Launceston College students are getting the chance to learn from NPL Tasmania coaches and players thanks to a new soccer program.
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Run by Riverside Olympic academy manager Chris Rademacher with help from Argentine import Luca Vigilante and Spaniard Nil Sanz, the project allows athlete development students to hone their round ball skills twice weekly during school hours.
Rademacher said the program was initially birthed out of student demand.
"I've heard about [LC's] program - their mountain biking and Aussie rules - and they're pretty strong," Rademacher said.
"I was a bit surprised with football being such a massive sport in the state, Australia and the world that they had no-one doing it, so we came and had a chat and put our hand up.
"[The students] have been doing a lot of fitness and they've got a great program over there and amazing facilities, but instead of just doing fitness now they get the opportunity to do more football-based scenarios and things like that.
"Hopefully the numbers will pick up once word gets around that there actually is a football session because there hasn't been anyone doing it in the past."
Vigilante, who spent time in the Spanish and Greek third divisions before finding his way to Tasmania, helped lead the inaugural session on Tuesday.
'It's great to have Luca and Nil will be there on Friday - technically our imports are very strong," Rademacher said.
"Here we can really get down in the nitty-gritty of technical stuff and that's great."
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