Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler visited Maroubra United this week to connect with parents, players, and local volunteers at the grassroots football community.
National Volunteer Week (18-24 May 2026) is a vital time to connect and recognise the incredible work of our volunteers who are the engine room of Australia’s largest grassroots sport, across 1.9m participants and over 2,200 active club all over the country.
“Nights like tonight are why I took the job,” Kugeler said, watching on at training for the club from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
“Look at this, on a Wednesday evening, all the fields are pumping. Kids are here, parents are here. Community football is the foundation of the game, so it’s great to see that growing.
“Grassroots football is growing, which is exciting. We have more than 1.9 million participants already, and we need infrastructure. We need infrastructure for girls in particular: change rooms and lights, so kids can train and practice in the evening.”
