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