The Chinchilla touch football community has come together again for the fourth year of the Chinchilla Fast 4s Touch Football tournament.
Originally created as a way to bring the community back together again following COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, the tournament provides a vehicle for people of all ages to engage with touch football. Fast 4s allows the rural community of Chinchilla and afar to get together and play sport, socialise in an inclusive environment built around fitness, and most importantly have fun.
Queensland Touch Football Board Member, and former Chinchilla local, Dave Zanette said he’s so proud to have seen this idea grow from inception to the concept it is today.
“This event was born from an idea to get the local touch community running again,” Zanette said.
“Not only is it an event where teams can enter, but part of the concept was to hold a development clinic for the kids the day before as well.
“The clinic is to provide a development opportunity for kids in regional Queensland, something I have a strong passion for. It shouldn’t matter where you come from, touch football is a sport for all,” he said.
In 2023, the Chinchilla Fast 4s welcomed more than 30 teams, as well as in excess for 100 juniors for the development clinic.
“When I was 15, after growing up in Chinchilla, I made my first Queensland representative team,” Zanette said.
“This really lit a fire inside of me, and sparked my passion for giving back to my community, but also creating opportunities for children in regional towns to grow and thrive.
“It was fantastic to see so many kids involved in the development clinic, and we hope to see numbers continue to grow in coming years as well,” he said.
On Saturday 9 September, attention turned to the fields where players aged 12 through to 50+ teamed up for the Fast 4s.
“The Chinchilla 4s is really becoming a celebration of touch football, and it was great to see so many people out on the field, playing touch football and having fun,” Zanette said.
“Every team who participates is given a batch of jerseys, so they can look the part and feel the part too,” he said.
The community event has been so successful, that it was named 2022 Queensland Touch Football Community Program of the Year, something that the locals are very proud of.
Celina Mooney, a former Chinchilla local, was involved with the event, both as a parent of kids participating in the development clinic, and as a player herself.
“After a long break from touch football, I was excited to come and play again,” Mooney said.
“I made the trip from the Sunshine Coast back to the grounds I learnt to play on. Arriving back in town I was feeling confident and ready to tackle Fast 4s.
“That confidence quickly faded after watching the junior development clinic – the skills on show from the juniors was something to be desired!
“The Fast 4s was a social yet competitive day, filled with incredible speed, agility and play making from local and out of town teams.
“The draw was planned to perfection, allowing teams enough time to rehydrate before taking to the fields again with a new found energy and spring in their step.
“A huge thank you to Chinchilla Touch Association for planning such a fun day out for everyone!” she said.
Images captured by @brent_things_and_stuff.
