Behind the compelling world of coaches, players and officials at NPL clubs lies a certain aspect of football that rarely receives the praise as it should – the work of volunteers behind the scenes.
The people who dedicate countless hours every week at no cost purely because of their love for the game. It is easy to look at the players and coaches of a football club and directly point them out as the protagonists.
Yet volunteers play a massive role in the success of a club especially at state level.
Without these volunteers, the things that we often take for granted wouldn’t be possible on match day and throughout the week.
Whether it’s putting up the nets or making that famous Greek souvlaki in the canteen, every little bit counts.
TCF spoke to Whittlesea Ranges secretary Serge Costanzo on his experience as a volunteer and the importance of voluntary work around a National Premier Leagues club.
“I can honestly say that at NPL level without volunteers the clubs would not be functional,” Costanzo says.
“Purely because we rely so heavily on them as there isn’t enough revenue there generated to be paying employees, so the clubs would definitely not survive without volunteers.”
Being a volunteer is one thing, but being a good volunteer is another.
Costanzo understands what it takes to be a good volunteer at NPL level.
Having been involved in the game now for over 35 years, he knows what it takes to contribute in a positive manner for any club.
“A good volunteer is one that basically, first of all, must have a love for the sport,” he says.
“They can’t just be there because their child is here, and it can’t just be because they have a love for the club – they have to have a love for the sport first.”
Costanzo is certainly a prominent figure around Whittlesea – alongside the likes of Lisa Rizzardo, Nick Iacobucci, Elena Santopietro and more – and has been for a long time through his unconditional contribution to the club.
As well as his love for the game in general, his love for Ranges certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.
“I feel as though it is a club that went from being predominantly an Italian club to a very, very multicultural club, so that’s really what I love about this club,” he says.
The Ranges secretary also expressed his delight at the growth of the club from top to bottom. Whittlesea’s juniors have stamped their mark on the NPL, with two of their current six junior teams sitting first in their respective leagues.
The senior team has also improved drastically and are currently in the hunt for promotion. Vinko Buljubasic’s men currently sit in second spot behind North Geelong warriors on the NPL2 West ladder.
“Firstly, our seniors are doing much better this year – last year we went extremely youthful, this year we’ve basically plugged a couple of little holes but still predominantly are going with a youthful approach,” Costanzo says.
“The thing that makes me most proud this year is our junior base. Our junior base last year alone had two state finalists – one of them won, whilst the other narrowly lost to Heidelberg.
“This year I’ve brought in a new technical director by the name of Mark Sterling. He spent some time with Liverpool and also in the US. With the addition of Mark our junior base has gone to the next level.”
There’s no reason why the Ranges can’t continue as contenders in the hunt for promotion in the 2016 season.
Everything about their squad indicates that they are the real deal this year and certainly will push till the very end.
With the likes of Atilla Ofli, Naum Sekelovski and Luke Gallo all in hot form, the Ranges outfit may turn many doubters into believers this season.
“We are definitely in line for promotion, we will again strengthen the squad a little bit during the mid-season transfer window just to plug a couple of holes that need to be filled because of long term injuries,” Costanzo says.
Ranges take on Werribee City this weekend at Epping Stadium, where they will be looking to once again take all three points.
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