Girls Pathway 2026

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Update on the Female Pathway and New Junior Girls Development Programme

Thank you for your patience while we completed the registration process for the upcoming season. We are pleased to confirm the following teams and coaching assignments within our Girls Pathway:

Girls Teams and Coaches

• U20s — Led by Johanna and Emily
• U15 Academy — Led by Andrew Grant
• U15 Social Team — Team confirmed; coaching support currently being finalised
• U13s — Led by Ella Hartel and Zoe Pottinger
• U11 Kakariki — Led by Ian Ebbs and Roz
• U11 Kahu — Team confirmed; coaching support currently being finalised

For teams currently without a confirmed coach, we kindly ask for volunteer support. If you are interested in helping, please contact our Female Football Officer, Ella Hartel, at ffo@halswellunitedfc.co.nz.

Introduction of the Pre-Academy Programme

We are excited to introduce a new Pre-Academy Programme designed for our U10–U13 Girls Development Pathway. This initiative represents an important step in strengthening the female football pathway within the club and supporting the development of talented young players.

Following careful review, we have decided to pivot from the originally proposed U13 Academy team setup and instead introduce a Pre-Academy Programme. This approach allows the programme to be more inclusive, accessible, and affordable, providing girls with greater opportunities to grow and develop within our junior pathway before progressing to full Academy football at age 15.

Programme Overview

The Pre-Academy Programme has been created to identify and support talented players from within our girls’ teams and community programmes, helping prepare them for entry into the full Academy pathway.

Players will be identified from:

• U10–U13 girls teams within the club
• Community girls teams (up to U15 level) who may benefit from additional technical and developmental support

Player identification will be led by:

• Ella Hartel — Female Football Officer
• Katie — Premier Women’s Head Coach

Programme Objectives

The Pre-Academy aims to:

• Identify high-potential players early within the girls’ pathway
• Provide structured development opportunities outside of regular team training
• Prepare players technically, physically, and mentally for Academy-level football
• Strengthen the transition into the U15 Girls Academy
• Create a clear and accessible female football pathway within the club

What the Programme Offers

Players selected into the Pre-Academy will receive:

• One training session per week delivered by the Female Football Officer
• Invitations to Academy Special Sessions (when available)
• Opportunities to join U15 Girls Academy training sessions when appropriate
• Integration into the Girls Academy Development Pathway
• Video-recorded matches (when available) via the club HUDL camera
• One Pre-Academy training top
• Entry into the Alan Fraser Tournament (Term 2) and one additional tournament (Term 3)

Programme Duration

• Length: 20 weeks (Term 2 and Term 3)
• Term 2: Monday 4 May – 29 June (9 sessions) + Tournament (TBC)
• Term 3: Monday 20 July – 14 September (9 sessions) + Tournament (TBC)
• Season: Winter Season
• Delivery: Across Term 2 and Term 3

Player Identification Process

Players will be selected through:

• Ongoing observation during club and community matches
• Technical and developmental assessments
• Recommendations from team coaches

Final selections will be made jointly by:

• Ella Hartel — Female Football Officer
• Katie — Premier Women’s Head Coach

Programme Fees

The Pre-Academy Programme has been intentionally priced lower than the full Academy to support accessibility and encourage player entry into the pathway.

Fee Breakdown:

• Programme Fee: $400 total
  • $200 per term (Term 2 and Term 3)
• Junior Registration Fee: $192

Total Cost: $592 per player

Payment plans will be available, including monthly instalment options to support families.

This represents a significant reduction compared to the full Academy programme fee of $1,000, allowing players to begin their development journey at a more accessible entry point.

Player Pathway

The Pre-Academy forms the foundation stage of the Girls Academy structure:

Community Teams → Pre-Academy → U15 Academy → Premier Women’s Pathway

This pathway supports long-term player development and helps retain and grow talent within our female football programme.

If you have any questions about the programme or the player identification process, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We are very excited about what this programme will offer our young players and look forward to supporting their development in a structured and positive environment.