Matamata Swifts is promoting several coaching programmes this winter.
Working in conjunction with Scott Parsonage, WaiBOP Football’s Football Development Manager for this area, we have been able to ensure the club can offer a set of football coaching programmes which ensure local youngsters of all ages, abilities and stages of physical development can be involved in football.
We piloted our Football For All programme last year and received plenty of positive feedback. Basically it’s designed to provide children with an active and healthy session no matter their ability. It gives boys and girls the chance to learn skills, play games and have a great time under professional supervision.
Football For All sessions are held after school at the Matamata Domain on Wednesday afternoons. Doing this mid-week means children who are involved in other sports on a Saturday morning have the opportunity to play football as well. In 2014 the mix of attendees was roughly 50/50 between registered footballers and non-players so it’s clear the interest is there.
Along with Parsonage, who is also a Swifts 1st team player, other Swifts 1st and reserve team players provide the coaching at the sessions. They get underway at the beginning of term 2 and run until the end of term 3.
The club also runs a couple of other coaching programmes over the winter season. Every school holiday period we hold a three day coaching camp, which again is open to all children, regardless of whether or not they are registered club members. In the upcoming holidays we’ve set April 13 to 15 as the dates, with the children coming in from 9am to 3pm each day.
The Swifts also run the Matamata Skill Centre, again in conjunction with WaiBOP, every Wednesday morning. The Skill Centre is for players who are serious about getting in some extra specialised training during the season. These sessions are aimed at children who have some experience playing football. The curriculum is close to what WaiBOP Football offers at their Football Talent Centres.
More information on Matamata Swifts’ football coaching programmes can be found here.