Fun Football Info (7-8 yrs)

All games will be played at the A & P Showgrounds on Saturday morning

See your U7 or U8 team session time at the bottom of this page.

Address:  58 Station Road, Pukekohe      Entry:  Gate 7     Park in paddock & once full, park on the road.

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CANCELLATIONS

If game day has to be cancelled due to poor weather, that decision will be made by 7:45am on Saturday mornings.  There will also be notices placed on this website, our Facebook page & Team Reach groups.

You can also phone the CLUB WET WEATHER LINE:  027 483 4078.  A message will be left on the phone by 7.45am on any given raining Saturday. 

Please do not leave a message on this phone as it is not checked regularly.

You can also join the Southern Small Whites Facebook page for updates:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/514044011987454/about/

The sports research behind the Fun Football programme has identified the key principles that underpin the JuniorPlayer Development.  The Framework ensures the training provided is correct in the following:

1. Accumulation of hours and number of touches

2. Early engagement

3. Recognition of development age - Training time allocation

4. Four corner approach - Technical & Tactical, Physical, Mental, Social/Emotiona

5. Age appropriate games

MATCH RESULTS & LADDERS

Game results, ladders and tables are not applicable at Fun Football.  Match results will not be collated or published publically.   

Teams play on a separate area to the U5/U6 PODs.   Players will have already been placed into teams by their club.  They will have skills/activity rotations and then small sided (5v5) games. 

The competition format will be 5v5 to accelerate the technical development of players by increasing the frequency of touches, decision making and player involvement.  The competition philosophy is to ensure continuous football with minimal stoppages.  Although there is a competition format, the coaching focus must be on player development.  A coach should measure their success on how well players improve, not where the team finishes in the league. 

​​​​​​​SETTING UP & PACKING UP

Parents are asked to help set up the first field they are playing on each week please. 

Goals can be dragged out to fields (from fenceline), corner flags erected, nets attached to goals and then packed up after the last games have been played. 

When parents pack the fields down at the end of the morning, please return all equipment to the small wooden trailer that will be sitting in the middle of the Fun Football fields.  Corner flags can be stood upright in the trailer and goal nets can be folded and placed into the black canvas net bags please. 

Parents - please take special note to pack the equipment away as requested, please don’t just dump everything on the ground and walk away. 

Everyone here is a volunteer, so we try to make it easy for the volunteers who have to put away the equipment. 

GAME STRUCTURE & WARM UP   

All teams must time their own games.   No hooter will be sounded for Fun Football games. 

Referee: One parent from each team will referee one half respectively, unless otherwise agreed.  Referees must promote continuous play and encourage players to spread out and pass the ball.  It is recommended that parents of the team share the refereeing duties.  It should not be the responsibility of the coach – he has to coach and run subs.   

SESSION TIMES

U7 Teams

8.15am  -  Players arrive and parents set up the field while the Coach warms up the players   (use the skills cards in the team kit bag for ideas).

8.30am  -  First game commences.  Game is 10 mins each way, no half-time  (just change ends and continue play) 

8.50am  -  First game ends.  There will be a 5 minute break between games to allow a short rest period and movement between fields for the second game.   

8.55am  -  Second game commences.  Game is 10 mins each way, no half-time  (just change ends and continue play) .

9.15am  -  Second game ends.  Move off the field for your team talk & presentation of Player of the Day Certificates.

U8 Teams

9.05am  -  Players arrive and Coach warms up the team   (use the skills cards in the team kit bag for ideas).

9.20am  -  First game commences.  Game is 9 mins each way, no half-time  (just change ends and continue play) 

9.40am  -  First game ends.  There will be a 5 minute break between games to allow movement between fields for the second game.   

9.45am  -  Second game commences.  Game is 9 mins each way, no half-time  (just change ends and continue play) .

10.05am  -  Second game ends.   Teams pack down the field they are playing on and piles the equipment ready for pick up by trailer

Once field is packed down, team can have their team talk & presentation of Player of the Day Certificates.