Welcome to Loughgall Youth Football Club
The mission of our club is to provide the opportunity for all children, boys and girls, between the ages of 5 and 18 to play and enjoy the game of football. In doing this we aim to promote the health and well being of the children involved, whilst also ensuring they have the opportunity become the best they possibly can both in sport and in life.
The club currently has a total of 14 youth teams (ten 11-a-side teams and four 7-a-side development teams), all of whom represent the Club in various leagues and tournament across the country and occasionally even in England and Scotland. Last season seen 6 of our teams participating in the Lisburn Junior Invitational Football League, which is one of the most highly rated Youth League in Northern Ireland. In addition to these 6 teams, we have teams participating in the IFA Youth League (Section B) and the Mid-Ulster Youth League. However, over the forthcoming season’s we hope to introduce additional teams into the various leagues, therefore providing more opportunity for more children to participate each week.
The success of the club can illustrated by the previous young players who have now progressed to playing at the highest level in Northern Ireland, Ireland England and Scotland. Three of our most successfully players to date include, Ryan McGivern who is now on loan to Leicester City from Manchester City and has had numerous Northern Ireland International caps, Scott McCullough who has recently signed for Manchester United and Sammy Stewart who is playing with Scottish side Aberdeen.
Introduction to the Youth Development Centre
The Loughgall Youth Development Centre is one of a few licensed CIS Mini Soccer Centres aimed at boys and girls aged between 5 and 9, which for this upcoming season are children born between the years 2001 to 2005 (inclusive).
Our Youth Development Centre has now been running for the past 4 years and has grown rapidly over this period, continuously increasing numbers and introducing new ideas and activities. One of our most recent ventures (which we hope to repeat), was the weekend trip to Ayr, Scotland in 2009, to play in a highly rated soccer tournament, which was an amazing experience for all the players, coaches and parents involved. However, we now enter this, another season, with some new faces both on the pitch and in the coaching team, but still we aim to make this the best and most enjoyable season so far.
Our coaching philosophy
The coaching staff and officials of Loughgall FC understand that children participate in football to have fun. If children don’t have fun playing football, they’ll soon pack it in.
We never forget that the game of football is just that – a game. It’s not about how many wins and losses are accumulated. And, it is surely not about how many trophies are collected. It’s not about how many goals we score or concede. It’s all about enjoying the game and, at the same time, learning and developing football and life skills.
Proper football development requires that children play appropriate activities so they are able to experience, comprehend, and execute the game as it relates to where they are at their own stage of physical and mental development.
It is about playing in different positions so the player learns all the skills necessary to develop in the game.
It’s about learning the techniques of the game through a variety of fun games where players have as much contact with a ball as possible and learn at their own rates.