1. Introduction
A club means different things to different people. Perhaps the true measure of a club is that people feel a sense of belonging. Bonnet Bay Football Club (originally named Bonnet Bay Soccer Club) has certainly achieved that. One only has to visit Lakewood of a weekend and particularly on a Sunday afternoon to see males and females of all ages mixing as one to celebrate their involvement in a club that cares about each and every one of its teams and members.
The dedication of Club members over the years has seen Lakewood Reserve develop into arguably the best Club field to watch soccer in the Shire. The splendid setting along the Woronora River has become a focal point for Bonnet Bay residents and friends and the hub upon which the strong “Bombers” spirit has developed. Many visiting clubs take advantage of this by organising picnic or other social activities when visiting.
It takes time to develop tradition within a club and it is only now that our first groups of junior boys and girls are starting to make a name for themselves in the all age grades. This provides our new juniors with something to aspire to that hasn’t previously existed.
As we see our juniors develop it is great to see the sense of loyalty they have to the club and their keenness to get the best out of themselves for the sake of their team and club.
We would like to think that we have helped these players develop far more than soccer skills. The life skills that team sport can teach can prove invaluable in all aspects of life. The ability to cope with disappointment, to be gracious in victory, to contribute to a team environment, to deal with pressure, to respect authority, to put back into the club are all traits that will serve people well, irrespective of their ability on a soccer field.
As a small community Club we cannot boast a string of “A” grade premierships or a proliferation of juniors. However, we can boast that we have become an integral part of the fabric of the close-knit Bonnet Bay community. From small beginnings we now boast a range of women’s teams, over 35 teams and junior teams from 6s to 21s. Our all age ranks have also grown and we now see quality matches on most Sunday afternoons at Lakewood. In 2011 the club had over 600 registered players and the 2,000th player registered.
Like all clubs we aspire to success on the field, but our aim is to help each player achieve his or her potential and learn the life lessons that come from participating as part of a team and club. We sum up ‘What We Stand For’ in the following diagram.
