FOX8 and Sydney FC are launching an exciting nationwide search to find the next big Australian football superstar from a cast of thousands. Tell your family, tell your friends but above all else tell the rising young football star in your life because this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The grand prize is a season long contract with the Sydney FC youth team plus an incredible one year scholarship from Macquarie University valued at $30,000. Football Superstar will be aired on Fox8 in primetime over an 8-episode series during June and July 2008 and promises to make for enthralling entertainment.

Applications are invited for the following position.

Football Wagga Wagga Executive Officer (0.53 FTE)

Essential Criteria

• Member Protection qualifications & Certificate of Attendance MPO training course
• Experience in administering a sporting Association
• Knowledge and understanding of Football New South Wales guidelines and policies
• Knowledge and understanding of working with children guidelines
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• High degree of computer skills in Windows environment
• Highly developed communication skills including written and verbal reporting
• Current Drivers License
• Own a privately comprehensively insured vehicle
• Knowledge in the management of budgets
• Prepared to work in a voluntary capacity as required

Applications to attend a Child Protection and Member Protection Information Officer workshop to be held in Wagga on 29th April 2008 are now open. The presenter is confirmed as Mr. Bruce Drake from NSW Department of Sport and Recreation Head Office in Sydney.

Bruce is a fantastic supporter of football, is involved in our sport and works closely with Football NSW in relation to Member Protection, Sports Rage Prevention and the Referee’s Yellow Vest Program.

All Club, Association and Branch Member Protection Officers, Committee Members, Coaches and Managers are encouraged to attend and benefit from what this workshop will bring. For more information and application form refer to the flyer available in our Documents section.

Here's this week's Coaching Tip of the Week, courtesy of Tip Top. You can see them all in our Coaching Tips of the Week FAQ, available from the Help menu.

Individual Defending First Defender (when an opponent has the ball)

Applications to attend the Frank Farina coaching clinic, aimed at beginning coaches, close on Monday 17th March. Coaches or intending coaches wanting to attend must apply through their Club. Places are very limited so contact your Club officials now!

Draws for the 2008 Branch Championships Boys Under 14 and Boys Under 15 are now available from our Documents section.

Updated 12 March Under 11 draw now also available.

Updated 14 March Under 12, Under 13 and Under 16 draws now also available.

The first 2008 issue of the Kanga Cooee with all the latest news about the 2008 McDonald’s Kanga Cup is now available in our Downloads section.

Tip Top Coaching and Football NSW are pleased to announce that former Australian Coach and Captain Frank Farina will be holding a coaching seminar in Wagga Wagga on Thursday 3rd April 2008. As part of Tip Top's ongoing commitment to grassroots football, Frank will be hosting seminars throughout the month of April, aimed at offering education and inspiration to junior coaches.The seminar will be ideal for beginning coaches as Frank will be running through the very basics of coaching.

Here's this week's Coaching Tip of the Week, courtesy of Tip Top. You can see them all in our Coaching Tips of the Week FAQ, available from the Help menu.

Controlling the Ball (on the ground)

The keys to good ball control are:

A memo from the President of Football NSW, Jim Forrest, about the introduction of Small-Sided Games to replace Rooball from 2008 is now  available in our Documents section.

We have three grades in the Girls-Only competition in 2008:

• Under 12, for girls aged 11-12 in 2008
• Under 14, for girls aged 13-14 in 2008
• Under 16, for girls aged 15-16 in 2008

All games will be a 6 a side competition. Under 16 Girls will also have Under 17 Girls playing in a mentor capacity.

An overview of the Rules for Small-Sided Games, as will be played in Under 6 through Under 9 grades this year, is now available in our FAQ section. These are summarised from the FFA Small Sided Games Handbook together with local modifications.

Football NSW has announced their Talent Search Program will be held in Wagga. The program comprises a 2 day clinic with 2x2hr sessions each day for 7 - 14 year olds - boys and girls. Coast is $95 and participants receive a ball, T-shirt, certificate, training, testing and home training materials. Players need to bring their own lunch. See the Information sheet and Application Form in Downloads for more details.

The NSW Sport and Recreation's Women’s Sport Leaders Scholarship Program is now open for application with a closing date of 27 March 2008.

This program provides opportunities for women to improve their management, leadership, coaching and officiating skills in the sport and recreation industry.

Scholarships are offered in five categories:

• Sport Leadership
• Coach and Official Development
• International Travel
• Sport Management Development
• State Sporting Organisation Initiatives

Football NSW together with the Australian Sports Comminssion have provided funding to dramatically reduce the cost of the Grassroots Coaching Course to specifically encourage sports leadership and coaching accrediation among women in regional areas of NSW.

Football Wagga Wagga is able to offer 24 places in a grassroots coaching course at a cost reduced from $27.50 to just $7.50!

The Wagga Wagga Under 14 Girls Representative team traveled to Bathurst on the weekend of 16th and 17th February to contest the Proctor Park Cup.

The team have not played any competition games prior to the Bathurst trip and used the tournament as a team-building exercise and to gain experience in a top level competition arena.

The team lost all of their matches, but gained a great deal from the tournament in the way of building their team-work and learning what they need to do in terms of skills, fitness and tactics to allow them to be competitive and reach their potential.

The girls performed well and while they found the opposition a little more aggressive than they are used to, they warmed to the task and stepped up to match their opponents each game.  The improvement in all the players over the course of the tournament was very satisfying and has given the girls a new perspective on what is needed to play at that level.  The main objective of the team is to perform well at Branch Titles in May at Griffith and on their efforts at Bathurst, they will certainly be competitive.