Fun Football (7 - 8yrs)

FC Nelson Fun Football

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Welcome all to the 2025 season. We are excited to get some of our youngest members on their football journey through FC Nelson. 

This programme is part of New Zealand's Football's Whole of Football Framework and is designed to assist players aged 7-8yrs to develop basic football skills through direct coaching, fun, practice and games.

Early engagement into the game should be encouraged as it is necessary to reach excellence. This initiation phase is to allow the children to discover the game, provide for learning basic fundamental movement skills and create positive football experiences.


DATES: Saturday 3rd May - Saturday 23rd August

TIME:  10.15am - 11.15am

Kings birthday weekend - ON

Matariki weekend - ON

School holidays: NO play on July 5th & 12th (back again on July 19th).

So basically ON apart from two weeks in the holidays (middle and last weekend off).


Please provide your child with 

  • Shinpads

  • Socks, shorts

  • boots

  • waterbottle

They will be provided with a FC Nelson playing shirt for the games but they need to be returned at the end of each session.  An undergarment is advised. 


All players will do a little combined warm up together before they play games in their teams. The format will be 4v4 or 5v5 to provide many opportunities for everyone to play and get touches on the ball.

We allocate players into teams before the start of the season and rotate teams each week to play a different opposition.


Fun Football Guidelines

  • No competitive games

  • Adults and children work together informally to meet the personal/emotional needs of the youngsters

  • Lots of chances to score goals and enjoy mini challenges

  • Encourage participation in a variety of additional activities to develop physical literacy (e.g. running, jumping, throwing, etc)

  • Parents and game leaders bring out the fun of football through guiding and supporting their children to understand the basic rules of Fun Football


  • Social & Emotional – lots of interaction, enjoyment

  • Technical & Tactical – lots of touches, 1v1s, attacking & defending

  • Physical – develop Functional Movement Patterns, more active

  • Mental – lots of opportunities for success and for decision making


Coaches and Managers

Like all club activities we are reliant on parents to help run the Saturday morning programme. A Co-Ordinator will run the sessions and will have training and coaching plans but will require parents to help with organising activities and assisting with games.

Like everything with children this age, the more parents contribute in the sessions by encouraging and supporting the co-ordinator and players, the more the children will benefit. Please give consideration to whether you can take on one of these roles.


If you have any questions please contact our FDO, Manuel - manuel@fcnelson.co.nz