Junior Club in Focus - Campbelltown City

Campbelltown City is proving to be a pioneer in junior football after becoming the first club in South Australia to be accredited with the Football Federation Australia and Football Federation SA’s Club Pathways Academy.

The Pathways Academy has the club appoint a Club Development Officer who would run the Academy and assist the club in its junior development.

The club would implement a program following the criteria set out by FFA and FFSA and assist the club generate a significant amount of income and other benefits.

FFSA 2011 Super League Golden Boot winner and former Adelaide United player Michael Matricciani is currently conducting the Academy sessions at Campbelltown and the club is already beginning to reap the rewards.

The Red Devils Senior Coach and Manager of Coaching Maurice Natale acknowledged there was a genuine need to provide additional coaching and keep it within Campbelltown’s football family.

“We noticed there was a demand for extra specialised coaching to accommodate our club junior players,” he said.

“It is also a great way to keep our players at the club instead of going to other academies and it helps accommodate children within our community with a passion for the game.”

Natale admitted he is hoping the Academy will be a breeding ground for future senior players while also attracting high calibre coaches to the club.

“As we head toward a more professional set up of our youth development within the club, we’re hoping that the Academy will help produce quality players for the club’s future and attract suitably qualified coaches for our juniors,” he said.

Natale confirmed there has been a significant amount of interest in the wider community.

“It has created a huge interest from outside the club with players exposed to high quality training sessions based on game play and technical skills,” he said.

“We’re hoping it will lift the profile of the club and expose the club brand to our community and promote our club’s playing philosophy. Eventually we want to establish a fulltime football department within the club.”

In terms of future development, Natale is confident the Academy will continue to thrive and bring more junior players to Campbelltown City.

The Reds Devils tactician said connecting with the surrounding community is crucial to growing the Academy and the club’s junior base.

As well as providing a pathway for juniors, Natale admitted it can also work in the other direction with the club’s Senior squad members having a greater impact on Campbelltown’s future stars by becoming involved with mentoring and coaching.

“We plan to grow the academy with further player enrolments, especially in the younger age bracket to accommodate players who play with schools and give them a pathway to entering our club,” he said.

“We will look to go out into local schools to conduct coaching clinics to create closer relationships with schools and reach out to the wider community to offer a variety of sessions to cater for the varied needs in our community.”

“Appointing suitably qualified coaches with a sound playing background as well as giving our senior players opportunities take on coaching roles is crucial. Eventually, we would look at creating a role for a Club Development Officer to facilitate the future demands of the academy.”

If your club would like more information on the Club Accredited Pathways Academy please call 8340 3088 or email info@ffsa.com.au

 

Each week we are putting the spotlight on a Junior Club. If you are interested in having the focus put on your club, email info@ffsa.com.au