First dedicated junior coaching program launched

For the first time coaches of junior footballers aged 7-12 can access a dedicated program of resources, with the AFL launching its Junior Coaching Curriculum.

The comprehensive program has been designed by industry experts to support coaches of young girls and boys and to help provide the best possible experience for young players, as they start out in NAB AFL Auskick and transition to junior club football.

The Junior Coaching Curriculum, which was developed over a two-year period, comprises easy-to-follow training sessions, with fun, high-energy game-sense activities.

Coaches are supported with resources including a Junior Coaching Curriculum Guidebook, three manuals tailored to the age groups within junior football and supplementary video resources that can be accessed at coach.afl/junior-coaching.

As part of the annual coaching accreditation and registration, all junior coaches across the country can also access the curriculum as an interactive digital program on any device via the RM Coach Platform, made available as part of CoachAFL Membership.

AFL General Manager of Game Development, Sam Graham, said: “We are really excited to launch the first program of its kind that specifically helps coaches of junior footballers, who are mostly volunteers, deliver fun and engaging sessions.

“Kids learning to play our great game are set to benefit in a big way. The sessions have been designed by industry experts to create a positive, enjoyable environment.

“Thousands of junior football coaches play a vitally important role introducing kids to the sport and help them progress through the early years of their footy experience. These coaches now have a dedicated set of practical, hands-on resources to assist them in teaching and delivering training sessions.

“Whether you’re an AFL coach who takes on the extra responsibility of leading your child’s under 9 team each week, to someone who is coach of a junior team without any prior coaching experience, these resources are there for you.”

All coaches are required to register to their club and complete their coaching accreditation through CoachAFL.

As part of CoachAFL membership, coaches are provided with access to all the resources within the platform, including the Junior Coaching Curriculum and the digital RM Coach training and activities library, complete with activity descriptions and animations for the age group they are coaching.

To find out more information about the Junior Coaching Curriculum and CoachAFL go to coach.afl.