CHANGES TO FIRST KICKS(6TH GRADE) AND FUN FOOTBALL(7TH AND 8TH GRADES)

    We will be extending the season through into September.

Over the last few weeks we have been working on making some changes to first kicks and fun football (6-8 grades). After discussions with AFF and from suggestions that have been made by the committee, parents and club members we believe these changes will help improve the running of these grades. We hope these changes will address some of the issues that have been raised while still maintaining the principles that underpin the junior framework.

• Accumulation of hours and number of touches
• Early engagement
• Recognising development age
• Training emphasis periods
• Four corner approach
• Age appropriate games

The plan was to wait until 2012 to make the changes but because we are now extending the season there is an opportunity to get the changes in place before the 2012 season and we would like to introduce them as soon as possible.

Effectively the organisation on a Saturday will stay the same; the main difference is that children will be placed in pods where they will play each week over the season. A pod will consist of 4 playing fields (stations) on a Saturday which the children will be divided into.  Each field will run an activity covering the four corners approach (technical and tactical, physical, mental and social/emotional); it is a four station rotation. Each field (station) will have either a general movement, football coordination, football technique or small sided game activity running for approximately 8-10minutes. Each week I will try and email out what the focus for each activity on training/game day will be for the week. The children will rotate through these stations on a clockwise basis. Once each group has been to every field (station) they will play 2 games of continuous football, remembering that these games should have no goalies, be free flowing with little or no stoppages, have the children experience lots of success and touches on the ball and above all have fun.

At this stage it is envisaged that we will have 24 children in each pod, by having the pod unit system we can still mix the players into 3v3 (6th grade) and 3v3 or 4v4 (7^th and 8^th grade).  This also allows us flexibility if children are away, we can run fewer fields on the pod at a time, for example if only 18 children turn up then we run three fields of children but still have the four rotations. We can also add children to pods if necessary or if we have late registrations in say the 7^th grade we can go to larger pods of 4v4.   The placement of children can be made to take into account friends that they may like to play with. The children will continue to experience different coaches and their strengths in coaching. Game leaders who have no children playing can be rotated to other pods.

We have sorted through the shirts from last year and hope that we will have enough for each pod (of the same colour). For example pod one may be blue, pod two green and so on. Children will have the shirt for the season and the bib will go on over top on the day. Next season we will look for sponsors of each pod and may have a competition for children to name the pod, for example the ‘Pak N Save strikers’. Each Saturday the pod coordinator (person in charge of the pod) will organise game leaders. They will also decide with the game leaders who will also receive the player of the day certificates for the pod.

I still have the team placement requests that parents made at the beginning of the season and the team lists from last year. I will be using these but would also like parents to email to confirm these requests or add to them.

2012 may also see the introduction of the ‘pod of the week trophy’, pod challenges, great goal award and commitment awards. Level of attainment certificates is another area we are looking at which children can achieve by practicing (at home as well), attendance, commitment, trying new things, effort and improvement etc to gain their bronze, silver and gold awards. This will give the children something to aim for and recognise their development and hard work.

What this will look like on a Saturday

Children will go straight to their pods and line up behind the main pod flag; they will then be given bibs before training begins the same as it is now. They will then head off to their field (station) with their game leader to begin their first activity. Each pod will have a co-ordinator and we will still need game leaders and pod co-ordinators for each pod, so if you are able to help please let us know, of course you will be placed on the pod your child is on. As we have said in previous emails it is hoped to get a roster going so that it is not the same people all the time.

At this stage the structure for training nights for 7^th and 8^th grades will remain the same as not all pods may be able to turn up on the same training night, this gives the parent’s flexibility to which night that the children can train on, this however may change next season.

Please email as soon as possible requests/placements into the pods. I will be working on them over the next few days with the information I have and would like to have the pods ready to run on Saturday. We will also have t-shirts to hand out as well. It may take a little while to get sorted on Saturday so please bear with us while we get organised and thanks in advance for your patience.

Thanks for your continued support

Kathryn, Paul and Sarah