There were some fantastic stories, photos and video entries, but the one entry which really went to the heart of showing how sport is ‘fair and fun for everyone’ was from Georgia Harris from NSW.
Georgia described her experiences playing junior soccer in the Under 6s: “We didn't have to worry about winning or losing, because back then we didn't really know the difference. And the reason we didn't know the difference...was because we were always having fun.”
As competition winner, Georgia will be off on a personal tour of the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra in October. Thanks to everyone who entered – Georgia’s full story and a range of the best stories and photo entries are also featured below.
Georgia Harris (NSW)
My name is Georgia, and this is a photo of me and my soccer team in the U/6's in 2001, which makes me 16 at the end of the year. I started playing football when I was five and want to play for the rest of my life, and someday let my dream come true which is to play for the Matilda's!
Firstly, I definitely miss the half-time oranges in junior soccer. This is probably a bad example of being fair, as the majority of us would race over to the oranges at half-time to get in quick before they all went. But to be fair, every player in the team had to have a turn of bringing in the oranges.
I think the best thing about it was that there were no subs! All of us were on at once. When we were buggered, we just ran off the field, and when we fell over or got hurt, mum or dad would always be there right next to us to give us a hand up. That was usually because dad was the coach or mum helped out being the ref.
The beauty of the game was that it didn't matter where we ran on the field, we just kept on running. There was only one ball, and by the end of the game, the ball really should have been dead. Wherever the ball went...so did we, like a swarm of bees.
We didn't have to worry about winning or losing because back then we didn't really know the difference. And the reason we didn't know the difference...was because we were always having fun. And that's why today, 10 years later, the scoreline still doesn't matter to me. As long as I'm out on the pitch and having fun, it’s all that really matters.
Highly commended:
Sally Donnelly (Tasmania)
Kingborough Tigers Junior Football Club held their first ‘Under Lights’ event on 24 June 2011 at our home ground Kingston Beach Oval. It was a fantastic night with the emphasis being on bringing boys and parents from all age groups together to support each other. The curtain-raiser for the evening’s matches was the Under 8 Black vs Gold game. Twenty seven very excited boys ran out onto the ground through giant yellow and black banners made especially for the game by parents. They provided the large crowd with some great entertainment, teamwork and ever-improving football skills. The coaches were very proud of their boys.
The photo shows both teams together singing the club song after the game. Following their match, the Under 8's headed to the change-rooms to take the Under 13’s through their warm-up drills in preparation for the main event of the night - the Under 13 Black vs Gold clash. The clubrooms were buzzing with activity with yummy curries, sausages, hamburgers and refreshments on offer.
Dean Callaghan (Northern Territory)
My name is Dean, and my family and I are AFL umpires. On weekends I umpire matches in the Northern Territory communities.
Umpiring is a sport for everyone, man or woman, young or old. Keeping the match fair and under control is our main priority. Being an umpire can also take you places, and for some people, it's their full-time job. It's good to get out and have a bit of fun, keeping fit and getting paid for it.
Photos
Photo by Jim Hankins 
Photo by Maddie Costanzo
