Local Legend Helping Elliot Springs’ Soccer Bilbies Kick Goals
Meet our very own local legend, James Sangma, who is the founder and head coach of Soccer Bilbies. We sat down with James to discuss his passion for the game and making a positive impact on the next generation of Townsville’s sporting superstars.
Kicking goals for a fun, inclusive and active community at Elliot Springs is local legend, James Sangma, who is building a strong local following, running his soccer programs at Wadda Mooli Park.
As founder and head coach of the Soccer Bilbies, James has always been passionate about learning and exploring, always looking to make a positive impact in the community.
“I am originally from a small city called Shillong in the Himalayan ranges located in the North-eastern part of India, bordering Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. Growing up in a multicultural environment, I speak Sino-Tibetan language, English and Hindi,” said James.
“I am currently employed by Football Australia as a Participation Officer - Community Programs and also involved as a Head Coach with the U16s Football Queensland Academy. I started my coaching journey at Grasshopper Soccer.
“After graduating with a Bachelor of Business - Sports & Events Management from JCU in 2021 and acquiring my AFC "C" License coaching badge, I have been involved heavily with the Talent Support Program with Football Queensland and increasing participation in the North Queensland region. Apart from coaching, I also enjoy playing the game and currently play for Rebels Football Club.”
James founded the Soccer Bilbies program in 2022, with the vision of creating a fun-focused, non-competitive and family-friendly environment, where children can learn soccer and develop other early childhood skills through play.
“Being able to see our young participants grow their love for the game and developing their social skills is super rewarding to me personally. Hearing feedback from parents about how we shaped their children’s life through football, fostering the love for the game and keeping them active and healthy is why I love being involved in the program,” he said.
“Wadda Mooli Park is a fantastic park with plenty of shade and breeze throughout the year. The facilities at the park are so convenient and very family friendly. It is one of the best parks to run a program such as ours.”
Soccer Bilbies plan to come back in term 2, so that James and his team are able to provide their program to their friendly, growing community in Elliot Springs and surrounding areas.
To learn more about the Soccer Bilbies upcoming season visit: thesoccerbilbies.com