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Writer's pictureBeaumaris Soccer Club

President Joe Mottola’s AGM report – 13 November 2023

Updated: Oct 25, 2023


The Beaumaris Soccer Club Committee extends a warm welcome to all attending the 2023 AGM.


Our forthcoming AGM is on 13 November 2023 at the Beaumaris Sports Pavilion at 6pm.


2023 has been a remarkable one for Beaumaris Soccer Club as we witnessed significant growth and progress in all aspects of our club and its operations. As they do year in and year out, our brilliant committee has been diligently working towards achieving our strategic goals to ensure the development and success of our club on and off the field.




One of the highlights of this year was the notable increase in our female membership. As we strive for gender participation equality, it is encouraging to see significant and continued growth in female player participation. And there’s more to come. The breathtaking performance of the Matildas in the World Cup has inspired girls everywhere to lace up the boots. We’re already underway with off season clinics hosted by Beaumaris SC’s NZ international Rebekah Stott and her team members at Melbourne City Women’s team. We have taken significant steps to promote football parity between boys and girls which is wholly dependent on having sufficient space to train and play competitive games and we will continue to embrace and welcome the growing number of female members.


For all this success we have major issues ahead. The demand for female participation has grown exponentially and we have a demand for an additional 9 girls and women’s teams in 2024 equating to 128 players. Bayside Council will not make any facilities available to the club. We are lobbying for the upgrade of the small Balcombe Park pitch which can only accommodate children under 13 from a Category D (lowest grade) sports facility to a Category B, but so far without success. Our space at the MPP is strictly limited and whilst we are working with local schools, none have lights meaning the facilities cannot be used in the winter months. In short, we face having to turn children and parents away when we all know the importance of community sport to a child’s mental and physical well-being. If you have any ideas or are prepared to work with your club to find additional facilities, please contact me now.

Our new pavilion is serving us well. From weekend matches, tournaments, junior referee training, Shark of the Month celebrations and fundraising initiatives, all these events provided opportunities for us to showcase our magnificent new pavilion. We look forward to more teams utilising the pavilion in 2024, so don’t be shy, enjoy the big screen, the canteen and embrace these magnificent facilities.

Our financial status remains healthy, thanks to the collective efforts of our committee, members, and sponsors. Ben Tansing, our Treasurer, manages our finances prudently, ensuring that every dollar is effectively utilized to support the growth of our club. We’re conscious of the significant cost of living pressures on families and are doing all we can to contain fees. Our financial reports will be presented at the AGM for comment and review.

Some special mentions. We welcomed new volunteers Mira and Richard Anthony to Beaumaris earlier this year and both have contributed countless hours and done a wonderful job, Mira managing junior registrations and Richard coaching and assisting our Director of Football, Christian Liberona. Their infectious energy has inspired members, and both have committed to return next season to make the club bigger and better. Thanks again to you both.


We also welcomed Janine Rodrigues who has managed our training facilities and team allocations. Janine has done a fantastic job to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of our training spaces which are in constant use 12months per annum. She worked closely with our coaches and Team Managers to understand their team’s needs and to maximise the limited space available.

We extend our gratitude to each and every club sponsor for your continued support, generosity and commitment to Beaumaris Soccer Club. Sponsors play such important role at our club, enabling us to help deliver the wonderful product we have at Beaumaris. We’re humbled to have all our sponsors on board as a part of our journey, many of them having supported us for decades, and we look forward to continuing the strong association we have with you all.


A big shout out to:


Ø A&T

Ø Aurora

Ø BC Dental

Ø Bendigo Bank Parkdale

Ø Casa Dolce

Ø FSM (Food Service Machinery)

Ø Genius Childcare Beaumaris

Ø JJ Carpets

Ø Masterpiece

Ø Multigroup

Ø NHC

Ø Pete Stewart Projects

Ø PNO Life & General

Ø Rachoff Vella Architects

Ø Two Little Monkeys

I would like to express my gratitude to our dedicated committee members, coaches, team managers, volunteers, and sponsors who have all played a vital role in our continued success. Your expertise and voluntary commitment to serve your community is key to ensuring the fun, skills development, enjoyment, physical and mental wellbeing of our 742 players. Without you there would be nothing for our boys and girls, men and women who play this beautiful game. .

Thank you once again - VP Dave Richards, Treasurer Ben Tansing, Secretary & Sponsors Marc Gibson, Marketing & Social Jess Gratz, Grants Heather Kristiansen, Senior Director of Football Bruce Maclaren, Senior Women’s Director of Football George Johnson, Junior Female Director of Football Pete Allison, and Events Director Gert Gratz. It’s because of your collective efforts that we have been able to achieve remarkable outcomes following the lost years of lockdown and continue to build our reputation across Victoria. Beaumaris SC is held in high regard in the football community, simply because of what you do, day in day out. Thank you also to bookkeeper Maree Reed and club administrator Maxine Thomson who works from NZ to do a brilliant job for the club.


Thanks also to our State MP, Shadow Treasurer and Member for Sandringham, Brad Rowswell for his continued support and to local Councilors Clarke Martin and Laurie Evans, AOM, for the help they provide in our working with Bayside City Council.

Peter Allison is stepping down after many years as a committee member. I would like to thank Peter for his extraordinary work in achieving so much for female football at Beaumaris. He has played a pivotal role in creating our vibrant female football program with many initiatives to promote equal participation for girls and women alike. A club all-rounder, you can even find him proving his culinary skills in the kitchen, his preparedness to address challenges and find innovative solutions to foster inclusivity at Beaumaris has been amazing.

Heather Kristiansen also leaves us this season. More than just a superstar with me in the kitchen, a great committee member, Heather has made a significant positive contribution to our club’s fundraising efforts focusing on identifying and securing government funding. Meticulous attention to detail and knowledge of the funding landscape has resulted in many successful applications for the club. Thanks, Heather, for your many years of great work. And if a person is willing to step into Heather’s shoes, please contact me.


We successfully hosted a Football Victoria training session for 21 junior referees who have qualified to take junior games. Well done to all who participated. We ask all parents and spectators to follow our Spectator Code of Conduct and support referees as you do your child playing the game. Remember, we do it for the fun and respecting those who officiate is essential if we are to enjoy the game.



I’d like to address one of the most challenging issues that we have encountered throughout the year - the challenge of volunteering. Volunteering plays a crucial role in the success and sustainability of our club. It allows us to provide a high-quality experience for our members, maintain our facilities in good order, organise events, and keep the club running smoothly. The new pavilion has created an enormous volume of work in all departments. Paying staff is simply not a viable option as we must devote our funds to overheads such as rent and coaching.

If the same people continuously “put their hand up” for the jobs around the club, they will soon get tired of it and in turn, we will eventually lose them as members.

The shortage of volunteers directly impacts our ability to deliver the high standard of “service” that members expect. From setting up the grounds for Sunday morning GoalKick to packing up the pitch after a Senior Women’s home game on a Sunday at 5pm….many hands make light work.


Whether it is assisting with coaching, organizing events, maintaining our facilities, or serving on the committee, every contribution, no matter how small, can make a significant difference. Let us come together and support one another to ensure the continued success of our club. The challenge of volunteering at our club is one that we must address collectively. By fostering a culture of members who want to volunteer, we can overcome this challenge and ensure the growth and success of our club. So, if you can spare half an hour each week, please contact me. We desperately need your contribution.

And to the amazing volunteers we do have - your commitment and hard work have not gone unnoticed- Matteo, Ross, Marty and Olivia, Connie and Josh, Yvonne, Erik and Emma, Sarah, Emily, Con and Kerry, Ivan and Nichole, to those parents and players who have helped – my sincere thanks for your contribution. Social Media staff, Will and Yana, canteen staff Veronica, Amber, Chloe, Zoe, Lucy, the ‘Cashier Kid’ Alexey, Gibbo Snr, Gibbo Jnr and Elliot. I see everyone from that canteen, and I thank you for your help!

We are planning for season 2024. We will be announcing new coaching appointments shortly and recruitment for senior players is complete following our securing our National Premier League position. All announcements will be posted on social media and www.beaumarissc.com.au and I encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates. I welcome your feedback so please contact me with any comments you may have on how we run our club and suggestions you may have. And please, if you want to be part of a vibrant and successful community club, we will welcome your participation.


Go Beauy!

Joe Mottola

President

Beaumaris Soccer Club

M: 0425 800736

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