In the year 2009 Easts Football Club had 815 registered players 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 2010 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.

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• Preseason Commences 13 February 2010 and continues until 27 March.
• There are no matches over Easter
• First Round of Competition Saturday 17 April 2010 for Mixed and Boys, Sunday 18 April for Girls.
• First round of the season for Mens teams is Sunday 11 April.
• No play on the middle week of the July School Holidays
• Last match of the season mid August,
• For competitive age groups (U10s up) semis and finals will be played up to early September
• There is no outdoor football over summer as we do not have access to grounds.

Pre-season Training and Season Training times and locations

Pre-season training finished on 27 March for 2010 and all teams will have decided on training times and locations, if you are unsure of your team's training arrangements then you should contact your Age Marshal or Group Co-ordinator.

Please note, there is no club wide pre season training on Easter weekend – 3 & 4 April.

Playing Times

• Non-competitive boys and mixed 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 9am 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 Oonagh Power know immediately. These requests must be made to ESFA prior to 28th February and NO LATER.

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 check 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.

Easts 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 David Owens.

In the younger age group under 6 to 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.

Coaching Policy

Easts provide coaching and player development support in different ways based upon the age of the players. In this way, we are able to provide coaching and support that is relevant to different age groups and that maximises the skill development and enjoyment of players as they develop.

Full details of the club's Coaching Policy are available on the Resources Page.

This system was introduced in 2008 as part of the Football Federation of Australia's ground up overhaul of football in this country. They benefit kids by making their early contact with the game more enjoyable while simultaneously providing an environment that will facilitate greater skill development.

Easts utilises professional coaches and smaller teams with higher levels of participation and ball contact from players.

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 on Under 6 and 7 to 7 v 7 inc a goalie in U8 and U9 to 9 v 9 in U10 (this year ) and U11 (starting 2011) 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

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

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

The age groups of U8, U9, U10 ,U11, U12, U13, U14, U16, and U18.

• U8 will play in a small sided game format. (see panel above)
  
• 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 Brendan Browner or the Age Marshals listed on the Contacts page.