Football Focus: U8 - U11

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Football Focus is Lugarno Football Club’s initial player development program, the most comprehensive player development program across the Football St.George Association. The program covers the under 8 to under 11 non-competition age groups and gives players the Skills Acquisition Program (SAP) experience for a fraction of the cost. 

Football development in Australia should not be costing what it does today and the focus at Lugarno Football Club has always been on player development and the club strives to make this an affordable experience by subsidising a lot of costs that you would be paying at SAP. It is run by our Technical Director Dean Harriton and his team of accredited coaches.

The development programs are going into their seventh season in 2025 and have seen our junior Lugarno FC teams performing at a high level in the A (Advanced) competitions of the Football St.George Association. The club has a long-term commitment to ensuring our junior players have the greatest opportunity to succeed and the program provides them with the environment to become the best player that they can possibly be.

Further illustrating this long-term commitment to the development of our juniors, at Lugarno FC we also have our accompanying program NextGen (U12-U16) which covers off all our A grade competition teams. This allows our junior development players to continue their development as they progress through the age groups, playing in the Advanced competitions within the Football St.George Association.

The Program

Lugarno Football Club’s Football Focus program offers a pathway for junior players to develop their football skills in a structured environment run by our Technical Director and his coaching team.

Key focus areas:

  • Games and exercises for improving ball skills.
  • Additional games and exercises improving agility (Running, Jumping)
  • Motivating games and exercises for kids to learn the basic aspects of technique (Dribbling, Passing, Shooting)
  • Small teams playing on goals 2v2, 3v3, 4v4.
  • Exercises improving kids motor skills.

At the completion of the season, Football Focus trials for the following season are advertised and are open for all to attend. Players are selected to be part of the program after a multiple week trial selection process is conducted.

Players successful in gaining selection into the Football Focus program will receive a formal digital offer of acceptance which includes a code of conduct detailing the expectations of both players and parents as part of the program. A player’s position on the program is secured only when this code of conduct has been digitally accepted by the player and his parent together with the payment of the acceptance fee (illustrated in the costs section below).

Players are then sized up for their uniform which includes a personalised Umbro Football Focus tracksuit as well as the rest of their playing and training uniform (detailed below). The required training commitment is twice a week starting in late January and continuing that way until the completion of the regular season. 

What you get

Football Focus is a grassroots development program on par with any SAP program provided to junior players but without the extensive costs involved.

As part of the program, you receive:

Coaching (Complete Season including Pre-season) – Twice a week training starting at the end of January and continuing that way for the entire regular season. Coaching sessions will be at least an hour duration and conducted by our Technical Director and his team of accredited coaches.


Season Launch – Prior to the start of the regular season, the club will host a Junior Development Season Launch where Football Focus and NextGen teams will all be formally announced and the players are presented with their uniforms for the upcoming season.


Uniform –

  • Personalised Umbro Tracksuit. Jacket and Pants with various player customisation.
  • Personalised Umbro Training jersey with player name and player development number.
  • Personalised Umbro Training shorts.
  • Umbro Training socks x 2.
  • Personalised Backpack

Please note - playing uniforms are purchased via the Club Registration process which takes place early in 2025.

 

Supporting Details

Cost - $320 Acceptance Fee ($270 after Active Kids Voucher) + FSG Registration Costs. Approximately $500-$520 total. Equivalent SAP cost - $1,700 and above.

** Please note - Football St.George Registration Costs above were for 2024 and may be slightly adjusted for 2025. Use these as a guide.


Game Day Coach/Manager Selections – Once Football Focus teams have been selected, the Technical Director and club representatives will select a Game Day Coach and Manager for each of the development teams. The Game Day Coaches and Managers will receive on-going support from the Technical Director including a weekly check-in at the start of each week where plans are made for upcoming training sessions tailored for each development team. Game Day Coaches and/or Managers are also required to be active assistants to the Technical Director and his team of accredited coaches at all training sessions during the week.

Footnote - Once Football Focus teams complete their U11 season, all players are eligible to try out for the following season’s U12 NextGen team which is the natural progression once teams/players graduate from the Football Focus Program.

Disclaimers –

  • All Football Focus teams will be submitted as Advanced teams playing in the Advanced (or highest equivalent grade) competition within the Football St.George Association.
  • FSG Registration costs are unknown until such time that FSG notifies Lugarno FC of registration fees for the 2025 season.