With over 125,000 children playing football across Sydney FC’s community regions, the Sky Blues have a number of established programs for all skills levels and ages.
Encompassing Community, Development and Elite stages, learn more about the various pathways to play football for the Sky Blues.
COMMUNITY LEVEL
Sydney FC School Holiday Clinics
Run in Partnership with our association partners our qualified coaches are experts in helping youngsters improve their football skills in a fun, safe environment at our well-organised School Holiday Clinics. Children not only meet new friends, but develop their core skills through game-based activities designed by the Sydney FC coaching staff. It’s a great way to boost your child’s skills and confidence and have fun learning to play the Sky Blue Way.
AGE GROUP: Boys & girls aged 5 – 13 years old
ABILITY: Open to all abilities and open to all who register.
RUNS: Each School Holiday Period across Sydney and Wollongong.
For more information visit here.
Sydney FC Skills Training Program
Run in partnership with our association partners this well-organised program runs each school term in various locations across Sydney. The program helps players of all abilities develop their own Four Core Skills to improve their weekly club game. Coaches use a holistic approach to develop these four skills in game situations, which helps players transfer their newly learned techniques to their club matches and better themselves individually.
AGE GROUP: Boys & girls aged 6 -11 years old.
ABILITY: Open to all abilities and open to all who register.
RUNS: Each School Term across Sydney and Wollongong.
For more information visit here.
DEVELOPMENT LEVEL
Skill Acquisition Phase (SAP) Programs
Sydney FC firmly believes the best place for young players between 9-12 years of age to develop their skills on a weekly basis is with their local association or NPL arm. As a result of this, Sydney FC do not run SAP or advanced programs in this age group. For links to our association partners and their SAP programs, please visit here.
Sydney FC Academy Training Program
This year-long program is run as a development program across 40 weeks offering talented players the chance to train once a week in addition to their SAP commitment in one centralised Sydney FC location. It provides these players a chance to train under the Sydney FC Youth philosophy prior to the start of the Academy from 13yrs and up. This program is run by coaches who work or have worked within the Sydney FC Academy.
AGE GROUP: 10-13 year old boys & 12-14 year old girls.
ABILITY: Open to those who are currently part of SAP or Development squads at their local association or NPL club. By application and selection only.
RUNS: Year round Term 4 to Term 3, applications open in August each year.
For more information visit here.
Sydney FC Academy Schools Network
The Sydney FC Academy Schools Network commenced operation in 2015 and is fully aligned and coordinated with the vision, philosophy and delivery of the Sydney FC Academy. The program is delivered in combination with a network of high schools and delivered by highly-qualified, Sydney FC Academy-approved coaches in a full time school-year training environment.
AGE GROUP: Year 7-12 (High School Students)
ABILITY: By application and trial, selection is based on Sydney FC and School opinion, as academic standards may also apply. In general the application and trial process takes place in Term 1 and 2 for students entering Year 7 the following year. Entry points and trials for students in other years vary based upon availability.
RUNS: Each year – Term 1 to Term 4.
For more information visit here.
ELITE LEVEL
Sydney FC’s Academy is one of Australia’s leading elite football academies. Sydney FC leads the way in providing talented young players with an elite pathway to aspire to become professional footballers.
AGE GROUP: Boys aged 13 – 21 years old.
ABILITY: Elite Selected Players
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Our Academy is not open to application by the public. Sydney FC works year round with scouting partners and our local associations to identify talent over a series of years prior to the squad selections at under 13. There is no application or trialling process open to players.
