WaiBOP Football is pleased to announce the launch of the multi-sport junior programme.

The programme is supported by NZ Football Foundation. WaiBOP Football will partner with leading sports codes (Football, Futsal, Athletics Waikato Bay of Plenty and Netball Hamilton and Tauranga) over a 12-week period to entice more junior boys and girls (5-9 year-olds) into sport.

The programme will run as a pilot for 12 weeks in both Tauranga and Hamilton from September 28 to December 16, and aims to attract 1000 more juniors into sport.

The New Zealand Football Foundation ( http://www.footballfoundation.org.nz/ ) through their grants process, are generously providing the financial support to enable this programme to be planned and delivered.

“The NZ Football Foundation is proud to be supporting this great initiative and we are excited to see up to 1000 new introductions into sport alongside Football and Futsal,” says Dr Michele Cox, Chief Executive of the NZ Football Foundation.

The programme ensures that every player involved will have the opportunity to participate in four sporting codes, namely Football, Futsal, Athletics, and Netball.

The delivery across the programme will be tailored to each participant’s stage of physical, mental, emotional/social, and technical/tactical stage of development in line with Sport New Zealand’s Balance Is Better and Keep Up With The Play campaigns.

The programme will last 12 weeks and be specifically designed to give players a fun taste of multiple sports that they would not normally be exposed to.

Football or Futsal will run throughout the 12-week period in both cities alongside an alternative cross multi-sport.

Programme Lead, Cliff Harris, Football Development Officer for WaiBOP Football, has been working with the various representatives to bring the programme trial to fruition.

“In over 15 years in sport, this is the most exciting cross codes concept I have seen,” said Harris. “There’s a great willingness from all involved to work together to ensure more juniors are being provided platforms of entry into sport.”

Harris will lead an amazing team of coaches to deliver the programme, alongside WaiBOP’s Tayla Baldwin, who will facilitate the Futsal focus of the programme.

WaiBOP would like to also thank our supporting partners, The Soccer Shop and Fit4Football, for their incredible support.

Registrations open, Wednesday, 2^nd September 2020. For more information please visit: www.waibopfootball.co.nz/PLAYERS/MultiSport-Programme