AROUND GROUNDS Maitland TA started their first Season 1 competition in many years in 2018. The competition saw families play together in a friendly social environment. Burren Junction TA, A town of roughly 120 people has started up its first touch football competition. Drawing players from other towns in the area, the competition has seenover100peopletakethefieldinthesmall North West Community. Sporting Schools Programs for 2018 top 5 most active coaches were Graham Fleming (Canterbury TA), Rob Ognenovski (Wollongong TA), Hayden Ryan-Hill (Newcastle TA), Rob Summers (Wollongong TA), Wade Appleby (Penrith TA) 175% Growth in Sporting Schools Programs in NSW Between 2016 & 2018 and 11,000 Participants through the programs so far in 2018 Ryde-Eastwood TA have reached capacity with their 2018 Season 2 competition withover100teamsplayingonMondaynights. Manly Warringah TA local junior competition reached 310 teams for Season 2 2018. That’s more teams playing on a Friday night in Manly than are playing in Port Macquarie this weekend. An incredible achievement. Newcastle TA ran the largest Regional Secondary All Schools Event with 34 teams Lower Blue Mountain’s TA had the largest percentile increase event with a 222% increase at the Primary Schools Gala Day. Northern Beaches TA Junior competition is once again at capacity, and their Season 1 competition doubled in numbers from last year’s initial season. Yass TA ran their annual Knock Out for the 30th year in 2018 with over 100 teams participating. The Knock Out is on once again in 2019 on January 26 and 27. Grafton TA hasrelocatedtoFisherParkfor this season City of Orange TA competed at Vawdon Cup for the first time. Both Youth teams made into the semi finals narrowly missing out on a Grand Final berth. Milton Ulludulla TA held their first Foundation and Talent Coaching courses for a long time and actually had the GM deliver them. Lithgow TA in Season 2 2018 have introduced Juniors and will be sending 4 teams to the Don Green Championships. Wollongong TA this year launched the Inaugural Illawarra Division Premier Touch League. This landmark partnership has seen the link between the NRL and Touch Football Australia filter down to a grassroots level Parkes TA leading into the Season 2 in conjunction with NSW Touch hosted a PrimarySchoolGalaDay.Thisdaywasagreat success with a record number of 60 teams participating. Currently we have engaged partnerships across the sport with the following NRL Clubs, Cronulla Sharks, Easts Roosters, Manly Sea Eagles, Newcastle Knights, Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers. We are also hopeful of having both Souths Sydney Rabbits and Canterbury Bulldogs on board soon. Braidwood TA is a new competition formed by the committee from the Braidwood Rugby Union club. In their first season they have 12 teams competing, which is quite remarkable in a town of 1,650 people. Merriwa TA have started their Season 2 withastrongoverall15teamadultcompetition with a strong female participation of a 7-team competition. Eden TA from the Eden Tiger Social Club have formed a new Touch Association, they are expecting a 7-team competition for their inaugural season. Nowra Shoalhaven TA are continually growing their senior completion year to year. On the back of this they are planning on participating in representative events in the near future. Eastern Suburbs TA Eastern Suburbs have started up a new competition located at the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union club based at Woollahra. The competition is being played on the club’s new synthetic turf field. Shunt - Australian Sport And Recreation Industry Social Media Snapshot tracks 1,800 social media accounts across the Australian sport and recreation industry that include national (NSO) and state sporting associations (SSA), peak bodies, events and teams. It is pleasing to read that in the July report NSW Touch Football is placed in the Top 20 of NSW State Sports. NSWTA Twitter- 14th Facebook 10th and Instagram 7th WELCOME, TO THE NEW AFFILIATES WHO JOINED OUR COMMUNITY DURING THE YEAR: - Eden TA - Braidwood TA, - Cooma TA - Burren Junction TA, - Southern Highlands TA - Coffs Harbour TA 20 | Keeping In Touch 2018