Category: Youth

Youth

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Nick Atwell appointed Strength and Conditioning Coordinator

Kingborough Lions United Football Club is excited to welcome Nick Atwell on-board as the club’s first Strength and Conditioning Coordinator .

Nick has been appointed to a club-wide role designing and managing delivery of our NPL and WSL strength and conditioning programs, as well as overseeing new programs focused on strength, conditioning and injury prevention for our youth cohort. The first of these will be introduced under January 2025 for our Youth players.

Nick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Strength and Conditioning program, having coached athletes across a broad range of sports at all levels from senior men to youth level and juniors, including Australian and Tasmanian representatives in Boxing, Ice, field Hockey, inline Hockey, Aussie Rules, American Football, Basketball, Sprint training and Parkour. Nick has played both football and AFL, and been a state rep for American Football. He is a Boxing BA accredited coach, AFL accredited coach with statewide experience and has delivered training services for several years.

” I’m truly excited to be back with the club in an expanded roll that now includes working with not just the NPL, U21 and U17 men’s programs but now also including our exciting WSL and Youth programs as well” said Nick.

Nick enters his 4th season at NPL level with KLUFC and will be working closely with our Sports Exercise Medicine team and Technical Directors to design and deliver best of class S&C programs for our programs.

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Lions Appoint Shannon Melican as WSL Development Coach

shannon-lightwood-park

The Lions are excited to announce the appointment of Shannon Melican as the new Women’s Super League (WSL) Development Coach.

Originally from Western Australia, Shannon has a rich background in football, having played competitively from a young age. Over the past three years, she has made a significant impact in Tasmania’s football scene, most recently coaching the Glenorchy Knights FC U18 Girls in 2024 to a league and statewide cup double. In 2023, she guided the U16 Girls to a league title and also contributed to the club’s Youth Girls Academy program.

Shannon brings a strong foundation to her new role, holding a C Diploma coaching accreditation. Speaking about the appointment, Shannon shared her enthusiasm:

“I am excited for the opportunity to be joining KLUFC. There is great support around the women’s high-performance program here and a clear vision for what we want to achieve. I look forward to working with the talented players, both developing and experienced, as well as the other coaches at the club. My focus will be to support players through the transition from youth to senior football and to help create the right environment to ensure they can reach their potential and enjoy themselves along the way.”

In her role, Shannon will serve as an assistant to WSL Head Coach Cameron Heazlewood on match days and play a vital role in ensuring smooth pathways from youth programs to senior football through the club’s high-performance setup. She will also collaborate closely with the club’s Technical Directors to align the development pathways with the club’s broader vision.

Club Technical Director Simon Edwards emphasised the significance of Shannon’s appointment:

“It is important for our female athletes to have strong female role models in their football journey – so it is fantastic to have Shannon on board as a coach working with our aspiring youth players as part of our High Performance Female program. ”

The club welcomes Expressions of Interest (EOI) from players keen to join its high-performance or youth programs.  For inquiries, please contact Carolyn Ferrier (Female High Performance Program Manager) or Tiffany Doman (Youth Girls Football Manager). Players can register they interested directly though the Expression of Interest Form.

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Matt Hess appointed Kingborough Lions United FC Youth Technical Director

Kingborough Lions United FC is pleased to announce Matthew Hess has been appointed as the Club’s new Youth Technical Director.

Matt has been with Kingborough Lions United for the past three years, most recently overseeing the club’s NPL Development (U17/U21) program and as one of our current NPL players. 

His background also includes coaching representative teams within Football Tasmania’s Youth Programs. Holding an AFC ‘B’ Diploma, Matt is well-equipped to lead our youth development initiatives.

Brian Downes, Kingborough Lions United President said  “Matt’s appointment highlights the existing talent within our ranks. His understanding of our club’s culture and our vision for youth development aligns perfectly with our goals. We are really excited that Matt has chosen to take on this critical role and continue his football journey with us”.

Matt’s role encompasses both the male and female youth programs, with an emphasis on maximising participation and providing comprehensive development opportunities. He’s excited to oversee the youth program of one of the largest youth football cohorts in Tasmania by supporting the development of both players and coaches.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity and challenge this role will bring,” says Matt. “My aim is to continue to build our youth programs and create an environment that promotes development across a number of areas while nurturing a love for the game amongst all our youth players.

“I’m particularly eager to contribute to the growth and development of women’s football at our club and to help create pathways for all our talented athletes,” he said. 

KLUFC invites parents to attend a Youth Information Session on October 29 at 7:00pm.  Our ‘Intro to Youth’  (U13) and ‘Youth Spring Training’ programs commence in early November as we prepare for a massive 2025.  Expressions of interest for 2025 Youth Football are now open via this Youth Football EOI Form. 

The club also welcomes applications from passionate individuals interested in youth coaching roles by completing the Youth Coaching EOI Form.

Kingborough Lions United FC looks forward to a bright future in youth football, fostering talent and providing excellent opportunities for all the young players in the region.

Matt Hess
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Alfred Hess to leave his role at Kingborough Lions United FC

NPL High-Performance Program Head Coach and Youth Technical Director Alfred Hess is moving on to pursue new football opportunities. 

Alfred Hess returned to Tasmania from Canberra in 2021 to join the Kingborough Lions and has served as the NPL Head Coach for two seasons, as well as the Club’s Youth Technical Director. 

Alfred has made a major contribution to the Lions during his time, particularly in the NPL High Performance space where he has put together a very professionally run program that has set new standards across the board. 

Alfred guided the Lions to fourth place in the NPL Tasmania competition in 2023 and 2024, and as runner ups in the Summer Cup and the Lakoseljac (Statewide) Cup this year. He departs the Lions having also made a significant impact on the development of our youth football pathways.

Alfred is an exceptional young coach with a great future ahead of him, and the Club wishes him much success for the future.  

The recruitment of the next Kingborough Lions NPL Head Coach for 2025 is commencing immediately, with the Club prepared to look far afield if necessary to find the right coach.   

The Club is also seeking a new Youth Technical Director/High Performance Coach. 

Any coaches interested in the vacant roles should complete the following Expression of Interest form: https://forms.gle/uTeNgqvk4UUZdyjj9

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KLUFC Junior Memberships Open for Season 2024

Welcome to the 2024 season! Registration for our JUNIOR programs (U5-U12) are now open and will close in mid-March.

Training Days

Age Group training days have been worked around our ground availabilities and are conditionally:

  • U5, U6, U7 – Wednesdays
  • U8, U9 – Tuesdays
  • U10, U11, U12 – Thursdays

Age group training should be at the Lightwood Park precinct and club rooms and kiosk will be open on training afternoons.

Other Opportunities

We also want to let you know that there are a lot of exciting opportunities planned for our Juniors in 2024, including: 

  • Mascot opportunities for our junior players at NPL and WSL games
    Team mate of the week
    NPL and WSL players to attend junior training sessions.
    Pre-match changeroom tours during NPL and WSL games
    Invites to attend open training sessions with our NPL and WSL players.

For any questions, please reach out to our Program Manager, Lorna Barrett.

Key Dates

Online Junior Memberships

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Mini-roos Coaching Course at the Den

Football Tasmania will be conducting a MiniRoos Coaching Course @Lightwood Park, Kingborough on Sunday 3rd March 2024 from 9am-12pm.

Cost of the course is $16.50

This course is for coaches of any level and is the introductory coaching course offered by Football Australia.

Please fill out the form (link below) to reserve your space in the course. A maximum of 24 participants can attend. Participants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.

To Register for the course please complete this FT Form: https://form.jotform.com/240066654508861

**Anyone that commits to coaching a Junior (5-12) team at Kingborough Lions United Football Club in 2024 will have their course fees reimbursed.

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Kingborough Lions Youth Melbourne Trip

A group of 33 players aged 12 to 17 and accompanying adults recently travelled to Melbourne for a weekend of football experiences.

The group were fortunate to experience two games at the highest level of competition in Australia attending the Melbourne Victory FC V Macarthur FC Isuzu UTE A-league Mens game and the Western United FC V Brisbane Roar Liberty A-league Womens game. 12 of our young players acted as ball people at the women’s game, an ideal opportunity to be up close to the action. A number of our youth were able to meet the players and some had shirts signed.

A highlight of the trip, which inspired young and old, was a private tour of the Home of the Matildas facilities at La Trobe University, a brand new, purpose built facility showcasing state of the art fitness and treatment areas and hybrid (grass and artificial turf) pitches.

Attendees also participated in technical sessions, a dip at the pool (it was hot!) and a trip to the Australian Sports Museum.

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Revamped Opportunity for Youth Players

KLUFC is excited to announce a “new look” Youth Development Program for its Youth players (U13-U17). The program is designed to provide a pathway for our Youth players, as mentees, to learn and develop their coaching skills under the supervision of a more experienced KLUFC coach, who will be their mentor.

This mentor-mentee relationship creates an opportunity for both participants to learn from each other and to share experiences and ideas along the way.

What’s are the benefits for participants? For Youth players, partnering up with a coaching mentor will expose them to a range of skills and valuable coaching and life experiences from which they can grow and develop. Our KLUFC coaches are volunteering their time to do with this with them. Youth mentees will take on the role of a Development Coach and be partnered up with a KLUFC Coach mentor and their Junior soccer team for the 2024 season. You will be required to attend their training session and game each week. This is flexible depending on your personal training commitments. If you are doing your Duke of Edinburgh, this volunteer opportunity is worth considering for fulfilling one of your Duke components.

Participants will be required to attend a coaching course run by Football Tasmania, with the cost being covered by KLUFC. In addition, KLUFC will offer five by one-hour facilitated sessions, run monthly throughout the 2024 season, including:

  • • A full induction and outline of the program, meet and greet with your mentor, responsibilities.
  • • How to plan a coaching session and engage junior players.
  • • How to create a positive team culture
  • • Providing and receiving feedback
  • • Evaluation and reflection skills

If you are interested in participating in this program or would like to know more about it, please contact Jane Gibson at [email protected] or on 0409071826.

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Seeking First Aiders/Trainers

Kingborough Lions United Football Club is currently looking for volunteers to serve as first aiders/trainers during training sessions and matches for the Club’s Youth Program in the 2024 Season. Participation in all sessions is not mandatory. If you’re interested but lack a current First Aid certification, the Club is willing to assist in obtaining the necessary qualification.

Roles & Responsibilities include:

  • Delivering immediate aid and emergency care to individuals injured during training or games.
  • Recording any first aid incidents.
  • Tracking the usage of first aid supplies for replenishment.

The club will ensure the availability of appropriate First Aid kits.

Please send your expressions of interest via email to Greg Downes at [email protected] or Lorna Barrett at [email protected].

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Youth Registrations Open Season 2024

youth registrations 2024

Youth Registrations at Kingborough Lions United Football Club are open. If you’re turning 13-17 in 2024 come and join us for Season 2024.

Register at playfootball.com.au and then secure for your membership by purchasing one of these packages:

If you need more information about Youth Football, contact Lorna, [email protected] (17yo Girls contact Loga, [email protected]). If you need registration assistance, contact our Registrar Cathy, 0458 291 156, [email protected].

Roar with the Pride!