Sporting Schools program stimulates football participation growth in Queensland

Football Queensland’s implementation and delivery of Sporting Schools programs across the state has successfully reached over 7,000 students.

The Sporting Schools program is designed to encourage participants to connect with community sporting organisations and to improve physical activity for students.

After a strong showing of interest from schools, 60 football programs were implemented in Term 1 of 2021, leading to a 12% increase in Sporting Schools participant numbers compared to Term 1 last year.

Football Queensland’s Officer for Schools Participation, Laura Bryant, was delighted at the success of the program so far.

“The response is really encouraging as it shows football is becoming more popular in schools for both boys and girls,” she said.

“Sporting Schools is Australia’s largest school-based sports participation program and FQ is proud to be the provider for football programs in Queensland with support from Football Australia.”

Term 2 has seen over 100 Sporting Schools football programs approved for delivery in Term 2, while applications have opened for Term 3 funding.

“With applications now open for Term 3 program funding, we’d encourage Queensland schools to apply to deliver a football program for their students,” Bryant said.

“It’s a great introductory program designed to help kids begin their football journeys in a safe and supportive environment.

“FQ’s participation team has worked closely with Football Australia to create a sustainable teacher-delivered program.

“The coaches we have chosen from FQ have done an excellent job helping students who are interested in playing football and have been working hard to ensure the programs are fun, engaging and educational for young players.”

Football Queensland Chief Executive Officer Robert Cavallucci acknowledged the importance that this opportunity presents for football’s growth in the state.

“Sporting Schools has been a valuable opportunity for us to encourage children to be active across the state and drive ongoing participation in football, in line with our strategic commitment to engaging with schools throughout Queensland,” he said.

“Uniting football in Queensland means bringing all facets of the game together while delivering high-quality experiences for everyone involved, even with the challenges presented to us with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Sporting Schools program has been a fantastic example of this in action.”

With the support of quality resources and educational programs, Bryant said she hopes students across the state will be able to continue developing their skills.

“FQ wants as many Queensland primary schools as possible to have the opportunity to offer the best football programs for their students,” she explained.

“We are focused on providing students with a safe and supportive environment to grow in a sport they love.”

Applications for Sporting Schools Term 3 funding are open until 8pm on Friday, June 4.

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Deep Roots and Big Ambitions: Interview with Adamstown Rosebud FC JDL Coordinator Chris Dale

Adamstown Rosebud Football Club is a proud, community-driven team with deep roots and a long history in Northern NSW Football, having experienced considerable growth and transformation over the years. 

The club, founded in 1889 and based in the Newcastle suburb of Adamstown, is one of Australia’s oldest continuously operating football clubs, competing in the Northern NSW National Premier League. 

Speaking to Soccerscene, former president of Adamstown Rosebud FC and current coordinator for the Junior Development Program (JDL) Chris Dale, shared insights into his role within the club and its growth from a small senior-focused structure to a comprehensive youth development program. 

In our interview, Chris highlights the importance of community engagement, key sponsorships, infrastructure upgrades and a strong future-focus on nurturing and developing young players to become senior footballers who are also well-rounded individuals who contribute to society and the local community – including giving back to the club. 

Can you share some insight into your role at the club, and how Adamstown Rosebud has evolved since you first stepped into that position? 

Chris Dale: When I first came to the club as a player in 2011, we had three senior teams (1st grade, reserve grade and under 19s). Now, nearly 15 years on, the club has grown and now includes comprehensive junior and youth programs. 

This transformation first started in 2012 with Northern NSW Football introducing Premier Youth League (PYL), with an under 13s through to under 18s program. In 2019 this was then expanded to include the Junior Development League (JDL), which is an under 9s to under 12s program. 

In my current role, I am heavily involved in the coaching and player development at the club, with a specific current focus on the JDL program. I have had other roles over my time, such as technical director, board member and also club president. 

My scaled-back role allows me to also focus on my young family, which can be difficult when you are carrying the responsibility of a senior leadership position at the club. So far, I am really enjoying working with our younger players; it’s rewarding to see them develop as players and individuals.

Overall, we are working hard as a club to develop robust and well-rounded players in our junior and youth programs to feed into our senior football teams to provide a bright future for the club. 

Image credit: Adamstown Rosebud Football Club

Have there been any challenges that the club has faced on or off the field? How did the club deal with them? 

Chris Dale: We have two main challenges that are top of mind. One is the cost of football and how we best manage it to avoid over-charging families while still providing an excellent offering. 

We do this through a sponsorship program and ongoing fundraising that helps us absorb as many costs as we can before it impacts player registrations and the back pockets of mums and dads in our community. 

In general, football in Australia is a user-pay sport with limited financial support from the code, which is different to other sporting codes like AFL and NRL. With limited capacity to financially support grassroots football, it means clubs have to be very resourceful through sponsorship, fundraising and utilising volunteer services as much as possible. 

Also, there is a real push for semi-professional competition, which contributes to what I see as the second major challenge, which is getting volunteers and people to help deliver on increasing expectations. 

Families are busy – in most households both parents work and time is tight. People are getting kids to multiple trainings a week, as well as other commitments. On top of all of that, notwithstanding the registration fees families pay for their children to be in our program, we then want – need – them to volunteer their time to help us. 

It’s a big ask and we have a fabulous community at Adamstown Rosebud FC with lots of families who are happy to be in the canteen, Dads who are happy to run the line, siblings who are happy to be ball boy and individuals who are happy to keep rubbish under control so the club looks its best. 

But it is that push towards semi-professional football, the push towards everything being more elite, that’s probably been the hardest part because it means we need more volunteers to actually administer the ongoing additional requirements that are set. 

At our core we are a volunteer-based club. So getting people’s time – and we really appreciate it when we get it – is really hard and it can be a struggle to get people with the required skills and time into those larger roles within the club.

I think in terms of solving those challenges, it’s a case of having business development plans, trying to have a five-year club plan and key strategies for how we spend money on player development and club uplift. 

There are sponsors at our club that allocate money to certain areas, which I think is a positive thing. If funds are allocated specifically for the JDL program or to the youth program, then that really helps us to try and drive down those costs. 

In terms of recruiting players, a big focus for us is always keeping players at the club for as long as we can. We invest early in strong club culture and development plans for player growth. We aspire for this to translate into our senior teams, where we know our investment will translate to outcomes. 

A lot of key volunteers we have at the moment are mums, dads and grandparents who have been with the club for 5, 6, 7 years. This helps to build club culture and people feel involved and invested in the club, which is something we really focus on and value greatly. Retention of players – and their families – is pivotal in creating that family-based culture that the broader community hear about, and want to be part of. 

In what ways does Adamstown Rosebud FC connect with and support its local community, both on and off the field? 

Chris Dale: When you go to a match day for us it’s very much an inclusive space. We really enjoy hosting people and we enjoy people coming to the ground. We’re pretty lucky in terms of our space at Adamstown Oval, it’s a beautiful venue with good amenities that makes it easy to bring families, friends and supporters together – including the opposition! 

Our annual ANZAC Day event has become an important fixture on our club calendar. We were delighted to host Weston FC for our 2025 game. Over the last 5 to 6 years it’s been a really important day for us where we work with 211 Army Cadets to host an ANZAC celebration and bring the community together, including the supporters and families of the team we are playing. There is a strong sense of comradery and I personally really value what it represents. It is important to the club that we strive to be a pillar in our community. 

 Image credit: Adamstown Rosebud Football Club

Have there been any new sponsors or partnerships this season, and how are they helping Adamstown Rosebud grow both on and off the field?

Chris Dale: In recent years we’ve been very lucky to have 3 prominent local businesses in Newcastle sponsor and actively engage with us. The McCloy Group has been fantastic in providing funds and resources to develop our programs. 

KCE also came on board and they’ve been engaged in our youth program, helping it develop and become stronger. Last but definitely not least, Avid Project Management, a Newcastle company that continues to go from strength to strength, is a valued sponsor of our JDL program. 

These 3 businesses have been huge for us. I can’t say that enough. Through their support, we have increased our service offering across all three levels of football at the club, reduced the cost of football for our teams and our families, and connected with a business community that genuinely cares. 

The club is working towards upgrading Adamstown Oval’s training pitch to an all-weather synthetic surface. How will this development benefit the club moving forward? 

Chris Dale: A key area of our club footprint is our training space. It’s where we lay the foundations and spend the majority of our time. Last year we renamed this key area Peter Stone field, which is in recognition of one of our famous old boys who passed away not too long ago. 

Peter was really connected to our youth players and youth development. He was a former school teacher and was very committed to growing the player education side of our club for our young men. 

Week-long use of this space across JDL, PYL and NPL takes its toll. Add in the significant wet weather we’ve had and it creates an environment that cannot sustain its intended use. 

I believe it’s critical that we start to work with our local councils and our local stakeholders to invest in all-weather surfaces and upgrade existing facilities. 

We are working with our local council and we do have some plans in place, but once again, it’s all about having funding to really drive it forward. 

An all-weather surface would be a significant game-changer for the club. Even in situations like our current one, it’s been 10 weeks that players haven’t been able to train on the field due to conditions. We are proactive and shift our sessions to private all-weather facilities, but that then has a significant impact on our budget.

 Image credit: Adamstown Rosebud Football Club

What’s on the horizon for the club in 2025 and beyond? Are there any new plans or projects you’re looking forward to? 

Chris Dale: Player development is key. Personally for me, moving into a focused role in the JDL space, I see enormous potential to work with our 9 to 12-year-olds and develop core skills and attributes to see them progress. 

Part of that is trying to build a club culture where the kids are not only playing football and having success on the field, but also they’re growing as young boys and young men. That’s always been a focus for us, making sure we’re not just developing footballers, but also developing good people. 

Our player development programs are a big focus in the next 12 to 36 months. We have a really good crop of young players who are now in our senior squad. 

In 2024 and 2025 over 50% of our senior players played youth football for the club. That’s great and we are really proud and excited by the talent coming through and contributing to club culture and success at a senior level. 

So, continuing to bring that next wave of Rosebud players from our junior and youth ranks into our senior football is a major focus for us over the next short to medium term. And so is continuing to provide a culture that people choose to volunteer their time to be part of. We are a volunteer-led club with a passion for develop quality players who contribute to – and give back to – our community.

PIF Strengthens Ties with FIFA

FIFA has announced Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as an official partner of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

The long-term partnership between PIF and FIFA sees the former named as an official partner of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, kicking off a broader collaboration aimed at boosting youth participation and supporting grassroots football development.

Details about specific programs and initiatives are expected to be announced soon.

The deal was revealed a week before the tournament began in the U.S. on June 14.

While full information is still limited, an official statement from FIFA and PIF described the partnership as a reflection of their shared goal to grow global participation in sports by creating new opportunities, encouraging innovation, and connecting with fans worldwide.

The announcement also emphasised a focus on young people, noting that the partnership will help support FIFA’s grassroots efforts to engage and inspire the next generation of players.

PIF is the latest organisation to join the roster of Club World Cup partners, alongside established FIFA sponsors like Adidas, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Hisense, Lenovo, and Qatar Airways—all of which already have ongoing relationships with FIFA.

PIF also owns a majority stake in Al Hilal, the only team from Saudi Arabia competing in this year’s tournament.

FIFA’s Chief Business Officer Romy Gai welcomed PIF as a partner for the 2025 Club World Cup, emphasising their shared vision to globalise football and the vital role partners play in both the tournament’s success and the broader development of club football.

“We are delighted to welcome PIF as a partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025,” Gai said in a press release.

“Together, we look forward to delivering a historic tournament that inspires and unites fans from around the world.

“The partners of the first-ever 32-team FIFA Club World Cup believe in our vision to make football truly global.

“Their support of the tournament will not only be integral to its success but will underpin investment in supporting the development of club football everywhere.”

The partnership between FIFA and PIF marks a strategic alliance aimed at elevating the global profile of club football while fostering youth engagement and grassroots development through the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

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