YOUTH
FOOTBALL PROGRAMME
U13–17
REGISTER
Registrations for the winter season are open from 1 January to 31 March each year. Outside these times, please email us.
FEES
Club registration fee: $190
Swifts training fees for those selected for a Swifts Academy team are charged in addition to the winter club fees above.
OVERVIEW
Youth Football is for players turning 13 - 17 in the year of registration. Players in Under 13 transition to playing on full sized fields with 11-a-side teams, on Sunday mornings.
Our U16 and U17 youth girls and boys teams feed directly into our Senior reserve and third teams men's and women's first teams, providing the opportunity for youth players to extend themselves and accelerate their playing "career". A consistent training environment across our youth and senior environments ensures players transition from junior to youth to senior football seamlessly.
U13 and U15
TEAM SELECTION
Players in under 13s and under 15s can opt to attend an open training session for a selected team, or to play socially.
Swifts Academy teams, play in the Regional and Capital Development Leagues, and therefore face tougher competition and a more advanced level of football. Players who are selected take part in the Swifts Talent Centre, which involves a greater level of commitment, including attendance at three trainings a week and a high standard of behaviour.
Players who choose not to attend trials, or who are not selected, play in social teams.
Social teams are put together by grade coordinators, who do their best to place players with friends or kids from the same school. The focus for these teams is fun, and additional opportunities are available to those who wish to work their way into a selected team next season.
GAMES
From U13 upwards, Games are 11-a-side (including a goalkeeper). Teams usually have 14 players, allowing for three substitutes. Teams play one 60 minute (U13s) or 70 minute (U15s) game each Saturday.
The time and location for each week’s game is determined by a draw published by Capital Football, which can be found here.
Swifts teams play in competitive Regional and CDL leagues. Social Waterside Karori teams play in the “Wellington/Western Zone Combined Leagues”.
Coaches
Swifts teams will be run by our club coaching staff, with support from parent managers and other volunteers.
Social teams are run by parent coaches supported by volunteers and club coaches where possible.
MID-WEEK TRAININGS
SOCIAL TRAINING
All social teams have the option to register for our Waterside Training Programme which offers one or two training sessions per week.
Alternatively, teams can opt for parent-run trainings, led by a parent coach from each team (or the team can opt to engage a club coach for an additional cost). In addition, club coaching staff will be in attendance at each training to support parent coaches with session delivery.
The club coaching staff will also support parent coaches by:
-
circulating useful coaching resources;
-
assisting with session planning;
-
providing coaching development opportunities
SWIFTS ACADEMY TRAINING
Swifts players participate in three Swifts Academy training sessions per week, the club’s high performance programme, designed to provide high quality and challenging trainings. As an accredited NZF Talent Development Programme provider we follow high level delivery standards.
Swifts Talent Centre involves three trainings a week delivered by our qualified club coaches.
Please note that Swifts players are required to pay an additional fee upon selection, covering coaching, turf hireage and tournament costs.
U16 & U17
U16 & U17 TEAMS
All U16 & U17 players participate in the Swifts Academy programme, the club’s high performance programme, designed to provide high quality and challenging trainings to in a single, consistent environment, and is delivered by the club's full time professional coaching staff.
Swifts trainings are run by Swifts Academy coaches two or three times a week, at Terawhiti Artificial Turf or a full sized field elsewhere in Wellington.
More information on Swifts, and training details, can be found on our website.
PROMOTION TO SENIOR FOOTBALL
Our U16 Girls & U17 Boys teams feed directly into our senior reserve and third teams and men's and women's first teams, providing the opportunity for youth players to extend themselves and accelerate their playing "career". A consistent training environment across our youth and senior environments ensures players transition from junior to youth to senior football seamlessly.
Our first team coaches work closely with our Youth Directors of Football throughout the season. Players may be invited to join senior trainings, and then to play, by the coaching team throughout the season.
KEY DATES AND OTHER PROGRAMMES
Season begins: Saturday 3 May
Season finishes: Saturday 30 August
Games: Saturday mornings (and occasionally Friday evenings) at a time and location depending on the weekly draw published by Capital Football - see here.
Trainings: See details above.
School holiday break: Football runs on the first and last weekend of the school holidays, but we take a break for Easter weekend and the middle weekend of the holidays.
School Holiday and Summer Programmes: The club runs a very popular school holiday programme, and a summer programme during terms 1 and 4. We encourage players to keep up their football over the holidays and summer by getting involved in these! More information can be found on the "Programmes" page here.
GEAR
Players need to provide their own:
-
Plain black shorts.
-
Black football socks.
-
Football boots.
-
Shin pads.
These can be purchased online. Football boots and shin pads can also be bought from most sports stores and off TradeMe.
The club provides each team with the following gear at the beginning of the season (all of which must be returned at the end of the season):
-
Black and white striped Waterside Karori playing tops (1 per player).
-
Bibs.
-
A player of the day trophy and certificates.
-
Balls and cones.
GET STARTED!
Step 1: Register for the winter season
Online registrations open on 1 January each year.
Swifts registrations close: 7 February
Social registrations close: 31 March
Please email support@karorifootball.co.nz with any questions.
Step 2: Allocation Days, for those who have opted to trial for Swifts teams
These sessions are run by our Swifts coaches, see here for more information. The outcome of the trials will be confirmed shortly after.
Swifts Allocation Day: Saturday 15 February
Step 3: Grade Coordinators will put together social teams
Grade Coordinators will put players into teams after registrations close at the end of March. We will then be in touch with you, with information on your team and the start of the season. This will not be until early April.
Once you are assigned to a team, we email you with more information on the season, how things will work, key contacts, and other key details.
Step 4: The season starts!
The 2025 junior season kicks off on Saturday 3 May.