Abdelfattah Ben Romdhane, known to most in Newcastle as "Ben", has taken his love of soccer all over the world since growing up in the football-mad nation of Tunisia. This season he stepped into coach for Simba FC, a community football club based in Tighes Hill, after volunteering for the club for two years.
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His 19-year-old son plays for its reserve grade team.
"As a coach all the players are like your children, you provide them with the best you can and when you see them play you can only encourage and support them," Mr Ben Romdhane said.
"During the season we train Monday and Thursday and play every Saturday. It is time consuming. We don't get paid; we do it for love of the game."
Mr Ben Romdhane's family immigrated to Australia in 2011 from Malaysia, where Mr Ben Romdhane met his wife and brought up two sons - who also caught the soccer bug.
Previously, he has acted as deputy coach and helped out at his sons' soccer clubs at Lambton and New Lambton. The past two years, however, he has volunteered for his son Sohel's club Simba FC. This year the head coach of Simba FC retired halfway through the season.
Mr Ben Romdhane took up the position at the last minute - to the relief of club president Solomon Nagbe who has also been acting as a deputy coach.
"I didn't want the boss to be without anybody," Mr Ben Romdhane said. "So I just continued doing what I could for the team for the rest of the season."
Simba FC was established by the Hunter African Communities Council, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes the successful settlement and integration of Australians of African descent in Newcastle. However, the men's soccer club has provided a community for young people from all over the world. It's a tradition Mr Ben Romdhane is passionate about continuing in years to come.
"We've had Chinese players, Koreans, we've had a few players who are born and bred Australians. We've had Africans from everywhere including Sierra Leone, Senegal, and people from the Middle East. You know, Australia is a multicultural country so we are looking to have people from everywhere," Mr Ben Romdhane said.
"That's how you learn: mixing with other people."
Mr Ben Romdhane admitted this season had been "difficult" due to changes in the club and a lack of players. Simba FC did not make it to the semis after being champions of the Newcastle Football Zone 2 League for two years in a row.
"We are really looking forward to growing bigger and playing at a better level next year," he said.
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