This year the team at Football Pathway Australia have re-designed how we deliver our coaching program to our youngest players!

Introducing the Football Fours Program.

Our Brand New ‘Football Fours’ program is for young players ages 5, 6 and 7.

This program is designed specifically to suit the needs of this age group, aligning with the current FFA curriculum.

In the weekly 1 hour session, players will PLAY. Each week there will be a different technical focus which they will then be encouraged to perform without any pressure. We also aren’t afraid to say that everyone involved in any of our programs will be enjoying themselves, it’s football after all!

The detail is in the name, and we will play 4v4 matches with no Goalkeepers. Everyone wants to score goals, and the set-up we will create will allow for every player to do this.

Much of the session emphasis will be centred around Small sided games (4v4). Small sided games in coaching lets the players have more touches of the ball and hence become more familiar and skilled with it. This is due to the fact that success as a player in this game to some large degree depends on how skilled the player is with the ball at their feet.

A well-coached small sided game can ensure the Technical development of individual players of the team/group without an added pressure in the mind. Tactically speaking small sided games offer the perfect game related scenarios for young players to develop their quick decision making learning what works and what does not in a positive environment.

From a coaching perspective, it allows the coach to really begin to focus in on individuals and identify strengths and areas for improvement. It also allows the coach to get repetition of core skills in a fun and match realistic way.

Some of the key facts supporting Small-sided games which FIFA recently released included:

• Players touching the ball five times more often in 4-a-side football
• Players are three times more often in one-against-one situations in 4-a-side football
• Goals are scored every two minutes in 4-a-side football on average
• The ball is out of play only 8% of the time in 4-a-side football. In contrast to 34% in 11-a-side.

So, how will Fun Fours benefit your child?

• More opportunities to receive the ball.
• More opportunities to score.
• More freedom to make their own decision and learn from them.
• Positive and fun environment encouraged by a top quality experienced coach.

Pele famously said that young players need to get a minimum of 2000 touches of the ball a day if they want to become world-class!!

In our Fun Fours program this is exactly what we advocate. Lots of time on the ball! Good quality coaches and lots of FUN.