31st August 2010

Coogee United U10 Boys
GRAND FINAL WINNERS!

23rd August 2010

Coogee United U10 Girls - CHAMPIONS!

21st June 2010

U16 Girls winning their first game for the season
Sunday 20th June 2010

14th April 2010

7-ELEVEN IS PROUD TO SPONSOR
COOGEE UNITED JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB

7-Eleven Stores Pty. Ltd. is an Australian family owned business that operates close to 400 stores in Victoria, News South Wales and Queensland.

7-Eleven has operated in Australia since 1977 and today remains the world's 1st choice for convenience. Our doors are always open providing the community with fast, friendly service in a clean, safe environment.

To find out more about our new sponsor, visit:
www.7eleven.com.au



Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

22nd February 2010

COOGEE UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB
TRAINING POLICY

Coogee United Football Club has booked Heffron Park, Maroubra for juniors training from 5pm to 7pm each Tuesday during the 2010 season commencing from 2 March 2010 to 10 August 2010.

This is the only official training undertaken by the Club. There is no other compulsory training offered by the Club.

During this time all junior players engaged in official training will be covered by the insurance policy.

Any training organized by any coach or parent or player outside of these times is not sanctioned by the Club, and children who train outside the official training times will not be covered by the insurance policy.

Parents who allow their children to train outside the official hours must do so at their own risk.


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

10th February 2010

CHARITY TO SUPPORT CHILDREN WITH LEUKEMIA

Coogee United Juniors has always prided itself on doing things the right way, on and off the pitch.

We do this by playing the game in the right spirit, making a contribution to our local community and by providing an atmosphere for kids to play sport which is free from pressure and expectations.

At Coogee Juniors we acknowledge that some kids do not have that opportunity.

I was recently approached by a good friend of mine and long time Coogee seniors player, Mario Pengue with an idea to start a charity to support children with leukemia.

The idea is just that, an idea and very much in its infancy. Mario is looking for anyone who can provide any input or inspiration.

He is also looking for people interested in being part of the committee. This opportunity is open to all players, parents, families and friends.

There will be a brainstorming meeting in the Doncaster Hotel at 7pm on Wednesday 24th February. Mario looks forward to seeing you there.

Please contact Mario on 0425 279 973 or at: coogeekkl@hotmail.com


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

26th January 2010

REGISTRATION FOR THE COOGEE UNITED JUNIORS WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2010.

Venue: Kensington Bowling Club
1 Day Lane Kensington 2033,
(just next to Kensington Oval)

Times: 9am to 1pm

Fees have been determined to be $200 for the first child and $175 for each subsequent child of the same family. Our preference on the day is payment by cheque. We do not accept Credit or Eftpos cards.

Annual fees cover such things as;
:: Insurances
:: Field hire
:: Purchase of jersey, shorts, socks and balls
:: Referees fees
:: Presentation day expenses such as individual trophies and awards
:: Coaches and managers gear
:: Coaches training courses

As per previous years we will also aim to supply kids with additional soccer gear where possible once the season kicks off.

As you know Coogee United is run by a dedicated group of volunteers. I stress that no person receives any income from their involvement. All money received goes back to the club.

Team placement is given to returning Coogee players and siblings. Limited positions are available in the Small Sided Game program and older age groups.

Please ensure that you bring a copy of your child's birth certificate with you.

Should anyone wish to sponsor the club, please do not hesitate to contact me on 0400 459 120.


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

20th January 2010

REGISTRATIONS FOR THE 2010 COOGEE UNITED JUNIORS FOOTBALL SEASON WILL TAKE PLACE MID FEBRUARY. DATE AND VENUE WILL BE CONFIRMED SHORTLY ON OUR WEBSITE.

Coogee United Juniors is a very popular and financially stable club, we believe due to our club ethos of making sure all kids enjoy their game of football, and our fantastic parents and volunteers.

Every year we are inundated with prospective players, and each year we unfortunately have to turn some kids away. Preference for team placement is given to existing Coogee players and siblings, and then new players to our club.

To make the process simpler, we will outline on our website the 2010 teams that Coogee will field, and also outline if we believe we require additional new players for that team.

Should you have any questions about this or the registration process the club follows, please don't hesitate to contact me via email on: raffdv@bigpond.net.au


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

21st March 2009

TO ALL COOGEE UNITED SPONSORS

As we move into the 2009 season at Coogee United, we are keen to finalise and reconcile all monies for the season.

Therefore, we remind all sponsors of the club or any parent or company body that has pledged or donated sponsorship monies to their teams that in order to correctly claim your sponsorship tax concession, the Coogee United Club Treasurer MUST provide you with our new Club ABN number for your end of year financials.

To ensure that we currently hold all valid sponsors on our master ledger and to promote you on our soccer website should you so desire, please send us a quick note and include

:: your company or individual name
:: the amount pledged and
:: date lodged

and we will make certain that our records are aligned. When we are formally issued with our new ABN we will promptly provide this for your accounting purposes.

(For all sponsorship enquiries, please contact Stef Harland directly on 0420 901 115)


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

15th March 2009
Commencement of Small sides games



Our SSG program will commence on:
Saturday 28th March 2009
at Heffron Park Maroubra
(Bunnerong Road side) from 9am.

Please ensure that you are there and your child is ready by 8.45am.

The program is being co ordinated by Tiffany Boyd, who has put in a tremendous amount of work already to ensure that the program will be a success. On behalf of everyone at the club I want to acknowledge the enormous amount of time and effort she has already put in already and a ball has not been kicked yet.

Please ensure that your child has boots, shin pads and a water bottle. Uniforms will be distributed on that day or earlier is possible. Further information will come via email from your team manager.

A group of dedicated coaches will be on hand to oversee the program.

Have fun.


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

28th February 2009
Junior Training

Welcome to all for another season of Junior football.

Finally we can get the season commenced as grounds are now open. We have been allocated Heffron Park between 5pm and 7pm for training on a Tuesday night.

For those new to the club I am sure you will enjoy the year. This season we have expanded our Small Sided games program to include the Under 8's. The SSG format will take place on a Saturday morning and more information will be forthcoming via your respective coaches.

We have also entered three teams in the Under 9's competition along with two U 10 boys teams. A few spots remain open for the U 9s team so if interested please contact me. Registrations are closed for all other teams.

Where we have expanded the club is in the girls competition and this year sees us fielding a team in the U/10, 12 and 14 leagues. A big thankyou to all the volunteers that make this all happen because without their support and giving up freely of their time none of this would be possible.

Enjoy the season, get fit and remember to play the game in the right spirit.


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

25th February 2009
Junior Training



I have just finished speaking to ESFA and as yet the all clear has not been given for access to grounds, and all grounds within Randwick Council remain closed.

I will advise when these grounds are open and we have access to them.



No official Coogee United training sessions can be conducted
until these grounds are open and we have them booked.

In a nutshell;

1. Children are not covered for insurance unless they are playing on an approved ground and we have the ground booked.

2. Public liability insurance is not extended to us unless the ground is booked and it is an approved ground.

Once the grounds are open we have requested that we have Heffron Park between 4pm and 7pm on a Tuesday night. No official training will take place before the grounds are officially opened.

If you go outside this IT IS NOT A SANCTIONED COOGEE UNITED session and all the ramifications which flow from that will be the responsibility of the coach conducting the session. I cannot make this any clearer and ask that you abide by this.

Any questions please give me a call on: 0400 459 120.
As soon as I get further information I will pass it on.


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

22nd January 2009
2009 Registration Day


Registration for the Coogee United Juniors will take place on Saturday 7 February 2008.

Venue: Doncaster Hotel
Times:
Under 6, 7, 8's - 10am to 12pm
Under 9, 10, 10G, 12G, 14G - 1pm onwards


Fees have been determined to be $160 for the first child and $135 for each second or subsequent child. Preference is given to returning players. Fees have remained the same as the last two years despite increases in costs. It would be appreciated if payment is made by cheque.

Please ensure that you bring a copy of your child's birth certificate with you.

Should anyone wish to sponsor the club please do not hesitate to contact either Stef Harland 0404 012 783 or Raff Del Vecchio on 0400 459 120.


Raff Del Vecchio
Junior Club President
Coogee United FC

15th May 2008
Win a trip to Old Trafford



We are pleased to announce the launch of AIG Soccer4Kids - a competition offering Australian children the opportunity to win a youth soccer coaching clinic at their school or sporting club, delivered by official Manchester United Soccer Schools coaches.

We would like to invite your playing community to enter the competition to win a place!

In addition, an ultimate prize of a trip for 2 to see Manchester United play at their historic home ground, Old Trafford, is up for grabs for the best competition entry we receive.

At this stage, there is no need for you to do anything except, hopefully, encourage your playing community to enter! Should one of them win, we will approach you to provide you with the opportunity to host one of these exclusive clinics at your club.

In short:
:: Entries are open to Australian children currently enrolled in grades 3 to 6 from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Entry is via either:
:: A one minute (or less) video of an Amazing Soccer Moment, uploaded to a secure website. It is anticipated that these videos will be entertaining, creative and fun, while showing a sense of loving soccer.
:: 50 words or less 'Why you are a worthy winner of a trip to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United in action.'

Please visit the program website at www.AIGsoccer4kids.com.au for more information, including competition terms and conditions.

Click here to download an AIG Soccer4Kids poster for your noticeboard!

We hope your club will rally behind this unique opportunity.


Jane Winzer
Head of Marketing
AIG Life | Freecall 1800 333 613

1st May 2008
Score a Free Football



For more details, visit: www.tiptopcoaching.com.au

29th April 2008
Missing the point on SSG

Report courtesy of Andy Jackson www.fourfourtwo.com

I've seen a couple of negative stories surface in the last week or so on the introduction of Small Sided Games this season but having read them I think their missing the point of their introduction. The introduction of SSG is not about the parents... it's about the kids... it's not about how many medals they have as a 6 year old it's about how many touches of the ball they get each weekend. And as for the one article I read where someone said that playing on a big pitch at a young age taught them valuable life lessons about disappointment... that it was good for someone to be bored in goal... purlease... isn't that your job as a parent? Can't you at least wait for them to hit their teenage years so they can experience genuine feelings of isolation and despair for the first time!

I fail to see how kids watching the biggest and strongest amongst them dominate week in week out is good for the game unless you are the selfish parents of the biggest kid on the block. Make no mistake football is about being an athlete but it should be about being a footballer first and for me this is what SSG teaches the kids... that with good ball control, awareness, technique and game intelligence in tight spaces you can take the 'hoofers' out of play. Being the strongest and fastest is not enough anymore on a smaller field... size is much less of an advantage unless it's coupled with technique. Have any of them seen players like Messi play?

At my club, Georges River, we run 68 teams at all levels but the majority are at the junior age groups... last Saturday we had 5 SSG pitches running simultaneously on an oval that can only house two full size pitches... games were still being played on one of the full size pitches as well maximising all the space available. As far as I could see the kids loved it... more involvement... more touches... more goals... more goalscorers... I'd rather my 6 year old felt the joy of hitting the back of the net even with or without a keeper than the despair of not touching the ball for 20 minutes and potentially going a whole season without scoring. In my view at this age football should be as positive an experience as possible... there's plenty of time for them to learn the harsh realities of life on and off a football pitch in their later years.

The kids I watched know when they have come off the pitch whether they won or lost... of course they keep score when playing... of course it's competitive during the game and of course they don't want to lose... all healthy traits to develop at any age... and of course they know whether they played better or worse than they are capable of... but they don't need a league table to remind them all week. It doesn't matter.

As a kid growing up in England playing in the playground or in the street there were no league tables... just the score at the end of that lunch break or when your mom called you in for your dinner... it might have been 15 minutes... it might have been 3 hours... there were no draws... most games ending with the infamous "next goal's the winner" shout... we knew who'd won and lost, who played well and who didn't but next game was a clean slate... 0-0... let's play... there was certainly no end of season award presentation because the season never ended... it was always about the next chance we were going to get to play.

I'd ask all parents to ask themselves who's really more disappointed by the lack of a Grand Final and medals at the end of the season... their kids or themselves? And if come August your child has had a phenomenal season and deserves a medal... there's nothing to stop you buying them one yourself. It will almost certainly mean just as much to them... who knows... maybe more.


Report courtesy of Andy Jackson www.fourfourtwo.com

12th March 2008
Current training times for 2008

U9A: 4pm - 5pm
U9B: 5.00 pm - 6.00pm
U11G: 5.45pm - 6.45pm

U6
U7
U8
- Are still to be finalized

See you on the park


Simon Preston
Junior Secretary
Coogee United FC

4th March 2008
Registrations Closed

All regos are now closed off.

A great response for 2008.

All numbers are being finalized and training kicks off this Tuesday.

I will update all with contact details by the end of the week.

See you on the park


Simon Preston
Junior Secretary
Coogee United FC

25th February 2008
Final Registration

Location: at the E.S.F.A. offices, Suite 1, Level 1, 1371 Botany Rd, Botany

When: Wednesday 27th Feb: 5pm - 6.30pm

For: All returning players that have not yet registered.
For all new players that have been sent emails to confirm a place

Bring: Photo copy of birth certificate

Payment: Cheque or cash - $165.00 (made payable to Coogee United Juniors FC)


Simon Preston
Junior Secretary
Coogee United FC

18th February 2008
Junior Registration

Junior Registrations are as good as closed.

We might still have one or two spots left in the U6/U7 age groups,
4 - 6 spots available in the U8.
U9 is closed
U11G are closed

A great response by all which means the club will just grow from strength to strength over the next few years. A new rego date will be arranged to tidy up loose ends

See you on the Park


Simon Preston
Junior Secretary
Coogee United FC

3rd February 2008

2008 Junior Registration Day

Saturday 9th Feb
Maroubra Junction Hotel

Returning Players: 9am - 11am
New players: 11am - 1pm

:: Each child MUST be present for a photo
regardless if you are returning or new

:: photocopy of birth certificate or passport
to show proof of age is required

:: We must have an email address and contact details

Fees - $165.00
Ideally the club would prefer a cheque payment made out to Coogee United Junior FC

Looking to fill players from U6 to U12 including girls U10 & U12

The club will be looking at a maximum of the following numbers:
3 x U6
3 x U7
2 x U8
2 x U9
1 x U10
1 x 11
1 U12
1 x U10G
1 U12G

NB: Once numbers are filled for each age group, the club will close off that team.

The club is also looking for interested coaches and managers or people 'wanting' to be a part of the process

For a description & explanation of some of the job responsibilities involved, (President, Secretary, Treasurer) please see Documents section.


Simon Preston
Junior Secretary
Coogee United FC

15th November 2007
Small Sided Games

For more info, see ESFA 'Small-Sided Games Parent Flyer': :: SSG Parent Flyer

Dear All,

Available below is the directive handed down by the FFA with regards to the concept of small sided games. This is the direction all associations will be going down. For the season 2008, at a meeting held at the ESFA offices, it was agreed in principle that we would begin the process with our U6 and U7 teams.

I think this is a great concept. I have highlighted below the reasons why. More information will come through as we plan for next season.

The use of simplified small sided games in training.
Players love playing football. Take any group of players, the first thing they will do is make two goals, select sides and have a game. Football is fun, the concept of using simplified small sided games as an integral aspect of training is to provide players with an opportunity to do what they enjoy doing the most, playing a game.

During the process of playing a game players are constantly faced with observing, analysing and solving a succession of quick moving problems. As the game ebbs and flows, their ability to react and deal with constantly changing situations is always being tested.

Whilst technical and skill practices have their role to play in training players, with an emphasis on how things are done, repetitive mantra, they don't always take into account the 'when, to and why' of playing football. Simplified small sided games challenge players to make decisions on the 'when, to and why'. The decisions players are forced to make in simplified small sided games develop improved technical performance in all aspects of the game, players having lots more touches of the ball and greater participation in the game, a better understanding of working and co - operating in units of players, quick transition between attacking to defending and defending to attacking, an appreciation of finding and creating space for themselves and others, vital communication skills, greater fitness and most importantly of all FUN.

What are simplified small sided games?
1) Invasion games. Games that have goals or targets, objectives and outcomes
2) Games that have a reduced number of players, 2 v 2, 3 v 3, 4 v 4 etc
3) Smaller playing areas
4) Simple and flexible rules that are adaptable to the structure of the game
5) Fewer structured stops and starts, free kicks, corners, throw ins etc
6) Opportunities for players to have a greater participation and to have more touches of the ball.
7) Lots of opportunities to repeatedly practice a range of technical skills
8) Less reliance on players playing in specific positions.
9) Lots of opportunities for players to be exposed to game situations that involve the ball, opponents and team mates. Which will improve their decision making process as they progress to more complex games, 7 v 7 upwards. Greater communication and co - operation between players.
10) Greater freedom of play, more rotation of positions, developing more complete and intelligent players

From a coaching perspective, simplified smaller sided games can be structured or conditioned to achieve a specific training objective, for example passing and support, running with the ball, recovery runs when defending etc.

This can be achieved by structuring and conditioning the small sided game, for example:
1) Add floating players who can play for the team in possession, which results in an overload situation for the team in possession and can assist in greater success for the team with the ball.

2) Using targets, instead of goals, for example to improve running with the ball, the team must run the ball into a target area.

3) By conditioning the game. If the team in possession can score a goal by completing five successive passes as well as by scoring in the traditional way, then this will encourage passing and support and keeping possession of the ball.

4) By making the pitch smaller, so that for finishing games, the ball is always in an area where a shot might be taken.

I hope this gets you excited for next year and can see the great advantages as to why we are going down this path. For the U8 and U9, at this stage, the games remains the same, however, I will be looking to experiment throughout the season and join forecs with other clubs with "gala days" to introduce the concept.

For a more detailed description & explanation of the above, the FFA document is available for download below:
(to download, 'right click' on the filename & choose 'Save target as...')

Member Federations PDF
    (pdf file, 931kb)

ESFA have also created a 'Small-Sided Games Parent Flyer', which you can view by clicking on the following link: :: SSG Parent Flyer


Simon Preston
Junior Secretary
Coogee United FC