What is SAP?
The Skill Acquisition Phase (SAP) is based on player development for children aged 9 to 12 years old, with a focus on the development of game-related functional skills.
A key building block in the Football Australia National Football Curriculum, the aim of SAP is to educate children during these golden ages of motor skill learning to create technically gifted football players.
The holistic approach engages children to develop their technical skills in a fun, friendly and educational learning environment.
SAP programs are delivered for boys and girls across the state. FQ clubs run full-time programs in SEQ, while there are five part-time SAP centres for players in regional Queensland.
Complementing the delivery of the SAP program, the SAP Community Club initiative is designed to develop players and clubs at community level, providing all Queenslanders aged 9 to 12 with access to best-practice coaching in line with Football Australia’s National Curriculum.
Download the FQ SAP Program Guide to find out more about the Skill Acquisition Phase.
THE 4 CORE SKILLS OF SAP
In the Skill Acquisition Phase of development the coach must focus exclusively on providing a solid foundation of technical skill in four key areas.
This includes all forms of striking the ball such as short/long passing; shooting, crossing, heading
Controlling the ball with all allowed body parts
All moves, feints and accelerations to get past and away from an opponent or the correct key factors to defend in a 1v1 moment
At speed (with a lot of space) or ‘dribbling’ (in tight areas), this includes techniques for protecting the ball and changing direction
SAP ADVANCED PROGRAMS
South East Queensland
Football Queensland awarded licences to FQ clubs to run full-time boys programs in South East Queensland (SEQ) for all SAP age-groups. Licences were also issues for clubs to run full-time SAP girls programs in the U9/U10 and U11/U12 age groups.
FQ also introduced its SAP rating regulations to ensure licence holders are delivering services at a consistently high standard, with clubs able to earn a Gold, Silver or Bronze rating each year.
Click here to find a list of clubs in SEQ that run SAP programs.
Regional Queensland
Football Queensland has engaged five regional centres and clubs to provide SAP coaching for players in Wide Bay, Central Queensland, Mackay (Magpies Crusaders United), North Queensland and Far North Queensland on a part-time basis.
Centres are encouraged to set up girls only teams, and regional girls can also participate in a mixed program.
Click here to find a list of clubs and centres in Regional Queensland that run SAP programs.
SAP COMMUNITY CLUB
Providing all Queenslanders aged 9 to 12 with access to best-practice coaching in line with Football Australia’s National Curriculum, Skill Acquisition Phase Community Club (SAPCC) is a full Skill Acquisition Phase coaching resource designed to provide ongoing assistance to further develop community clubs and players in the state.
Community clubs involved in SAPCC are provided free coaching collateral including training cycles and session plans, equipping clubs with the tools to deliver quality Skill Acquisition Phase training sessions which nurture key technical skills in players in a fun environment.
The player centred development philosophy fosters positive learning environments and experiences for young footballers through the implementation of SAPCC resources.
