Academy Support Program (8-12 years)

The Academy Support Program (ASP) is ideal for players looking to progress beyond community football. The ASP features qualified coaches, who are also involved in our high-performance pathway, working under the guidance of our highly experienced ASP Director.

The ASP serves as the pathway to our FQ Academy Program. The coaching curriculum is adapted from our Academy Program to provide players with the opportunity to develop the skills necessary for the next step in their football journey.

We offer ASP teams for both male and female players. ASP players train twice a week, with one game on the weekend.

In our boys' program, we offer teams in the following age groups: U8, U9, U10, U11, and U12. Our U8 boys' team is identified as our Pre-Academy Support Program Team.

Our girls' ASP teams vary from season to season, depending on the identified talent within a given age group.

Should you have questions regarding the Academy Support Program, please contact our FQ Academy Junior TD Ellis Shaw at juniorTD@vufc.com.au

How do you raise the national standard of players graduating to play for the Brisbane Roar or the Socceroos?

The key is to start young and ensure the foundation of the skill pyramid is learned correctly. It is very difficult to adjust or fix techniques that were poorly developed in junior football. Therefore, it is imperative that skills are learned and nurtured in the right environment.

The U8-U12 age range is part of the so-called ‘golden age of motor learning.’ During this period, before the growth spurts associated with puberty, children are well-balanced and coordinated. This makes them highly adaptable to developing motor skills (techniques), especially as this is also a critical period for brain development.

No other phase in life offers faster motor learning than this one. Consequently, it makes sense to optimise this period by laying a sustainable technical foundation. It is therefore crucial to have qualified, professional coaches working with players who show promise at these age levels.

The ASP at Virginia United FC has been established to guide player development. For the U8 team, the focus remains on fun, incorporating hidden learning techniques and specially adapted sessions from the U9-U12 FQ Academy program to help develop players’ core skills.