2nd news writing assignment

The Swinburne University Amateur Football Club hopes that an unconventional preseason training camp will help the team attain premiership success.

In a break from a more traditional preseason of running and football drills, the Razorback players attended a one-day event at Fiskville Training College, near Ballan in the state’s west.

 The event, run by the Country Fire Association (CFA), included modified fire fighting training drills and real life fire fighting simulations.

Goal planning and development sessions for the upcoming season were also held on the day.

The event was the brainchild of Swinburne coach George Koumantatakis, who has a contact in the CFA who helps to plan and run these events.

Mr Koumantatakis said that the day helped “break the ice” for the clubs new players, forcing them to communicate with their teammates.

As a university club, Swinburne has a high player turnover, with as many as 20 new players joining the team this season.

Mr Koumantatakis also said it was to encourage good habits in the players as well as improve the culture of the club.

“We want these guys to be good human beings, responsible young men, as well as good footballers. We want to build a culture that is set in stone.”

Club vice-captain Phillip Wild said it was very different from other preseason camps he’d attended, both at Swinburne and at other clubs.

“Other preseason camps are generally about team building. Fiskville involved problem solving and imitation fire fighting situations.

“We had to go into buildings with oxygen tanks on our backs. Go through and rescue fake bodies and so on, it was a lot of stuff like that.

“It was interesting to see the dynamic and team work you need in that situation as opposed to football.”

Mr Wild said the day would help build trust and communication skills in tough situations, as well as improving players’ decision-making.

“Obviously its not often you’ll have to run into a burning house…but it gave you a pressure filled environment. You need to think quickly and react quickly.”

The camp already appears to have paid dividends for Swinburne, with the team recording a big win in its opening round fixture.

Swinburne is not the first football club to hold a training day at the CFA facilities, with AFL team the Essendon Bombers holding a camp there in 2002.

Other notable users of the Fiskville site include the CSIRO, Victoria Police, Red Cross Australia and US motor sport organisation NASCAR.