Convoys of foldable wagons full of sports gears and containers full of sliced up oranges have taken over Canberra sporting fields on Saturday mornings as families gather for a weekend ritual.
The junior sport season is in full swing and we've been to venues across the capital in May to capture the action. We'll head to more games in the coming months to celebrate everything about junior sport.
In the first five weeks of our series we went to visit Belnorth at Kaleen, Canberra Olympic at Harrison, Badminton at the AIS, hockey at Lyneham and junior Australian rules at Holt.
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The convoy of foldable stroller wagons full of sports gear and containers of orange slices. The parents carrying camp chairs and picnic rugs under their arms.
The smell of coffee and fresh-cut grass. Winter soccer is back, with the first games of the 2026 junior season kicking off around Canberra on Saturday.
It's been a tumultuous six months for the world game in the capital, but at Kaleen Playing Fields on the weekend, all seven-year-old Belnorth junior Annie is worried about is scoring a tonne of goals, motivated by her heroes, the Matildas.
"I scored today but I don't know how many," she told The Canberra Times.
"I love the teamwork, passing the ball and playing together with friends."
Food truck owner Scott Evans was kept busy at Kaleen slinging hot dogs, burgers, hot chips, baked treats, and of course, coffee. Lots of it.
Evans has taken his family-owned business to Canberra Stadium, Manuka Oval and every major event in between, from the Geek Markets to the National Folk Festival. Starting out with one food truck 15 years ago, he now has five.
But for the last decade, every Saturday during the winter soccer season from 6.45am and 4pm is spent serving the Belnorth Football Club.
"We've got a good relationship with the club," Evans said.
"It's really good for us being here for winter, because that's when the events slow down, so it helps keeps us going.
"It all sells well but probably the coffee and the hot chips are the most popular item on the menu."
Little does he know it, Evans is creating cherished core memories.
Like many parents, Cass always treats her kids to a cup of hot chips after their games at Kaleen.
It's a simple reward for a well-played match, a goal or two, and dedication to getting up early to ensure the family nabs a spot in the car park by the playing fields.
"You definitely have to get here early," she said with a laugh.
"My son, Judah, started playing for Belnorth at five years old and now he's eight.
"At the beginning it was like herding cats, but now watching them play and working together, it's fantastic.
"We just love the community, seeing them have a go and have a really good time."
Mum of three, Amanda, is a newcomer to Belnorth having defected from Belsouth.
She said her kids Hannah, Leo and Charlie, joined the club because Belsouth didn't have room for them all following an influx of players from Gungahlin United, which collapsed in November and had a widespread impact on Canberra soccer.
"It's our first season here after we couldn't register at Belsouth, and the club has been amazing," Amanda said.
"It's chaotic being the first game, packing a mixture of snacks, we brought chairs and a camping bench, and we've got grandparents in from interstate.
"For me I love the joy seeing them when they achieve something. It's so cute."
The subject of Gungahlin's demise was not an uncommon talking point at soccer sidelines on the weekend, as the result of 2000-plus players relocating to different clubs was fully felt.
Belnorth club president Ruth Parker said they've gained a few hundred players that last year played with Gungahlin United, and she was hopeful they will be retained beyond this season.
"With more players it means we've had to buy a heap more jerseys," she said.
"We've seen an increase in our 12 to 18 age bracket, and we also took two senior teams that were at Gungahlin.
"Kaleen is pretty much full from 8am until 5pm over six fields.
"We've just got a very strong belief that anyone that would like to play football should have the opportunity to do so."
