Player pathway
Football Queensland’s high performance initiatives aim to deliver professional, integrated and clear elite development pathways and programs for players and coaches throughout Queensland complemented with National and International competition which produce representative players and coaches.
Our State Technical Director, three QAS coaches, and Head Coach of the Skills Acquisition Program are available to visit zones and provide expert professional development in relation to the Football Federation Australia curriculum.
Football Queensland’s high performance department is charged with the responsibility of implementing the national curriculum and working with a range of stakeholders such as member zones and clubs to ensure there is a steady stream of players and coaches who have the ability to represent the region on the global stage and inspire future generations of participants.
The value of the sport’s biggest revenue stream broadcast rights will be significantly influenced by the technical ability of players generated by programs conducted by member federations such as Football Queensland.
Skill Acquisition Phase
The Skill Acquisition Phase (SAP) is a key component of Football Federation Australia’s national curriculum.
SAP is designed to perfect and accelerate the skill development of identified players between the critical ages of 9 to 13. This is the age group universally acknowledged to be the optimal mental and physical phase in which children are able to learn motor skills.
SAP’s aim is to provide the necessary technical ‘tools’ to be able to play the game at the highest possible level with a focus on functional game skills, with an immediate skills transfer into positioning and small-sided games being an absolute requirement.
It is based on world’s best practice and has been developed by internationally acclaimed Technical Coaches and the FFA Technical Department.
While the long-term plan is to implement SAP programs across the state to provide more players with an opportunity to be trained through the Skill Acquisition coaching program and SAP Coaches, Football Queensland is focusing more resources into coach education to reach this objective.
NPL Queensland
The National Premier Leagues is a national football banner in Australia which acts as the second tier of the sport in the country below the Hyundai A-League.
Overseen by Football Federation Australia (FFA), the National Premier Leagues consists of the highest level state league in each state-based federation within Australia and is part of the elite player pathway.
Football Queensland administers the Queensland division on behalf of Football Federation Australia, including the competition’s licensing program.
State Teams & National Training Centre Challenge
Brisbane Roar Football Club (BRFC) and Football Queensland (FQ) are committed to building a strong partnership to ensure the best outcomes are achieved for the development of young Queensland footballers and the success for football in the state.
Specifically, Brisbane Roar and Football Queensland will work together on delivering the National Training Centre (NTC) program from 2015.
The NTC program will work to both identify and prepare players for development, including possible future selection in Australian junior national teams.
Both the NTC boys and girls squads compete in National Premier Leagues (NPL) competitions, providing the players with a regular training and match schedule throughout the calendar year.
Further to this, BRFC and FQ will collaborate to develop a full-time training program under the cooperative guidance of both Brisbane Roar and Football Queensland Technical Directors.
This will allow these young footballers to best prepare for national competitions including the NTC and in future, the Westfield W-League and the Hyundai A-League.
This collaborative relationship will ensure a succession plan and clear player pathway for all young footballers in the state in order to develop the next generation of Queensland-based Matildas and Socceroos.
Images: Ray Garnder/Redlands United, Alberto Perez/Football Queensland, Jeremy Ng/Football NSW, Alex Grimm/FIFA via Getty Images
