Willem Ebbinge aspires to be a professional football player - with an education to match his sporting talent.
The Jacks Point footballer is a member of the Queenstown Junior Football Club and has been playing in competitions since he was 5.
Since the club formed in the 1980s, numbers have risen from about 60 to more than 300 - which amounts to 25 teams this season.
Across Queenstown, Wanaka, Cromwell and Alexandra, 700 children will play the sport each Sunday.
While the majority of junior footballers rest up during the off-season, Willem (12) practises year-round in a bid to read his goal.
The Barcelona supporter confidently says he would like to play for a European club ''and get a good education''.
With his father coming from the Netherlands - a football nation - he was introduced to the sport at a young age and has loved it ever since.
''I like seeing a team develop from the very start of the season to the end because there's so much improvement,'' he said.
His younger brother, Jan (8), who also started playing at the age of 5, will be playing this Sunday as well.
The Queenstown Junior Football Club, a registered charity, practises on Wednesdays at the Events Centre and welcomes new players.
Secretary Rebecca Ebbinge said the focus of the club was to make sure children had fun enjoying the most popular sport in the world.
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