In addition to the Saturday league, some ANZA Soccer players also take part in the ANZA Competition Teams, says Cara D’Avanzo.

ANZA Soccer players get on the field most Saturdays in the ANZA league, but for some of our players that is just not enough! This year, over 180 of our most enthusiastic and strongest players are also playing on ANZA Competition Teams on Sundays. Their opponents are drawn from a variety of soccer academies, and the external leagues that these teams play in allow ANZA players to experience a different style of soccer in a more serious competitive environment.

Earning places on the ANZA Competition Teams was an arduous process this year. More players than ever before signed up for the five try-out sessions, which took place in August and early September. Drills and scrimmages allowed boys and girls to show off their skills while our professional coaches graded them to make cohesive teams. The standards of play and fitness were extremely high, partly in thanks to the extra practices offered by ANZA Soccer in the off-season.

Eventually, candidates were allocated to 15 teams playing across age-level and skill-level divisions. Players range from valiant little Group 6 players to the agile and clever young adults on the Group 16 team. We have also formed our first Competition girls’ team, comprised of experienced players aged between 12 and 14.

We are confident that all ANZA Competition Teams – our Socceroos, our Matildas, our Golds, our Greens, and our Joeys – will make us proud. Several international tournaments next spring, including the SEA Cup (to be held in Bangkok this year), will give players extra incentives to do their best in hopes of being selected for participation.

Families new to ANZA Soccer often ask about the difference between the Saturday league games and the Sunday Competition games. Because Competition Teams are selective, Sunday players may not all get equal playing time, and there is extra emphasis on attending training sessions. Games take place at venues around the island, against teams that often practise three or four times per week, so there is a premium on ball control and player positioning. Professional referees oversee all games, and every game counts toward the divisional rankings. At the end of the first round, a division’s top teams are promoted, while the bottom teams are relegated, as in professional leagues.

All ANZA Competition players wear the green and gold ANZA Competition kit; for the third year, the Competition Teams are generously sponsored by Accor Hotels.

As the Competition season starts, we look forward to many exciting matches and rewarding experiences for ANZA Soccer’s Competition players. Most of all, we welcome the chance for them to further their love of the game with enthusiasm, skill, and the Fair Play spirit.

COMPETITION TEAM RESULTS, 2013–14

Last year we were thrilled by excellent results from our Competition Teams.

In the Championship League:

• First place to our Group 6 team, our Group 10 Division 2 ‘Green’ team and our Group 12 Division 2 ‘Green’ team

• Second place to our Group 8 Division 2 ‘Gold’ team

• Third place to our Group 8 Division 2 ‘Green’ team, Group 10 Division 2 ‘Gold’ team, Group 12 Division 1 team, and Group 14 Division 2 ‘Gold’ team.

In the Premier League:

• Third place to our Group 16 team

• Fourth place to our Group 14 team

Find out more about our soccer programs at the ANZA Soccer page or join the waiting list for the Sunday Competition.

The stars were certainly aligned when ANZA Netball and coach Jolynn Loo joined forces, says Donna Williams.

ANZA Netball has been building up its coaching team for a few years, sending willing and devoted volunteers to coaching courses that Netball Singapore provide throughout the year. As part of this development, ANZA Netball decided to develop our coaches and players by bringing in external expertise. The arrival of coach Jolynn Loo came about through this initiative.

Jolynn is an accredited Level 2 Coach with over 10 years experience in coaching girls of all ages and levels. In 2014 Jolynn was the coach for the U17s Singapore National Team.

At ANZA Netball, you will find Jolynn on court from 9.45am–1pm, first as head coach for the 12-year-olds age group, followed by head coach for 14- to 16-year-olds age group. She is instrumental in developing the coaching plan for these age groups, coaching the coaches(!), and of course coaching our girls. She also helped out as the coach of 11-year-olds rep team that travelled to Perth earlier in the year.

We recently caught up with Jolynn to talk about all things netball.

Why and when did you initially start playing netball?

Haha, this is funny. The ECA that I joined at school was cancelled, so my teacher forced me into netball. I was 14 years old. I hadn’t considered it until then but loved it straight away.

What is your major playing achievement?

Singapore 19/U in 1999 and 2000.

When was your first coaching experience?

1998.

How old were you when you attended your first coaching course?

When I was 16.

What are your aspirations for coaching?

To develop a world-class team for international competitions.

What are you doing now apart from coaching with ANZA?

I’m coaching in two local schools ranging from 9- to16-year-old girls. Once in a while I coach my own elite netball club team – the Magic Marlins.

I’m involved in yoga too! It helps me to focus and be patient.

You just assisted the Vietnam National team and the Asian Championships last week. Can you tell us more?

Netball Singapore approached me to be attached to the Vietnam team to advise on any netball matters during the Asian Championships. This is the first time Vietnam has had a netball team participating in Asian Netball Championship. It was an eye-opening experience.

What is your coaching style?

Setting clear goals, working towards getting the girls to buy in on what they want to achieve, then supporting them as they do the hard work towards execution.

What are three top tips you have learnt from other great coaches?

Trust in your own coaching abilities; trust in your players’ abilities; and praise works wonders! Coaching should never be just a coach’s plan. It’s all about enabling all the strengths of the players and combining them into a bigger strength for the team to excel together. No one person should be left out in the team, from players to officials.

Who is the best coach you have worked with?

Julie Hoornweg. She is able to make a low-confidence player an awesome player on court. She never stops praising players for good work done. She is able to make any player think of solutions rather than be given the solution from the coach.

In your opinion, what is more important, physical or mental toughness?

Both I guess, they are inter-connected. But if you want me to choose, I choose mental toughness. At the end of the day it is mind over matter.

How important is a positive attitude?

I would say a big VERY! Without a positive attitude, you will never go far as a humble and respectable player. The ‘never die’ spirit will lift anyone from the bottom of the pit.

Is it ever too late to learn to play netball?

NEVER! There’s a Chinese saying that I grew up with, ‘one is never too old to learn’.

Thanks to Jolynn for taking the time to do this interview and for being a part of our team as we continue to develop and grow at ANZA Netball.

ANZA Athletics is back and better than ever with a great start to the 2014/15 season, says Carole Smith.We’re very pleased to be back in full swing for the 2014/15 season of ANZA Athletics, having started at the end of August.

With 180 children registered so far, the committee is pleased with the turnout, given the forced early termination of the 2013/14 season. The children are already loving their Friday nights, with one boy commenting, ‘out of rugby, soccer and athletics, I love athletics the most!’ Go Athletics!

Whether the kids are Road Runners or Homer Simpsons in terms of their athletic prowess, the ‘personal best’ (PB) system, in which children receive a yellow PB sticker every time they beat their previous best result, provides an incentive for everyone to get out there and try their hardest. The children are trying so hard, in fact, that well over 2000 PBs have been achieved so far.

With 12 dedicated coaches on board, children are coached through their events, and are shown the correct techniques to use from High Jump lift-offs to hurdles foot placement.

Perhaps the best thing about ANZA Athletics is the sportsmanship that is brought out in the children, as they rally to encourage the slower runners to the finish line. This has been commented on particularly in relation to the Under-11 boys, who have been seen more than once running alongside one of their group encouraging him to finish the race. As parents, it’s wonderful to be part of such an environment.

The Committee is always seeking parental feedback, and none makes us happier than a new parent’s comment that ‘the format and organisation is exceptional.’ The Committee wishes to give all of the parents a huge pat on the back for all of their efforts every Friday night. The mantra of many sports is that it wouldn’t happen without the parents, but in the case of ANZA Athletics, it really is true. We are heavily dependent on parental involvement, and we are very rarely let down. In fact, we delight in how parents seem to take ownership of their particular task, and undertake it with a sense of pride.

The confidence which comes from participating in Athletics does have positive knock-on effects elsewhere. For example, one of the committee member’s sons has improved noticeably in rugby due to his running skills. Other children may realise that, given the opportunity, they are actually quite good at certain events, and set their sights on achieving an age-group record, or winning a trophy at the end of the season for a top three placing. All athletes (as ANZA Athletics children may proudly call themselves) who attend regularly collect medals and certificates at the end of season – yet another reason to take part.

And if parents are still left wondering whether it is worth their time and effort on a Friday night… well, at least they can be guaranteed tired (and hopefully happy!) children ready for bed on their arrival home.

There is still room in nearly all age groups for more eager participants. Come and join us!

Find out more on the Athletics page or register now at the half season price of $140.

The first time you are tagged with the label ‘dependent spouse,’ it can be a bit of a shock. Adjusting to being without an income, colleagues, family and friends in a new country can be a challenge. Here are a few things that helped me to embrace living in Singapore and come to terms with being the trailing talent of the family.

1. Be honest
Lots of people love it here from the second they land; others don’t. While it’s good to stay positive, it’s ok to find it difficult and to say so. When I first arrived, so many cheery people told me how easy it is to live here. I found it really difficult. It wasn’t until I met someone who hated it here (and wasn’t afraid to say so) that I realised I needed to stop fake smiling, nodding and agreeing and admit that I didn’t like it. Somehow that helped.

2. Set a weekly entertainment budget
Don’t fall into the mind-set that if you aren’t earning you can’t spend. Your spouse’s salary should compensate somewhat for your loss of earnings, so allocate some money to spend on getting out and keeping busy.
If you do need to watch your pennies, there are plenty of ways to entertain yourself on the cheap:
•Explore hawker eating: The basement of Tanglin Mall is a good place to start if you find the idea a bit daunting.
•Explore the museums: The Singapore National Museum, Asian Civilisations Museum and the Peranakan Museum all have reasonable entry fees.
•Join one of the lower-cost groups in ANZA, such as Casual Coffee, Playgroup or Tennis.
•Explore the malls and window shop: Sounds frivolous but if you need to be out of the house in the middle of the day, they are cheerful, plentiful and air-conditioned.
•Explore the Botanic Gardens, National Parks, reservoirs or walk the Rail Trail.

3. Adjust the rhythm of your day
If you find yourself sitting around at the end of the day waiting for your spouse to arrive home (before pouncing on them for conversation the second you walk through the door), plan something active to do at that time. Plan your outdoor activities for the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the hottest times of the day. It sounds simple, but the day I realised I couldn’t do the grocery shop on foot at lunchtime was a turning point in my relationship with Singapore.

4. Make connections
You will meet some amazing people here and most people are very open to forming new friendships. Even long-term expats need to keep meeting new people to replace their friends that move on. Don’t assume that you will run into people again – exchange contact details with people you would like to meet again. In the absence of a business card it is common to have a personal name card or you can simply exchange telephone numbers.

5. Become a part of the community
In order to be happy living here, you need to create your own community. Engaging in the formal communities that you encounter will make such a difference to how happy you feel about living here. Joining an interest group, attending events and volunteering are great ways to get involved.

ANZA has over 20 interest groups with meetings running almost every day. They are found in the What’s On section of the website. Not every event that you attend will be full of like-minded people, but persevere; each event draws a different crowd and being part of the community will make a huge difference to how you will feel about being here as a dependent spouse. Many events are hosted, so seek out the coordinator if you need someone to chat to.

We have hundreds of volunteers working on supporting our charities, running groups, organising sporting activities and working in the office. ANZA Action provides an opportunity to volunteer with ANZA’s charitable work and can match volunteers to local community organisations. Volunteering and being involved can provide purpose and an identity in the community, which has given me the sense of belonging here.