Junior Football (ages 9 to 12)
REGISTER
Registrations for the 2024 winter season open 1 January! Please email us with any questions.
Registration fee: $190
(plus the Swifts contribution fee if trialling and selected for a team - see below).
KEY DATES
Season start: 4 May
Season finish: 2 September
Open trainings for Swifts teams:
Sunday 3 March
1. OVERVIEW
Junior players are placed into teams at the start of the season. Players can choose to play competitively (in a selected team) or socially (with friends).
Teams play games on Saturday mornings at locations throughout the Wellington region, according to a published weekly draw. Team trainings take place during the week.
More information is set out below.
2. Swifts or Social?
Players can opt to trial for a Swifts team by attending the open training sessions, or to play socially.
Swifts teams play against other selected teams from across the Wellington region, and therefore face tougher competition and a more advanced level of football. These teams participate in the Swifts Talent Centre, which involves a greater level of commitment, including attendance at two trainings a week and a high standard of behaviour.
Trials are optional – players who choose not to trial, or who are not selected, play in social teams.
Information on trials can be found here.
Social teams are put together by grade coordinators, who will aim to place your child with their friends or kids from the same school. The focus for these teams is fun, but additional opportunities are available to those who wish to work their way into a selected team next season.
3. SATURDAY GAMES
For grades 9 and 10, games are 7-a-side (including a goalkeeper). Teams usually have 9-10 players. Teams play two 25 minute games each Saturday (one after the other at the same venue).
For grades 11 and 12, games are 9-a-side (including a goalkeeper). Teams usually have 11-12 players. Teams play one 50 minute game each Saturday.
The time and location for each week’s game(s) is determined by a draw published by Capital Football, which can be found here.
Karori teams play in the “Wellington/Western Zone Combined Leagues”, except for selected teams who play in “Wellington Premier Leagues”.
You can find details on ground locations here.
4. TRAININGS
The format for team trainings will depend on whether your child is playing in a selected team or a non-graded team.
Swifts teams
Swifts teams participate in the Swifts programme. Swifts is the club’s high performance programme, designed to provide high quality and challenging trainings.
Swifts Talent Centre involves two trainings a week, at Terawhiti Artificial Turf, on the days and at the times published here. These trainings are delivered by club coaches. Selected teams also participate in one pre-season and one post-season tournament each.
Please note that Swifts players are required to pay an additional fee upon selection, to help contribute towards (amongst other things) the cost of coaching, turf hireage, and tournament entry fees associated with the programme.
More information on the Swifts Talent Centre can be found here.
Social teams
All social teams have the option to register for our Waterside Training Programme which offers one or two training sessions per week.
Alternatively, teams can opt for parent-run trainings, led by a parent coach from each team (or the team can opt to engage a club coach for an additional cost). In addition, club coaching staff will be in attendance at each training to support parent coaches with session delivery.
The club coaching staff will also support parent coaches by:
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circulating useful coaching resources;
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assisting with session planning;
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providing coaching development opportunities (through both stand alone education sessions and by providing feedback and advice at trainings).
5. WHEN AND WHERE?
Season begins: Saturday 4th May
Season finishes: September
Games: Saturday mornings (and occasionally Friday evenings) at a time and location depending on the weekly draw published by Capital Football - see here.
Trainings: See details above.
School holiday break: Football runs on the first and last weekend of the school holidays, but we take a break for Easter weekend and the middle weekend of the holidays.
School Holiday and Summer Programmes: The club runs a very popular school holiday programme, and a summer programme during terms 1 and 4. We encourage players to keep up their football over the holidays and summer by getting involved in these! More information can be found on the "Programmes" page here.
6. WHAT GEAR DO YOU NEED?
Players need to provide their own:
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Plain black shorts.
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Black football socks.
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Football boots.
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Shin pads.
These can be purchased from The Soccer Shop NZ online. Football boots and shin pads can also be bought from most sports stores and off TradeMe.
The club provides each team with the following gear at the beginning of the season (all of which must be returned at the end of the season):
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Black and white striped Waterside Karori playing tops (1 per player).
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Bibs.
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A player of the day trophy and certificates.
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Balls and cones.
7. TEAM COACHES AND MANAGERS
We want to create a fun and positive environment for our players. The more support, encouragement and involvement from parents the better!
Team coaches
Each team needs a coach/manager to:
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take responsibility for the team's gear, and ensure it is all returned at the end of the season;
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act as a point of contact for the team - for example, making sure players know when and where to turn up on the Saturday; and
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award the player of the day award each weekend.
Coaching
As noted above, trainings for selected teams are run by club coaches. Game days will be led by a combination of club coaches and parent coaches.
Trainings and games for non-graded teams are led by parent coaches, or the team can opt to engage a club coach for an additional cost (more information will be provided closer to the start of the season).
8. HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?
Step 1: Register for the winter season
Online registrations are now open.
Please email support@karorifootball.co.nz with any questions.
Step 2: Open trainings, for those who have opted to trial for selected teams
These sessions are run by our Swifts coaches, see here for more information. The outcome of the trials will be confirmed shortly after.
Step 3: Grade Coordinators will put together non-graded teams
Grade Coordinators will put players into teams after registrations close in early March.
Grade Coordinators will then be in touch with you, with information on your team and the start of the season. This might not be until mid/late March.
The club will separately email you once registrations have closed with more information on the season, how things will work, key contacts, and other key details.
Step 4: The season starts!
