The smiling faces and bubbling excitement before the match spilled over into joyous goal celebrations during it, on a brisk autumn morning in Canberra. Local clubs Majura and Woden Valley were playing, and sport was doing one of things it does best — bringing people together and having fun.

Capital Football, the state body responsible for football in the ACT, is running a highly popular and innovative ‘all ability’ football program, called ‘Football Connect’. It is a program that lives and breathes the Sports CONNECT philosophy of combining the resources and networks of national and state sporting bodies with local clubs to deliver a cracking program for people with disability. This program aligns with Football Federation Australia’s participation priorities — aiming to ensure that the football community is inclusive of people of all backgrounds and abilities.

In 2011 Capital Football, in partnership with Weston Creek Soccer Club (South Canberra) and Belconnen United/Belnorth Football Club (North Canberra), launched a football league specifically catering for athletes of all abilities. Participants were allocated a club close to where they live, received their own club shirt, attended weekly training sessions and participated in football matches weekly throughout the season with their own team at the Hawker Football Centre. The program has been pulled together by Capital Football’s Game Development Manager, Pat McCann.

This approach of bringing together local clubs, community organisations and state bodies, backed by national organisations and the ASC, is an excellent example of the ASC’s Sports CONNECT framework. Sports CONNECT is a national framework that develops pathways for people with disability to get involved in sport, by creating and developing relationships between sports and disability organisations.

Currently many people with disability participate in sport outside a sporting organisation, which results in missed opportunities for the individual and the sporting organisations.

Through Sports CONNECT more people with disability are recognising the social and health benefits of being involved in sport. At the same time sporting organisations are becoming aware of the benefits of involving people with disability either as participants, administrators, volunteers, coaches or officials

Capital Football’s 2012 Football Connect season is about to commence with a pre-season ‘Come & Try’ period set for May and the season launch scheduled for June. The Kanga Cup, Australia's biggest football tournament which is also conducted by Capital Football, has introduced a disability division in 2012, giving Football Connect teams an opportunity to play against teams from around Australia in the July school holidays.

Doubtless the program will bring together many more people and groups, connected through sport. Just watch out for the goal celebrations!