After watching the world’s best footballers battle on the game’s biggest stage, young players across Brisbane’s south-west are being encouraged to take their own first steps with the ball.
Lions FC is expanding its junior development programs across Richlands and surrounding suburbs, offering training for children ranging from complete beginners to experienced club players seeking additional technical development.
The club’s Term 3 programs include its Lions Elite Football Development program, known as LEFD, alongside beginner-focused after-school sessions delivered at local primary schools.
Lions FC community programs coordinator Nathan Shepherd said the elite development program was designed to complement, rather than replace, a player’s regular team training.
“Our LEFD program is our elite-level training program,” Mr Shepherd said.
“It is a great little technical program which complements a player’s team training sessions by giving the players extra contact on the ball in smaller groups.”
Mr Shepherd said regular team sessions often needed to balance tactical instruction and larger playing groups, leaving less time for some players to repeatedly practise individual skills.
“The main target in this program is to improve technique through various opposed and unopposed exercises that players may, through no fault of their own, miss out on in a team session due to tactical components, number of players and other factors,” he said.
The program is open to players aged six to 13, including children from outside Lions FC, and focuses on developing technique through smaller-group activities and increased time on the ball.
Mr Shepherd said the program had attracted strong interest from both Lions players and families connected with other clubs since it was rebranded last year.
“This program is an extremely popular one among internal as well as external participants,” he said.
“It has been very well received over the last year.”
For younger children or those new to the sport, Lions is also running after-school programs intended to provide a less competitive introduction to football.
The Term 3 sessions are being offered through schools including Forest Lake, Grand Avenue, Middle Park, Oxley and Carole Park state schools, as well as at Lions FC’s Richlands grounds.
“Our after-school program is for our beginner audience, to give the kids a fun and active introduction to football,” Mr Shepherd said.
“The sessions are designed to emphasise fun for our younger primary kids at our partner schools.”
Children are introduced to fundamental skills including kicking, dribbling, controlling and stopping the ball, while also learning to communicate and work with teammates.
“These sessions encourage teamwork while introducing basic football techniques around kicking the ball properly, learning how to dribble and the ability to use different movements to control and stop the ball,” Mr Shepherd said.
He said the school-based programs were continuing to grow as more families sought accessible ways for children to become active and try the world game.
“We are proud to continue to offer services to our ever-expanding community around our club,” he said.
