top of page

 

 

3 years to 5th birthday
(Parent participation not required but parents/carers are required to stay with their children)  

ACES are confident with boundless energy and this is catered for in the lesson plans. Our games are fast-paced and increasingly football focused, with fun still at the heart, meaning that even new starters easily pick them up. Children begin to understand the importance of team play and matches are gradually introduced. 
 

Key Features:


- Children play independently of their parent/guardian
- 60-minute class
- Weekly classes
- Two coaches for up to 18 children (max)

- Each new starter receives a football kit

 

Play, Practice & Understanding


Mighty Kickers classes incorporate our rounded learning approach to play, practice and understanding. The play is the motivator and promotes the continued and repeated practice. This disguised learning in itself is a powerful tool, however, we believe in not only teaching the children how to perform the skills but also to understand why and where to use the skill in the real world. This transcends all six areas of our curriculum: 

- Personal, social & emotional development,
- Communication, language & literacy,
- Mathematical development,
- Knowledge & understanding of the World,
- Physical development,
- Creative development. 
 

Fundamentals


ACES teaches the fundamentals of football in a fun learning environment through a series of games using our tried and tested structure. The stages of development below outline our expectations for this age group:
 

Stages of Development

Social, Emotional & Cognitive

  • Good peer interaction and participation in class.

  • Develops a strong sense of identity within the group.

  • Understands basic concepts of team play.

  • Awareness of surroundings improves.

  • Actively involved in creative play.

  • Confident to play, think and visually assess during a game situation.

Physical

  • Emphasis on warm up / cool down and stretching improves physical fitness.

  • Children are aware of themselves in the environment.

  • Basic ability to travel with the ball where they choose and how they choose.

  • Children demonstrate an understanding of control and can exercise control in their movements.

Football Specific

  • Able to keep the ball relatively close to the body while moving.

  • Develops good directional dribbling skills and strong striking skills.

  • Can stop a slow-moving ball.

  • Can start to volley/half volley.

  • Will be able to hold the stop position and move the ball with their sole.

 

Things start to get very exciting at the Mighty Kickers age group. This is where all the skills learnt to date are transferred into team play and basic football matches.

 

 

 

 

 

ACES FOOTBALL ACADEMY GRASSROOTS PROGRAM

At Aces Football Academy, we will create an environment where your young player has fun, be creative and develop a love of the game.

​We will focus on the fundamental movements.  Skills development is at the core of all our training sessions and games.

 

​Our primary focus will be to ensure every player falls in love with the beautiful game of football in a fun learning environment.

​We will focus on the "Skill Hungry Years" from age 3 - 7 and develop key motor skills that will build a solid base for agility, balance and coordination.

 

​Our ultimate goal is to develop players to join our full academy program at 8 years old.

​

Targeted group: 

​

​

​

​

​

 ACES  UNDER 5
JUNIOR ACES  UNDER 8
 ACES  UNDER 5
 JUNIOR ACES  UNDER 8

5 years to 7

(Parent participation not required but parents can stay with their children)  

Junior ACES is the culmination of the preceding age groups. It brings together all the skills learnt and introduces them to real football matches. Children continue to develop the social and cognitive skills as well as honing their football skills, putting them to use at the end of each session during the 20-minute match. There is a focus on fair play, as well as a focus on knowledge, understanding and practical application of the rules of play. 
 

Key Features:


- Children play independently of their parent/guardian
- 60-minute class
- Weekly classes
- Two coaches for up to 18 children (max)

- Each new starter receives a football kit

 

Progressive Challenges and Matches

 

More touches on the ball lead to faster and greater skill gain. Every child has their own ball throughout the session and our games are specifically designed for maximum touches of the ball. The games are progressively challenging enabling new skills to be learnt each lesson, however, children are able to work within their ability. Children become more competitive at this age and are taught to challenge themselves and one another. The match becomes the climax of the session and is the perfect outlet for channelling children’s competitive energy as well as transferring their skills into a real-world situation.

 

Fundamentals


Junior ACES teaches the fundamentals of football in a fun learning environment through a series of games using our tried and tested structure. The stages of development below outline our expectations for this age group:
 

Stages of Development

Social, Emotional & Cognitive

  • Can play any game with good attention and awareness skills.

  • Develops an understanding of the importance of team play.

  • Develops an understanding of positional play in real match scenarios.

  • There is a focus on the awareness that it is not winning or losing that is the most important thing but making an effort, playing fair and learning from the experience.

  • Strong sense of place and identity within the session.

Physical

  • Improved ability for the body to respond to certain physical movements and activities.

  • Children develop an understanding of what their bodies are capable of and how additional effort can enhance performance.

Football Specific

  • Can dribble evasively with good close control.

  • Has basic mastery of the ball with the ability to take it/kick it in any direction with relative accuracy.

  • Can perform a variety of different kicks.

  • Understands how to kick the ball with different parts of the foot and the resulting movement of the ball.

  • Understands the importance of individual positions within the team.

  • Learns and understands the basic rules of a match.

 

Junior ACES classes aim to be challenging. Children are able to transfer their football skills into a real match environment. Children are also taught valuable life lessons such as fair play, teamwork and the importance of hard work.

bottom of page