JUNIOR FOOTBALL U9-U12

Junior football is for players from Grade 9 (those born in 2016) through to Grade 12 (those born in 2013).  Teams play against other clubs within the Northern Region (includes up to Warkworth &  Hibiscus Coast in the North and Kumeu & Oratia in the West and all of the North Shore) on a Saturday morning.

Kick Off times for Junior grades are on the hour from 9am thorugh to 12pm.

At Northern Rovers FC, our Junior football philosophy emphasises the importance of nurturing a lifelong love for the game while providing pathways for both social and competitive player development. We strive to create an inclusive, supportive environment where every player can enjoy the game of football, develop their skills, and reach their full potential—whether playing for fun or aspiring to compete at the highest levels.

Core Principles

1. Inclusivity and Enjoyment: Football is for everyone. We foster a welcoming culture where all players feel valued and supported.

2. Player-Centered Development: Training programs are tailored to the age, skill level, and goals of our players, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to grow.

3. Pathways for Growth: We provide clear opportunities for players to transition between social and competitive streams or vice versa, as their aspirations and abilities evolve.

4. Community Values: Our club is a place to develop character, teamwork, and respect, both on and off the field.

Players are asked to select a social or competitive pathway via our registration form process and during February ID sessions teams are formed.

Social teams are typically coached by parent volunteers for a mid-week training and Saturday game day. Competitive Teams are coached by one of our qualified coaches or a parent who has played the game or professional sport to a high level. A very limited number of paid professional coaches are available as maybe required on a case by case basis for social teams.

Teams are formed by ensuring players of a similar level are grouped together to ensure the most enjoyable experience, this is done through Player ID sessions before the season starts typically these start in March. Priority is also given to keeping “friends” together at this age group.

To ensure players have access to high quality coaching to aid their development many players also attend the Academy sessions. Academy trainings must be booked in addition to your player registration and are held on Mondays evenings at Becroft Park. For players who choose the competitive pathway, the cademy sessions are included.

4.15pm – 5.15pm for Grades 9 & 10

5.30pm – 6.30pm for Grades 11 & 12

Please find our Junior FAQs here

Social Pathway

The Social/Community pathway offers players the chance to participate at a level aligned with their current abilities while keeping commitments manageable. This pathway typically involves one training session per week, along with a game. The training schedule is determined by the availability of a volunteer parent coach and will require a volunteer manager and at least 1 person to assist with refereeing half a game each week. The cost for this pathway will be the Registration Fee of $225 + GST.

Competitive Pathway 

The Competitive pathway offers those players looking for a more skills based approach to developing their game based on our NZ Football accredited program. This pathway will involve two training sessions per week, along with a game. The training schedule is determined by the club appointed qualified coach which will include the Pre Academy (PAC) sessions on Monday nights along with another midweek team training session. These teams will require a volunteer manager and at least 1 person to assist with refereeing half a game each week. The cost for this pathway will be the Registration Fee of $225 + GST and a PAC/Coaching fee of $500 if paid in full by 28th of February or $525 paid per term in 3 payments of $175 per term, and will include a training T-Shirt.

For those Social based players wanting to attend PAC, they may do so for a per term fee of $100 + GST

Pre-Academy (PAC) Sessions - These are sessions open to all players with our qualified coaches who are working with the NZ Football Talent Development Program (TDP) to execute their curriculum before entering the Youth TDP. This gives ALL kids the ability to have more time with the ball at their feet and be identified by the club should they wish to be identified into our youth TDP squads. These sessions are compulsory for all competitive pathway players (indicated on your registration form) with fees included in your registration whilst social pathway players may also attend at a cost of $100 per term. PAC runs in all terms (1,2,3 & 4) with term 4 being optional for competitive pathway players.

Winter Season - The season will commence at the start of April and runs for approx 22 weeks until the end of August with a break over the April and July school holidays (no games in the middle weekend).

GAME FORMAT AND FIELD SIZES

The table below shows the game format including team size, field size, and ball size for each Grade of football from First Kicks through to Juniors.