Some of our youngest members are introduced to football through ‘Fun Football’ – part of New Zealand Football’s Junior Framework. The players learn new skills in a fun and friendly environment, taking part in weekly sessions that provide wide-ranging benefits:
- Social & Emotional – lots of interaction, enjoyment
- Technical & Tactical – lots of touches, 1v1s, attacking & defending
- Physical – develop Functional Movement Patterns, more active
- Mental – lots of opportunities for success and for decision making
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Whole of Football In-house - 8th grade Mixed and 8/9/10th grade Girls
Friday evenings – 4:30-5:25pm OR 5:35pm to 6:30pm. Once the number of teams are confirmed we will do our best to have teams playing at their preferred time of 4:30 or 5:35 and this will stay the same each week. The time may depend on the number of teams registered to play.
Seddon Fields, Meola Road
First session: 4 April 2025
Final session: 5 September 2025
No Whole of Football on the following holiday 2025 dates: 18 April, 25 April, 30 May, 20 June, 4 July
8th Grade Coordinator – Cathryn Barber - coordinator2017@wsafc.org.nz
Grading is strictly based on the year of birth: (2025 Season) 2017 – 8th Grade
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Registrations and Teams
Registrations typically open early January through to early March. At the close of registrations, the grade coordinator will put the teams together based on requests as indicated on the registration form (they do their best, nothing is guaranteed). If you have a few friends wanting to play together, they will all have to indicate this on their registration. Click here to register.
Once all registrations are sorted into teams, the coordinator will email out team details (typically early March). Each team will require a volunteer coach, assistant coach, and manager. It is at the team's discretion if they want to practice during the week or not. Teams will be given the option to secure turf space for training if they require it.
Girls teams (8/9/10th grade Girls Hub) or 8th grade Mixed teams
We will run the weekly Friday sessions (see below) pairing up teams for the games. We will also offer opportunities for all girls teams to play against other all girls teams instead of playing against mixed teams (includes boys). We appreciate some girls may prefer to play with and against other girls so want to provide this option. The 'Girls Hub' will be an option for girls in the 8th (2017 born), 9th (2016 born) and 10th (2015 born) grades. Games in the Girls Hub will be from 5:35-6:30pm on Fridays to have nore girls teams playing at the same time. Depending upon the number of girls teams, there may be some games against mixed teams. To register to play in a team in the 'Girls Hub', register in the usual way and state preferences including answering the specific question about playing in a mixed team or in the 'Girl's Hub'.
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Fun Football Programme
Friday Evenings – 4:30-5:25pm & 5:35-6:30pm
The weekly allocation of pitches and rotation activities will be made available on our website and App usually at least two days in advance. Two teams will be allocated to each playing area.
Each team will need two ‘coaches’ on the pitch with their team – one to run the activity card and one to take their team to the other activity (with the other coach). The hooter is sounded to signal the start/end of each activity/game.
Activity cards should be collected from our Whole of Football Coordinator in the clubrooms, at least 15 minutes prior to the session, and returned to the Whole of Football Coordinator at the end of the session.
TEAMS
Maximum of 10 players per team is preferred
PITCH
1/6th of a pitch is shared between 2 teams and split into 2 separate pitches each with 2m x 1m goals at each end
4:30 Fit4Football or General Movement game as a Warm-up activity with own coach
4:38 Activity 1 with own coach
4:46 Activity 2 swap with other team coach
4:54 Return to your original station for a drink – 2 minutes
Coaches ensure half the team has bibs on and organise with opponents so bibs v non-bibs on each field. After game 1, one team swaps the bibbed players over and then each team plays against the other half of the opposition team.
4:56 Game 1 kick-off
5:09 Bibbed players swap and get a drink
5:12 Game 2 kick-off
5:25 return all cards to clubrooms
OR
5:35 Fit4Football or General Movement game as a Warm-up activity with own coach
5:43 Activity 1 with own coach
5:51 Activity 2 swap with other team coach
5:59 Return to your original station for a drink – 2 minutes
Coaches ensure half the team has bibs on and organise with opponents so bibs v non-bibs on each field. After game 1, one team swaps the bibbed players over and then each team plays against the other half of the opposition team.
6:01 Game 1 kick-off
6:14 Bibbed players swap and get a drink
6:17 Game 2 kick-off
6:30 Clear field (remove goals) return all cards to clubrooms
RULES
- Players are encouraged to enjoy being in possession of the ball; the focus is on having fun and participation
- Goal kicks and corners can be introduced. For goal kicks, encourage opposition players to retreat back into their own half to allow the team in possession to pass the ball out to begin their attack.
- When a goal is scored, encourage the scoring team to retreat to their own half and allow the conceding team to restart from their goal - again passing the ball out
- Allow kick-ins rather than throw-ins when the ball goes out at the side of the pitch
- Coaches should try to ensure games are relatively evenly matched. If one team has more players than the opposition then the coaches can monitor the game and balance the teams as fairly as possible by sharing players
- Team coaches will be on the field to encourage players and their positive behaviours. Coaches should encourage all players to perform different skills and roles within the team
PARENTS/SUPPORTERS
All supporters should watch games from behind the fence or on the balcony and provide encouragement to all players.
