Football NSW Enjoy Success at the National Junior Championships

Football NSW had a total of six teams competing in this prestigious national tournament with two metropolitan teams and one country team in both the boys and girls competitions.
This year the FFA introduced a new points system in which teams were assessed on how they play and execute the 1-4-3-3 national curriculum. This meant that teams who performed the best would receive 5 bonus points at the conclusion of the group phase.
The second best team received 3 bonus points and the third received 1 bonus points. This marks the new change in the direction of football in Australia in which teams are rewarded for style of play with focus on educating players on the national vision. 
Football NSW worked hard over the past two months ensuring that all teams implement the 1-4-3-3 formation of play. Focus on selection was based on skill and game awareness not strength, speed and power.  Football NSW adopted a playing style that focuses on building out from the back and effective combination play that creates goals scoring opportunities.
Paul Bentvelzen, High Performance Manager explained his philosophy behind this change.
?Of course winning is important; however at youth level it is more important the way in which you win.
At Football NSW we are focused on developing a philosophy and culture that fosters football education above winning at all cost.
?These are the measures that have been put in place by the national body Football Federation of Australia (FFA) and us as a state body support that vision and have taken the necessary steps at all levels in the hope that we can dominate the world game on the world stage?.
It is an ambitious goal but in the last year football has grown tremendously in terms of youth development. There is a national curriculum; a national technical director and the FFA are working on the appointment of state technical directors in each state.

National Tournaments now encourage and reward skillful game play above the winning at all cost mentality.
Football NSW have taken on the challenge and have worked extremely hard on implementing the national vision.
In October 2009 Football NSW announced the implementation of Project22, an elite player development system aimed at producing future Socceroos and Matildas who will potentially compete at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Over 300 talented and gifted players aged 9-15 years were indentified and selected into elite training centers spread through NSW. They train 5 times per week over 42 weeks of the year.
Bentvelzen explained his theory behind the Project22 concept.
?The best of the best training and competing against each on a daily basis is one of the key fundamental philosophies of this elite project?.
Highly qualified and experienced coaches implement the national curriculum in an attempt to dramatically improve the player?s technical skills and tactical awareness. The program is aimed to create a positive learning environment with focus on football education.
National Technical Director Han Berger concurs with Football NSW? application of the National Curriculum.
?Not only the results but more importantly the way in which Football NSW played at the recent Junior national championship was good and very encouraging.  The FFA have worked very closely with Football NSW on implementing the new national curriculum and it is now evident that in this short period of time we can really make a dramatic improvement in elite youth development. I am excited about the future of football in this country.?
Player are taught the technical skills that are necessary to compete at the highest level, in games players are rotated around in different positions to develop universal players who are effective in any position on the field, and focus on playing out from the back and learning the 1-4-3-3 formation are critical for effective team play.
Football NSW experienced a clean sweep of all the honors that were up for grabs at the recent national junior championships in Canberra.
All four (4) Metropolitan teams finishing on top of their groups with all four (4) teams receiving the highly prestigious bonus points for playing style and game effectiveness. All four (4) coaches were awarded coach of their group which was a great honor for Football NSW.
The success was not only experienced by our Metropolitan teams. Our country girls finished third and our boys finished second in their group which was an admirable performance.
For the boys, six players were also selected into the All-star team and Country coach Tim Wilson was selected as the All-star coach. For our girls seven players were selected in the All-star team and once again our coach Peter Page was selected to coach the All-star team against Metropolitan NSW 2.
Of all six teams that competed in the National Tournament in April, our four Metropolitan team coaches (Nadine Shiels, Ben Wright, Oscar Gonzalez and Vince Colagiuri) were awarded ?Coach of their Groups? with our two Country coaches (Tim Wilson, Peter Page) picking up second honors and appointed coaches of the All-star teams. This was a fantastic result for the current coaching structure of Football NSW and the hard work that the HPU with the guidance from the FFA have provided in the outcome of these results.   
The FFA are set to announce the players selected into the U13 National team who will compete at the AFC youth festival in May 2010.
Australian Under 13 Boys National Team Head Coach Ante Juric selected 30-players to attend a selection training camp from Thursday 29th April to Sunday 2nd May at the AIS.
There are13 players selected from NSW to attend the national team camp. This was a great achievement for Football NSW. Last year we had 8 representatives and this year we have 13 in the boys. Congratulations to all players on selection.
FINAL DEMONSTRATION GAME: NSW M1 vs. ALL-STAR 

FINAL DEMONSTRATION GAME: NSW M2 vs. ALL-STARS

Group A All-Stars: Bon Scott (gk) (Queensland), Ben Johns (Western Australia), Austin Ludwik (Queensland), Liam Rose (NSW Metropolitan 1), Ross Millard (Western Australia), Hayden McHenry (Queensland), Anthony Duzel (Victoria Metropolitan), Martin Lo (NSW Metropolitan 1), Jordan Tokler (Western Australia), Antonee Burke (Northern NSW), Scott Halliday (Queensland), Josh Murray (Northern NSW), Jesse Francesca (South Australia), Tom Waller (Northern NSW), Jacob Tarasenko (Northern NSW), Chris Zuvela (NSW Metropolitan 1).

Group B All-Stars: Nathan Alfernik (gk) (ACT), Alex Boardman (NSW Country), Adam Berry (NSW Metropolitan 2), Pierre Adrenssens (NSW Country), George Timopheou (ACT), Connor O?Toole (NSW Metropolitan 2), Dean Watkins (TAS), Joshua Day (NSW Country), Thomas Milicevic (ACT), Jayden Barber (NSW Country), Michael Holden (Tasmania), Lachlan Roberts (NSW Metropolitan 2), En Soo She (Tasmania), Isaac Kenyi (Tasmania), Lachlan Wales (NSW Metropolitan 2), Daniel Carreno (NSW Metropolitan 2)
FINAL DEMONSTRATION GAME: NSW M1 vs. ALL-STAR 

FINAL DEMONSTRATION GAME: NSW M2 vs. ALL-STAR 

ALL-STAR SELECTIONS

GROUP A: Teagan Micah (Queensland), Georgina Worth (ACT), Hannah Jenkin (South Australia), Claire Urquhart-Watson (Queensland), Siena Senatore (ACT), Ambrosia Malone (Queensland), Jessica Waterhouse (South Australia), Dylan Holmes (South Australia), Beatrice Goad (Victoria Metro), Tulia Palozzi (Northern NSW), Brooke Goodrich (Queensland), Ayesha Norrie (Queensland), Hayley Armstrong (ACT), Julia De Angelis (ACT), Alison Traverso (Northern NSW), Emma Bestek (ACT)

GROUP B: Gabrielle Dal Basso (Western Australia), Amanda Kovacev (Victoria Country), Lydia Nancarrow (NSW Country), Lani Murdoch (Victoria Country), Sally Lynch (NSW Country), Matilda Potter (NSW Country), Jessica Pitts (Victoria Country), Madison Parbery (NSW Country), Maddison Schofield (Western Australia), Emily Henderson (Western Australia), Lucy MacGregor (Tasmania), Alexandra Scobie (NSW Country), Annie Huggins (NSW Country), Caitlin Stalker (Tasmania), Emma Leaning (Western Australia), Isabella Gee (Tasmania)