Sixteen-year-old Jack Hutchings of Yellow Rock is the third recipient of an annual community sporting scholarship.
The Matt Dyer Memorial Striker Scholarship is given out in memory of passionate football player and coach, Matt Dyer from Winmalee, who tragically fell to his death at Hawkesbury Lookout in February 2015.
Jack, a St Columba’s student, was chosen as this year’s winner after already proving himself on the soccer field.
“I'm playing in the national premier league, I've been there for about four years with a couple of clubs and now I'm at Blacktown City,” he said.
“I'm a winger ... but I'm definitely working towards being a better player and getting a few more goals.”
Jack recently started the one-year scholarship on Monday nights at Springwood’s Lomatia Park.
"It's definitely enhancing my shooting abilities and overall technique and accuracy has definitely been a big improvement."
Last year's winner, 12-year-old Molly Peake “just loved the scholarship,” her mum, Kate Peake, told the Gazette.
Molly plays for Football Institute NSW Under 13 girls team and attends Westfields Sports High at Fairfield. The 12-year-old right forward returned from Dallas, America, in April for the International Girls Cup and hopes to eventually play for Australia.
“She does a lot of training - she trains six times a week but her favourite is Golden Boot. You don't really get that opportunity just to take shots at goal for an hour.”
Golden Boot Strikers Academy head coach and managing director, Michael Robson said he was “really happy that the scholarship is being well received in the community”.
“The quality of each of scholarship winner has been fantastic, as has their attitude to training. It is a very fitting way to remember Matt Dwyer who was such a great coach.”
Matt Dyer mentored young players and was an assistant coach and a member of the Golden Boot Strikers Academy. He played with Springwood Football Club, including representative stints and was selected to play college soccer in the US.