The Maitland Magpies have welcomed proposed changes to youth development programs and will seek a licence to run a talented player pathway development program.
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Maitland FC president Ray Watkins said the changes would play a crucial role in making the Magpies the club of choice for Maitland youth.
Northern NSW football has decided to involve National Premier League (NPL) clubs in the new talented player pathway development program, which will gradually replace the previous skills acquisition program (SAP) run by zone associations.
“We congratulate the stewardship of the NNSWF for their forward thinking. The program assists in giving talented players the opportunity to develop their skills to the fullest,” Watkins said.
“It will play a crucial role in developing Maitland FC’s place as the ‘club of choice’ for Maitland youth.”
Watkins said the club was planning to hold a community forum, which would be open to parents, officials of local community clubs and interested participants, on the new initiative.
He said a date and location would be announced as as soon as licence arrangements were confirmed.
This initiative will be conditional on clubs who apply, being allocated licences for the program. Previously the SAP development programs were managed by the zone associations.
In the case of the Hunter Valley, they were brought under the umbrella of the Hunter Hawks
Watkins said the new arrangement would start with the 2018 season, involving just the under-9 age group.
The decision announced last month allows for the ‘slow’ introduction of SAP to the NPL clubs by increasing the age groups each year to 2021, by which time the program will incorporate the years under 9s through to under 12s.
They will then into the existing youth structure at the NPL clubs.
Watkins said this would mean that by 2021, licenced NPL clubs would be responsible for youth and sub-youth elite skills development from under-9 through to under-16.
The licencing process should be finalised by early October.
“Maitland FC is excited at the opportunity this brings, to focus the vast pool of talented players within the Maitland region,” Watkins said.
“If Maitland FC is assigned a SAP licence, the initial co-ordination will be by the club’s B-licence technical director Rodney Haggarty, however the club will be seeking an experienced coach to start the program.
“The quality of coaching will be a high priority within the SAP.”
The Magpies have already begun strengthening ties with junior teams through the annual Community Cup involving clubs from across the Maitland district.
