The Northern Tigers Development Squads Program is a 1 day a week, advanced player development program that runs from Jan/Feb to mid September and is designed to provide talented young footballers with additional training, coaching and game understanding while they continue to represent and develop with their existing association clubs.
The program brings together a select group of 12 players from association clubs to train as a team, experience a high-quality development environment and learn how to apply their individual skills within the game.
The Development Squads are not designed to replace a player's current club.
Instead, Northern Tigers works in conjunction with each player's association club to provide an additional development opportunity that complements their existing training and playing environment.
The Northern Tigers Development Squads are built around one key principle:
Teach players how to play the game, not just how to train.
Players will work through a structured development curriculum that focuses on transferring technical ability into effective game performance.
Technical Development
Players will continue to develop the core technical skills required to perform consistently in games, including:
- First touch and ball mastery
- Passing and receiving
- Turning and protecting the ball
- Dribbling and running with the ball
- Finishing
- 1v1 attacking and defending
- Receiving under pressure
Technical activities will increasingly be performed within realistic game situations.
Game Understanding
A major focus of the program is helping players understand why, when and where to use their technical skills.
Players will be introduced to concepts including:
- Creating and exploiting space
- Supporting the player in possession
- Playing forward
- Creating passing options
- Recognising pressure
- Combining with teammates
- Attacking and defending as a team
- Transitioning between attack and defence
- Understanding positional responsibilities
Players will be encouraged to observe, recognise, decide and execute.
Development Squad players will train together as a group rather than simply completing individual technical sessions.
This allows players to develop their ability to:
Understand → Recognise → Decide → Execute
Training will progressively introduce more complex game situations, allowing players to understand how individual actions contribute to team performance.
Small-sided games, opposed practices and game-based activities will form a significant part of the program.
The objective is to develop players who can solve problems on the football field rather than simply follow instructions.
Football development cannot happen without playing football.
Throughout the program, Development Squads will have opportunities to apply what they learn through:
- Small-sided games
- Internal games
- Tournaments (Tigers Cup)
- Games against other development programs where appropriate
These experiences allow players to test their understanding in a competitive but supportive environment.
Development Squad selection will be undertaken by Northern Tigers coaches and technical staff through trials in October/November
Squads will run for the following age groups
Mixed U7, U8, U9, U10, U11, U12 & U13
Girls U8 & U9
The Northern Tigers Development Pathway
The Development Squads form part of Northern Tigers' broader commitment to providing football opportunities for talented players throughout the NSFA region.
The program can provide a development bridge for players who may aspire to progress into higher-level football while continuing to enjoy their football with their local club.
For some players, the Development Squad may be an important step toward future representative football.
For others, it will simply provide an additional challenge and a high-quality environment in which to develop.
There is no guarantee or promise of future selection into Northern Tigers representative programs.
Selection at each stage is based on the player's development, performance and potential at that time.
The Northern Tigers Development Squads are designed for players who are ready for an additional challenge and want to develop their football in a positive, demanding and enjoyable environment.
If you are interested in understanding more about the program, selection process or how the Development Squads can complement a player's existing football pathway, please complete an EOI in the first instance
Squad Size:
12 selected players
Program:
Additional player development program
Training:
Players train together as a Development Squad
Focus:
Technical development, game understanding, decision-making and playing as a team
Games:
Development games and game-based experiences throughout the program
Player's Existing Club:
Players remain with and continue to represent their association club
Selection:
By Northern Tigers Technical Staff through talent identification and club/player observations
Philosophy:
Individual development within a team environment
NORTHERN TIGERS COMMITMENT TO YOU
– Appoint accredited development coaches
– Develop an annual Development Squad training plan
– Provide quality training facilities and resources
– Monitor coach performance
– Provide a dedicated administrator and online management system
– Provide player feedback
– Create development squads with similar ability/stage of development
– Provide select opportunities for training experiences with the Northern Tigers Squads
– Provide opportunities for Development Squads to play at the annual Tigers Cup tournament (applicable age groups)
– Safe and enjoyable development environment
– Challenge the players
– Follow the Development Squad training plan
– Identify high-performing players to train with the Northern Tigers FC squads
– Attend all training sessions
– Arrive to training on time and prepared
– Wear the Northern Tigers FC Development Squad training kit
– 100% mental and physical effort
– Respect the game, coaches, players