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 9-10th grade are typically 9am or 10am on Saturday morning’s. Kick Off times for 11-12th grades are typically 10am or 11am.

Teams are typically coached by parent volunteers for a mid-week training and Saturday game day. A very limited number of paid professional coaches are available as maybe required on a case by case basis.

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.

4.15pm – 5.15pm for Grades 9 & 10

5.30pm – 6.30pm for Grades 11 & 12

Basic overview of the season

  • FEB = ID sessions
  • MAR/APR = Team trainings & Phoenix Pre Academy Sessions (APR is difficult due to School Holidays & ANZAC)
  • MAY - SEP = Football Season

ID Sessions - These are sessions where we invite ALL players along to train, help us identify who is coming back, who is new to the club and ask questions about the season ahead, historically these have been called trials. At Northern Rovers our philosophy at this age is to lay the groundwork and foundations for kids to fall in love with the sport of football whilst developing fundamental skills and attitudes whilst playing alongside their friends. In grades 9/10 you are encouraged to play alongside your friends and/or stay in the same team as your First Kicks experience. In grade 11/12 we start to form our competitive and social teams with a focus on the next step into the Youth grades. You do not need to attend all ID sessions.

PAC Sessions - These are sessions open to all players with our qualified coaches who are workin with the Wellington Phoenix Academy to execute their Pre Academy curriculum. 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 competitive squads. These sessions run in 2 modules Term 2&3, each requiring its own registration.

Winter Season - The season will commence at the end of April (still awaiting confirmation from the Northern Football Federation) and run for approx 22 weeks until the end of September with a break over the July school holidays.

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.