Welcome to Easts

Easts is a junior soccer club located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney Australia. Our home ground, Queens Park, is located in Randwick only 5 kilometres from the centre of Sydney

In the year 2007 Eastern Suburbs Soccer Club had 815 registered children from the age of 4 years up to 18 years making it the biggest junior club in the local Association. In the last decade the club has grown from 10 teams to last year having 68 junior teams.

The club's philosophy is to make soccer fun for kids while providing them with the skills and competitive edge to continue playing team sports at an older age. In 2009 we will be providing even more highly skilled coaching input for the kids.

While Soccer is not the national sport in Australia it remains the most played junior sport in the country.

Register your interest

Please click here to receive an information pack by email.

When We Play

  • Preseason Commences Sat 14 / Sun 15 Feb
  • There are no matches over Easter Sat 11/ Sun 12 April
  • First Round of Competition Sat 28 / Sun 29 March
  • No play on School Holidays Sat 18/Sun 19 April and Sat 18/Sun 19 July
  • Last match of the season 6s – 9s Sat 1 / Sun 2 August,
  • For competitive age groups (U10s up) semis and finals will be played up to Sat 29 / Sun 30 August

For all age groups, please note these dates will be subject to change, and extended, if games are washed out. On last seasons record, allow a minimum two extra weekends rounds.

Playing Times

  • Non-competitive age groups 6, 7, 8, and 9 usually play between 9am and 2pm on Saturdays
  • Competitive age groups, 10 to 15 (mixed and Boys), usually play between 10am and 5pm on Saturdays
  • Competitive age groups, 16 and 18 (Boys), usually play between 9am and 5pm on Sundays
  • All Girls teams usually play between 10am and 5pm on Sundays
  • Please note that some games in the Saturday competition will play on Sundays, if playing observant Jewish teams, or if catch-up games are required. Similarly Sunday games may on occasions be played on Saturdays. You will be expected to be available for these occasional games.
If your team requires special playing times outside the above noted times, please let Michael Bremner know immediately. These requests must be made to ESFA prior to 17th March 2009

Fixture information will be available from the ESFA web site. Please click on the following link to go straight to the ESFA DRAW

Please ensure several of your team members checks the draw every week, particularly after 5pm Friday prior to your weekend match, as changes may be made and these may not always be announced.

When We Train

Pre-season Training

These sessions occur until the season commences, or your team decides on another training time and location. All players are urged to join all these sessions. If you are unable to, then you should contact your Age Marshal or Andrew Field.

Players do not need to be registered to come to these sessions. They should bring shin pads, sunscreen and water. Soccer boots must not have metal studs.

This year Easts preseason training has been moved to Fields 29 and 31 at Queens Park. Click here for a map.

  • 6s Mixed
    Saturdays; Commencing 14th February 2009 until the competition commences 3.30pm until 4.30pm, at Queens Park Fields 29 and 31 adjacent to the playground on Darley Road
  • U7, U8 and U9s Mixed
    Saturdays; Commencing 14th February 2009 until the competition commences 2pm until 3.30 pm, at Queens Park Fields 29 and 31 adjacent to the playground on Darley Road
  • U10, U11 U12 Boys
    Saturdays; Commencing 14th February 2009 until the competition commences 4.00pm until 6pm, at Queens Park Fields 29 and 31 adjacent to the playground on Darley Road
  • Girls under U8 to U14
    Sundays; Commencing 15th February 2009 until the competition commences 3pm to 4.30pm, at Queens Park Fields 29 and 31 adjacent to the playground on Darley Road
  • Girls under U16 to U18
    Sundays; Commencing 15th February 2009 until the competition commences 4.30pm to 6pm, at Queens Park Fields 29 and 31 adjacent to the playground on Darley Road
  • Boys under 13 to 18
    Sundays; Commencing 15th February 2009 until the competition commences 4.00pm to 6pm, at Queens Park Fields 29 and 31 adjacent to the playground on Darley Road

Season Training

East's hire Queens Park on Thursday afternoons for training, however other training days and venues (including Saturday and Sunday) can be worked out amongst the teams. For other training locations, please discuss this with Andrew Field.

Girls Soccer

The Eastern Suburbs Soccer Association and Soccer NSW are providing a big push to promote Girls soccer in NSW.

Easts are commited to advancing Girls soccer and hope that many girls will come and play.

The age groups of U8, U9, U10 ,U11, U12, U14, U16, and U18.

  • U8 will play in a small sided game format. (see panel at right)
  • U9 and U10 will play 9 aside on 3/4 fields
  • U11 and up will play 11 aside on full size fields
  • All Girls competition games are be played on Sundays and will not leave the Eastern Suburbs.

If interested contact our Age Marshals listed on the Contacts page.

Latest News

Ex Easts FC player on Football Superstar

Former Easts FC player Guillaume Buckley has made it to the final 15 on Football Superstar currently screening on Fox 8.

The whole club congratulates Gilly on having made it this far and wishes him all the best in the weeks ahead.

Follow Gilly's progress through the selection minefield on this great show Wednesdays at 7.30pm.

Easts Soccer is now Easts FC

The club has officially changed its name from Eastern Suburbs Soccer Club to Easts Football Club or Easts FC. This is all part of the new modern image we are developing for the club.

The website can now be accessed at www.eastsfc.com.au as well as www.eastsoccer.com.au

Join the Supporters of Australia's World Cup Bid

The FFA have launched a website where you cand register and win great prizes AND show your support of our country's bid for the World Cup. Click on Join Our Bid and get started.

Explanation of the Offside Rules

We have been requested by ESFA to clarify the Offside Rules. It appears that some parents have been disputing this with referees and are unaware of the actual rules. Please read on our Questions page for a detailed explanation of this rule so you will not embarass yourself on game day!

Coaching Courses

ESFA have announced dates for the Coaching courses. If you are going to be a coach of a Junior Team it is compulsory to attend a Coaching course. Please see the Resources page for details.

Player, RTO and Coach Insurance

Insurance is provided as part of your Registration Fees, in the form of the Football NSW Limited Risk Management and Player Protection Plan.

All players, RTOs and coaches need to complete this form and return it your Team RTO of Coach.

Academy Session for the 7s, 8s and 9s:

We will be running academy sessions for the top 25 U7, U8 and U9 (girls and Boys). We hope to have them picked by early May, and Sessions will commence mid May on Sundays, 3 to 5pm with Peter Koklas, George Bramis, and Andrew Field coaching. This is provided free. Start looking at players please!

 

Our New Logo

old and new logos

Boys and Girls Teams

Although the majority of our teams are made up of boys with some mixed teams, Easts have experienced a surge in the number of all girls teams in recent years. We welcome all players and look forward to seeing new faces every year.

How We Play

In the younger age groups, under 6 to Under 9 the kids are mostly put in teams with their friends and school mates while the older ages are graded into teams of similar skill levels.

In keeping with the youth development initiative from the Football Federation of Australia we field teams in Small sided games up until and including Under 8s, and then the players progress through 3/4 size to full size pitches.

Small Sided Games

In the 2009 all clubs and teams in the Eastern Suburbs competition in the U6s, U7s and U8s will play the small sided games format. This system was introduced in 2008, and all players should come to pre-season to learn about this exciting development, which utilises professional coaches and smaller teams with higher levels of participation and ball contact from players.

It is important to emphasize that the purpose of SSG’s is skill development through fun. They benefit kids by making their early contact with the game more enjoyable while simultaneously providing an environment that will facilitate greater skill development.

What are small-sided games?

They are football games with fewer players competing on a smaller-sized field. They are fun games that encourage players to have more contact with the ball because fewer players are playing in a smaller playing area. SSG have a definite developmental impact on younger football players.

Why change to small-sided games?

It makes the game of football a better experience for children. More touches on the ball, more opportunities to make decisions, more actual play. Players will be more active due to playing both attacking and defensive roles and will become all-rounded and understand the importance of team-mates and playing and working together.

Do other countries play small-sided games?

Small Sided Games are played and endorsed throughout England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland, Germany, France, Korea and USA, to name a few. The idea of Small Sided Games is not new.

Benefits of Small Sided Games

A significant amount of research has been conducted in countries where Small Sided Games are prevalent, which overwhelmingly highlights the following benefits:

  • More touches of the ball by all players throughout all areas of the pitch
  • More shots on goal
  • More efficient use of facilities, there can be multiple games on one standard-size field
  • Repeated decision-making experience
  • The ball is in play far more often
  • The emphasis is on player development rather than winning or losing
  • Better success rate leads to improved quality of play, self-esteem and player retention
  • The game is easier to understand
  • Freedom of expression – no positions in early stages
  • Less perceived stress on the players
  • Less perceived pressure from coaches and parents
  • Parents more likely to volunteer for SSG game leader roles
  • Children enjoyed the progressive and sequential game formats.

How will children learn to play 11 v 11?

Progressing from 4 v 4, 5 v 5, 7 v 7 and 9 v 9 BEFORE 11 v 11 is a sound educational method and process. The progression helps players discover the differences in the size of the field and size of the goal, and the benefits of having more space, learn to use different and better developed techniques to play a more tactical game, and learn the role of different positions and determine what best suits them.

Why no goalkeepers?

The role of the goalkeeper in football is uniquely specialised and typically players develop as keepers at a later age. In the youngest age groups, keepers can be uninvolved in the game for long periods which can be uninteresting and means they are not part of the team for long periods of the game. Most goalkeepers have played for many years as field players before deciding to become goalkeepers.

For more information on the benefits and philosophy of SSG go the community section of www.footballaustralia.com.au or visit www.esfa.com.au