The focus of national junior football interest shifts to Coffs Harbour next week with the commencement of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Girls National Youth Championships.

Kick off for the first matches is at 9.30am on Saturday July 7 at BCU International Stadium Coffs Harbour, with competition running until the following Saturday July 14 when the National Youth Champions for 2007 will be decided.

Northern NSW Football Operations Manager, Alan Nisbet, who is co-ordinating the
Championships as the host State, is looking forward to the showcase of Australia’s next generation of football stars.

"The National Championships are the pinnacle of junior football in Australia and Northern NSW Football are proud to be able to host such a prestigious tournament," Nisbet said.

"Naturally we hope our Northern NSW teams do well but we go into this tournament knowing that it showcases the best young female footballers from around Australia, many already earmarked for national representative careers."

At the 2006 Championships, Northern NSW Football finished 4th and 6th in the 15’s and 17’s years divisions respectively. Coaches for Northern NSW Krystal Gollan (15’s) and Anthony Richards (17’s) are quietly confident about their teams chances of improving on these results against the more fancied metropolitan teams of NSW and Queensland.

An official opening ceremony for the championships will be held at BCU International Stadium at 8.30am on Saturday, July 7, attended by FFA officials as well as team captains and management from each State. QANTAS Matildas player Jenna Tristram, herself a graduate of the National Championships, will welcome the teams to her home town.