Parents
Everything you need in one place, so you're not chasing information all year. If something isn't here, use the form at the bottom and it goes straight to the right person.
What to expect
The first five minutes of every session are a warm-up with a ball, so arrive any time in that window and your child can join straight in. On the first night, a coach pairs your child with a buddy from the squad.
What to bring: shin pads, a water bottle, a warm layer, and boots or trainers that suit the pitch. That's it.
Training is small groups, a ball each, and a game at the end. Everyone is busy the whole time.
How the academy runs
Every child has a place
Every child has a place at training and in the club, for as long as they want it. Some children play a match every week, some now and then, and some simply love training. We find the league for the children, not the children for the league.
Your child, compared with your child
The only comparison we make is your child now against your child a few weeks ago.
How game time works
Games at this age are short, and their length varies. Coaches share the minutes as fairly as they can across the season. The players who come on to finish the game are finishers, and they matter as much as the ones who start.
Player of the match
After every match the team picks its player of the match, and it goes to the hardest worker: the one who kept going when tired and got back up when knocked over. Virgil van Goat goes home with them for the week.
On the sideline
We ask every parent to sign up to four things. They build on the Irish FA's code of conduct for parents.
- Cheer, don't coach. One voice on the pitch, the coach's. Instructions from the side pull children two ways.
- Praise what they do, not what happens. "You kept going" and "That was brave" beat "Why didn't you shoot?"
- Every child is our child. Cheer both teams, encourage every child, and leave the referee to referee.
- The ride home. Start with "I loved watching you play." Then let them do the talking.
If a coach sees one of these slip, they'll have a quiet word. That's how we keep Colts a good place for every child, yours included.
Kit
Development groups: your own shirt or a yellow t-shirt is fine. League teams need the league kit, and we try to get every team's kit sponsored by a local business.
Fees
Everyone at the club is a volunteer. Fees are different for each team and cover things like pitch hire, match fees and tournament entries. Your coach explains them when you join. If money is tight one month, tell the coach and we'll sort it.
Photos
The club posts photos of matches and days out, with families' permission. We share photos, not names.
League basics
Children play small-sided games, so everyone gets lots of touches and lots of decisions. 7-a-side is non-competitive, so no scores are posted, and the emphasis is on playing.
| Team | Format |
|---|---|
| 2016s | 7v7 Moving to 9v9 next season |
| 2017s | 7v7 |
| 2018s | 5v5 |
| 2019s | 5v5 |
| 2020s | 3v3 |
| 2021s | 3v3 |
Fixtures usually arrive early in the week. Venues vary. Your coach's weekly message has the details.
Glasses for football
If your child wears glasses, the league can help them get a pair. You pay £60 and the league pays the rest.
It comes through one of the leagues our teams play in. The optician deals with one person from the club for everyone, with all the prescriptions sent in together, so please don't contact the optician yourself.
- Tell your child's coach, and send them a photo of the prescription privately rather than in the team group.
- The club gathers everyone's prescriptions and sends them in together.
- We'll let you know what happens next.
The prescription is only used to order the glasses.
Safeguarding
If you're worried about a child's safety, tell us through the contact form below and it goes straight to the right person. Tick the box that says it's about a child's safety.
In an emergency, call 999.
Contact the club
Questions, worries, ideas. We'd much rather hear early than find out in March.
Sent
Thanks. Your message is with the club and someone will come back to you.