AFL Kiwikick       

What is AFL Kiwikick?

AFL Kiwikick is a national coaching program designed to teach children of primary and intermediate school age motor skills and ball skills. It’s fun, it’s safe, and it works.

The benefits of AFL Kiwikick

As well as having great fun with your mates while learning sport skills and playing games, registering for AFL Kiwikick also delivers great benefits.

For parents

Parents are the driving force behind AFL Kiwikick.  Every 'After School' centre will have AFLNZ qualified employees present for both coaching, co-ordination and to enlist the support of participation from parents. Eventually, the parents role of assisting and becoming Co-ordinators, Coaches, and volunteers is fundamental to the success of the program.

But it's not all giving. Parents have the opportunity to learn sporting skills and make new friends through their involvement in AFL Kiwikick.

Orientation courses will be available to all parents. The Co-ordinators will encourage all parents of registered AFL Kiwikick participants to take part in a free AFL Kiwikick orientation course. These courses are held at regular intervals through out the year and take approximately two hours.

Co-ordinators, Coaches and interested parents can also take Level 1 courses to gain a further understanding of AFL Kiwikick coaching principles.

Co-ordinators should ensure parental involvement in their child's AFL Kiwikick program. AFL Kiwikick is hopefully the start of or continuation of a lifetime involvement in the childrens sporting activities for parents.
 

Ten reasons parents become involved

1. Play with their children.
2. Contribute to a child's social development.
3. Learn new skills.
4. Share talent and knowledge.
5. Serve the community.
6. Have fun, relax and make friends.
7. Give something back to sport.
8. Feel valued, useful and appreciated.
9. Love of sport.
10. Help others.

It's for the kids

AFL Kiwikick allows children to play sport in a relaxed, environment where making friends, having fun with their parents, and improving their skills are given equal weight. It also provides excellent social value.
 

1. Being physically active.
2. Developing new skills and improving existing ones.
3. Being with friends and making new ones.
4. Being part of a team.
5. Learning from coaches.

Why is AFL Kiwikick so succesful?

The AFL New Zealand have invested heavily in creating the right introductory course to motor and ball skills for primary and intermediate school children throughout New Zealand.

The emphasis has always been on having fun while improving a child's sporting skills, co-ordination, health and fitness, and social skills.

Its backbone remains the parents and volunteers who, supported by an infrastructure that implements programs through out New Zealand, create their own sense of community.

The community leads the way. AFL Kiwikick employees provides support and oversees delivery. The philosophy gives the direction.

The only commitment volunteers must make is to the AFL Kiwikick philosophy and to their child's sporting development.

The easy answer to why AFL Kiwikick is so successful is because:

AFL Kiwikick Features

1. Fun.
2. Safe.
3. Coaching and benefits for children
4. Resources to support parental and volunteer involvement.
5. Appropriate skill development.
6. Appropriate match rules.
7. Equal opportunities.
8. Codes of conduct.
9. Community environment.
10. Links to the future sporting competition.

FOR COACHES

The AFL Kiwikick policy is targeted at children aged between 5-12 years. Participants split into four main groups according to age.

Youngsters (Ages 5 to 6) 

Junior members of the AFL Kiwikick group playing games using reduced numbers and being introduced to very basic warm-up and ball skills.

Early primary stage (Ages 7 to 8)  

Players build on the fundamentals with players beginning to learn how to bounce, kick, catch and pick up a ball.

Middle primary stage (Ages 9 to 10)
Children develop their ball handling skills and co-ordination quickly at this age. Good attitudes to sport can also become ingrained.

Late primary stage (Ages 11 to 12)

Refine skills of the game and maintain the enthusiasm for further participation in sport.

Volunteers run appropriate drills and warm-ups for each age-group.

The Head Coach will be responsible for organising drills appropriate using the AFL Kiwikick coaching manual.