Little Liga

Little Liga Team - 2007/8

Little Liga is a new and exciting seven-a-side football initiative that has been running in Inverness for the past six months and has proved to be a major hit with participants, coaching staff and parents alike. The project is a seven-a-side football programme giving young footballers the chance to play for a European themed team coached by SFA Licensed and Certified staff. Over 60 primary 3/4 pupils attend the first session every Sunday morning at the Bught Park Astroturf pitch in Inverness, with another 60 primary 5/6 pupils participating in the second session. Each team has been allocated a coach who puts their team through a warm up and then organises and gives the players coaching points during every match each week.

The main emphasis is on the development of young footballers in a fun and friendly environment with the European team names giving each session additional excitement. Team such as Ajax, Real Madrid and Chelsea all participate in the Little Liga with our top coaching staff providing coaching tips for all players throughout the Little Liga season.

Little Dribblers

Pupils at Park Primary in Invergordon show off their certificates

Since the launch of the Little Dribblers Project in February 2005 Ross County Football Club has given over 600 pre-school children the opportunity to participate in football and more importantly physical activity.

The SFA/Ross County Community Programme caters for primary schools, high schools and further education establishments throughout the Highlands and Islands, but the key benefit of this project is that it helps us to deliver to an age group that very rarely receives organised sporting/physical activity. Participating nurseries receive four coaching sessions, one per week over a consecutive four-week period.

This project aims to act as an early intervention tool to encourage children to become physically active from a young age. The project promotes co-ordination, teamwork, communication and a variety of social skills encountered whilst participating in football and non-football related activities. Furthermore, the children’s motor skills and cognitive skills are developed through the carefully planned programme.

SFA McDonalds Primary School Football Programme

The Scottish Football Association and Community partner McDonalds have launched an exciting and new 4 year Primary Schools Football Programme which will provide schools in the Highlands and Moray with increased physical activity opportunities. RCFC Community Department is currently delivering the project to primary schools in Skye, Inverness and Moray with the aim of creating a new boys and a new girl’s team within all participating schools.

The programme has been designed to fit strategically with current education practice and will offer schools a number of key advantages as follows:

• Additional links to new support agencies
• Strategic fit with Health Promoting Schools scheme
• Additional support via Active Schools programme
• Innovative and exciting curriculum
• Achievement towards recommendations for physical activity hours

The SFA McDonalds programme presents a great opportunity to make a positive difference to young people in Scotland.

Soccer Centres

Girls Get Kicking in Dingwall

Our soccer centre programme runs throughout the school year in Inverness-shire, Ross-shire, Moray, Lochaber and the Isle of Skye. The courses, aimed at both boys and girls, provide the participants with the chance to be coached by SFA qualified and certified coaches in a fun and safe environment. Every child will experience an action packed training programme for fun and development with first aid presence. All courses are open to young footballers of any ability that have a passion for football.

Popular soccer centres such as SFA Mini Kickers and Girls Get Kicking are all included, with some of our centres taking the format of 5-a-side soccer centres.