Glenwood. venue for All Schools Championships

This tournament consists of CCC, two Combined High School (CHS) teams and the Combined Independent Schools (CIS) team. This All SchoolsTournament has been going for over 30 years and is used as the selection trial for the full NSW Schoolboys team which plays at the annual All State Competition. Once again this a selection trial this for the Australian Schoolboys team!
While working at John Paul II Senior, High School Marayong I was involved in coaching both the MCS and NSWCCC sides ....in 1996

Trent Worral NSWCCC Rep 96'

I was involved with the winning side CCC. This team included Nick and Leo Carle, Buddy Farah, Adam Scarpin, Chichi Mendez, and Malcolm Meliac who all went on to play higher football, Nick playing in England with Crystal Palace. One of my John Paul II own players Michael Cunico and Newcastle's Clayton Zane both made it right though Australian Schoolboys and on to the Australian Joeys side.

Moving Systems
In 1997 I found myself changing school and joining the ISA which was part of the Combined Independent Schools (CIS) Association.

At this time being on the coaching team in 1997' 2000' and 2002'. During this time a couple of players from my own school St Pius X College went on to higher representative honours, David Prentice making the NSW Schoolboys team and Daniel Bateup, the Australian Schoolboys side.
ISA

Through the 2000's I worked primarily with the St Pius X College 1st XI and the Independent Sporting Association (ISA) team, which was our representative pathway to the CIS team.

Anthony Fiorenza SPX's first CIS player

While CIS and CCC always had good players it was usually the CHS teams that dominated. Not surprisingly because the had a vast numerical advantage in terms of schools / players to choose from.

David Prentice who made the NSW side
and Daniel Bateup of Australian Schoolboys

The ISA side takes part in an annual selection tournament with GPS CAS AICES NCIS CSSA and RFA to choose the NSWCIS squad at the All Schools Championship. Personally I have worked with the ISA side from 1997 until the present day.

Back with NSWCIS again.....2015

It was a huge honour then when in 2015 I was chosen to be Coach of the CIS team at the All Schools Tournament out at Valentines Park. I was already familiar with many of the players in the squad through the GPS CAS AICIES CSSA NCIS and ISA representative teams who played in the CIS selection trial.
Because the squad players come from all over NSW we only got together once beforehand. As a way of getting maximum benefit we actually played Manly Utd Under 18's in a trial as opposed to training sessions. This worked well, as we gelled, with a strong performance in a 2-1 win. The tournament mirrors the National Championships and goes over two days.
On the Day 1 we were up against the tournament favourites CHS I. After a fair start the wheels seemingly fell off as we went 2-0 down after just 15 minutes! Then suddenly something clicked and our 4 5 1 formation began to overwhelm the CHS I boys and we scored 4four unanswered goals before half time! 4-2 at the break. In the second period we controlled the game and pleasingly added a fifth with a penalty kick. It would be true to say that the Valentines Park crowd were stunned....someone had ripped up the script.
Day 2 saw us take on the CCC side who had also won their first game. In a high quality match we got out to a 3-1 lead with 15 minutes to go but paid the price of not scoring again when CCC scored twice late to grab a draw. Fortunately our goals scored placed us at the top of the ladder.
Our final game was against CHS II. Here there was no score at half time but the game exploded with goals as twice we led only to be pulled back level. In the event a wonderful goal from centre back Ryan Blumberg settled the points and a 3-2 victory. He ran the length of the field beating multiple opponents before slooting home.
This result secured CIS the title. Only the second occasion in thirty years that CIS had won it. In recognition of the squads dominance seven of our players were selected in the NSW side while two also made the shadow squad. For me as coach it was a fantastic experience with what is definately the best Under 18 football squad I have ever worked with. Assistant coach Steve Fochesato and manager Richard Newton being equally impressed.

NSW Squad selections from CIS.
Lachlan Hughes; Lachlan Scott; Lachlan Roberts; George Firth; Ryan Blumberg; Jay Foster; Nathan Phillips.
Shadows: Nathan Polinski; Johhny Dimopoulos