State Cup on this weekend? Early predictions?
Certainly do have the talent, both teams played some awesome football over the week, 15?s very unlucky losing both the Semi and playoff off on penalties. And 16?s whilst the score for their semi was 5-1 it was a much tougher game then that and you could see that in the final they were a bit leggy. But still a great achievement for all. Would Ike to see 16?s coach Greg Brown around and involved in the area more often even with the Jets Academy he was brilliant with the team.
Heard today that Mid Coast won?t have a seniors team in the comp next year and will basically be the same as the boys in a sense they have youth but nothing higher, anyone else heard this?
Will NNSW be looking to bring in another club to fill the senior spot and potentially get them over time to build their youth up, or take the easy option and just have 7 teams which makes it an 18 match season. Also this will most likely mean a separation of youth and seniors next year.
Same with boys, all these community clubs starting JDL with no clear pathway to remain at the club. At least with girls JDL there could be a pathway into WPL clubs which will eventually help strengthen the comp
Is it the right move though to add clubs and look to grow the competition to a 10-12 team comp with only 5 grades or do we first look to fill the gaps in age groups at the current 8 clubs with the introduction of 14s and 16s to the competition over the next few years first?
its no doubt female participation is on the rise and something needs to be done, but without the correct approach and more Quality coaches and coach education we will just see another lot of clubs added and a rise in the number of games with massive scorelines
I personally think the first thing that needs to happen in the youth space is a change in the age groups to 14/16/18 currently every second year you lose a huge chunk of the 13?s because they only get one year to translate their small sided football into the full size field. It?s a big ask some kids pick it up from the start some start to get it at the end of the season then are lost to clubs because it could be the year where the 15?s have most players eligible to stay. Not going to completely solve the problem as I don?t think you can until it goes up by 1 year instead of 2 but it?s a good start.
My daughter has been offered a position in ?the academy? at Lake Macquarie where we have to pay a deposit the same as the NPLW but it?s not the NPLW. Just asking if any other clubs offer this ?academy? as well? My understanding is that the academy teams this year are not even playing in A grade in the community and it?s all starting to feel like a big cash grab.
Honestly looking for some feedback or opinions, as a family we are quite new to all of this and right now feeling like we are being sold a community team at an NPLW price tag. Frustrated with this process to say the least.
I believe you are right on the money. Trying to lock girls in before any trials are held.
Better spending the money and time at one of the football schools, they are at least honest about what they are offering.
Several girls I coached in JDL have benefited from this coaching.
My advice has always been go to a team with a good coach. Nothing else is as important.
Last edited by late_to_the_game; 13-08-2024 at 11:59 PM.
Lakes must be shaping up to be the biggest participation club in the region, so many people lately have been offered a position in this community "academy" program
almost as bad as this Australian International Football "scouts" trawling through NPLW games telling kids they've been selected for $6000 overseas trips.
I haven't been involved with the girls side of things, but this is absolutely correct, and the conclusion I drew to through the period of my boys SAP/JDL and YNPL.
Also, to be careful not to mistake winning for development.
But I do have a question, why is it that the girls NPL doesn't align in age groups to the boys...is it just the difference in participation numbers and available opportunity ratios? (Does anyone know)
In the beginning for the WPL it was definitely a numbers game, but as we see numbers and interest grow its time for Northern to make some adjustments to the age structure.
there was a comment above from onlooker with a suggestion for the need to add in a 14s age group which is a great place to start in filling the gaps the girls currently have
With the fairly recent inclusion of JDL Girls licenses being granted to clubs, we will likely see that development and improvement dictate the need for the additional age group as the depth of competition will demand it or we will continue to lose young female footballers altogether.
We saw the initial change when WPL changed to NPLW and we went from it being 14s and 17s (or was it 14 and 16), to 13s, 15s, 17s. I think we are only a season or 2 away from an additional age group.
The challenge then becomes managing a longer game day, or moving to a senior game day where NPLM and NPLW play, with youth only days like we have with the PYLB program, and with that there will be naysayers about the disconnect of 17s with seniors, like we see with 18s boys and seniors.
It?s a great big juggling act with pros and cons everywhere you look.
That natural growth into having a 14s seems like a good place to start
Imagine it's hard to be 13 going into 15s, potentially bouncing out (because you're small, or not aggressive enough) and then trying to get back in when you're older