ACADEMY
YOUTH AFF 9 - 17
PLAYING YOUTH FOOTBALL AT BBAFC
Youth football builds on the development football provided through the Junior grades, whilst opening up the opportunity for all participating players to improve their skills and opportunities.
Grades 9th to 12th have the option of playing in either our In-house competition or playing rep football against other clubs in Auckland Football Federation (AFF) and Northern Region Football (NRF) competitions.
BBAFC is committed to improving the quality of top level football in the Club and this is hinged on the provision of professional coaching for those players who want to play at the most competitive level.
The focus for these grades is on developing their skills as part of a team playing in a safe and friendly environment that provides appropriate levels of competition to aid player development. They play against other clubs throughout Auckland in an AFF league.
In each grade there are multiple divisions to provide for the varying skills and capabilities of players, all to have fun.
GIRLS:
We have a number of girls teams playing in girls leagues, right up to U19s and Women's football.
COACHING:
We have assembled a very high level of qualified coaches that take our top teams and then oversee the coaching of our 2nd, 3rd, 4th teams etc. We provide the opportunity for all coaches to up-skill themselves with coaching qualifications.
KIT:
As of 2020 our youth players are to wear our brand new Adidas strip.
FEES:
Due to the 2020 playing season being reduced by Covid the club has decided to reduce the fees for 2021 to $170.
SEASON:
The season generally runs from early April until the end of August. There are a number of tournaments that the teams will compete in during the season. A highlight being the Taupo and Rose Bowl tournaments.
We play the first and last weekends of the school holidays and there is no play in the middle weekend on the holidays
METRO AND CONFERENCE FOOTBALL
The Metro and Conference leagues are the top competitions in each grade. BBAFC provides the opportunity for players to play at the top level of football in each grade. We are one of only a very few clubs that has achieved having a team playing in the AFFs top Metro Competitions for each youth grade.
Pre-season, all registered 13th - 17th grade players are invited to attend trials to be part of a Metro or Conference team.
NRFL YOUTH FOOTBALL
In 2020 there is a new NRFL (Northern Regional Football League) Youth league to provide a regional competition to develop the most talented domestic footballers to provide a pathway to national and international honours. The new competition will start with just 13th and 14th grade. BBAFC will be one of a select number of clubs to have teams in both these competitions, meaning that our players will be playing the best teams from AFF (Auckland Football Federation), NFF (Northern Football Federation) and WAIBOP (Waikato/Bay of Plenty Federation).
WHAT GRADE AM I IN FOR 2021?
Juniors" Year of Birth
2016 5th Grade
2015 6th Grade
2014 7th Grade
2013 8th Grade
Youth:
2012 9th Grade
2011 10th Grade
2010 11th Grade
2009 12th Grade
2008 13th Grade
2007 14th Grade
2006 15th Grade
2005 16th Grade
2004 17th Grade
2003 18th Grade
2002 19th Grade
Seniors:
2001 and older
NZ FOOTBALL YOUTH FRAMEWORK
The Youth Framework will look to capitalise on the success of the Junior Framework by keeping young players involved and making sure they are enthusiastic about playing the beautiful game.
The Youth Framework provides a clear, coordinated national approach to the development of youth players aged 13-19 years. Its main aim is to provide all youth players, regardless of their ability, with high quality experiences in order to retain them in or attract them to the game.
The Youth Framework provides clear pathways for players ensuring that young footballers can access opportunities to play at an appropriate level.
During the youth years, growth and maturation, as well as interest and commitment to the sport, do not develop at the same rate for all players. It is important that football activity shapes both the player and the person in a challenging, safe and enjoyable environment.
The Youth Framework will also provide clear training and match day guidelines that are linked to the New Zealand Football Playing Philosophy. This will enable an aligned approach to helping players increase their technical proficiency, tactical understanding and love for the game.
(Click image to view Youth Framework pdf)
"Young players need freedom of expression to develop as creative players... they should be encouraged to try skills without fear of failure"