The Kawana Park Eagles this year have made it a real club push to give their local 5 and 6 year olds the best opportunity to participate in AFL relevant to their development and age level through their “In season Auskick” program.
AFL “Australian Football Match Policy” states that Auskick is the key introductory program for boys, girls and parents consisting of 8 – 12 weekly sessions conducted for 60 – 75 minutes each, (for some a 15 week season is attractive). So within this program children progress through a sequential program of warm up games, skill activity, skill games and matches utilising appropriate modified rules. Small sided matches between groups within the centre are a vital part of NAB AFL Auskick.
So at Kawana Park they have seen fit to enhance their Auskick program in 2010, in past years their Auskick has run on a Sunday morning at the home of the Eagles, Kawana Waters State College – sometimes tying in with other club football activity. This season they have opted to make “Eagles Auskick” a 15 week program starting late April and running through to mid August, just as an 8’s/10’s season does. Week one of the clubs “In Season Auskick program” is a meet and greet / sign-on opportunity and from there it is 9 weeks of skill uptake and high fired fun before polishing the boots up for the all important final five weeks of match day action.
Again for the Eagles a 9am Sunday morning is the preferred time slot to mirror club footy and again as fixturing allows a tie in with junior footy makes for a great day and acts as a fantastic introduction to the club when other Eagles team are at the home nest.
Paul Menti has been the main mover and shaker for the club to get this program humming, and in viewing first hand it was fantastic to see so many dads out amongst the action, red Auskick shirts everywhere and certainly plenty of guidance and support for all the young champions. I think a few of the dads may have also been getting a little itchy to handle the sherrin and slot a big barrel goal – their time may come with a late season parents v kids game.
The Eagles have near 32 participants week in week out and to that four teams of 8 have been created. With club Eagle jumpers with base Blue, yellow, White, and an old set of traditional club jumpers has all the teams looking smart – most players in club shorts and socks adds to the professional atmosphere.
As stated the final five weeks of the program has the club undertaking a match play round robin, all to put the skill set gathered over the previous nine weeks into “serious” play. Quick quarters and rotations keeps all the players energized and activated throughout the game.
Eagles Auskick Coordinator Paul Menti is rapt with the parent help he has gathered around this centre and believes he has unearthed many a budding future club coach/team manager, but more importantly the youngsters are now starting to eye their future as under 8 and 10 footy looks the great next step to Brisbane Lions stardom. With every silver lining there comes a tough moment and for Paul he has opportunity to get 18 players on the Gabba at half time of the upcoming Brisbane v Melbourne game but maths of 32 very excited youngsters is difficult to get into 18. Opportunity to get some Kawana Park Eagles players onto the Gabba for the half time Auskick games is a great reflection as to how fantastic this first year centre has run – as one dad said “it’s just great to get out of bed early on a Sunday morning and get amongst this fantastic action”.
Word has it that well over half the playing group are looking to participate in the AFL SC Juniors AFL Junior program for 8 and 10 years olds in 2011 and even many coaches have their hands high. So from many aspects this program is a winner all round for the club, introducing future players and parents, some as key helpers to Eagles footy – the nest grows larger at Kawanaland!
Last Modified on 09/12/2013 16:14