Benefits of IFA to the Football Family

(a) By creating a well-regulated marketplace, IFA will ensure that youth players are receiving the best player-centric development experience possible to reach a level of skill that fulfils their potential and enhances their enjoyment of the game in a safe, inclusive and well-structured environment. To ensure this, IFA requires that its members register and thereafter conform to the published standards.

(b) By working within the official architecture of the game, IFA can ensure those who wish to transition into elite-level football receive support to do so on their terms and within the flexibility of the providers’ sessions. This is so they:

(i) Enhance and extend their development.

(ii) Are not lost to the game due to conflicting scheduling say between school or other activity commitments.

(iii) Train on their terms and in accordance with their schedules.

(iv) Experience a level of coaching which may not be available to them at club level due to lack of resourcing at the clubs.

(v) Do not get left behind at an early age, falling into the development gap that emerges early on between grassroots and talent pathways. In particular, the phenomenon of the “end-of-year” child or late developer is well-documented in terms of missing out or being lost to the game. This can be addressed as part of a national plan, and independent coaching providers can be patient supporters of these and other players: enhancing their development and enjoyment of the game, enlarging the talent pool in Australia, and feeding them back into the formal talent pathways.

(a) By intending to work with organisations such as Football Coaches Australia, IFA will ensure that independent football providers support coaches’ personal and professional development.

(b) By setting clear and consistent standards, IFA will ensure quality and consistency in the independent football coaching environment of viable career pathways for coaches in line with the broader aims of growing coaching talent in the game; and help to establish football coaching as a recognised profession more broadly.

By creating best practice principles, IFA will educate parents and ensure they have access to accurate and objective information and guidance with regard to the factors they should consider when choosing independent coaching providers and competitions.

(a) IFA intends to create a national system of registration, monitoring and compliance in line with FA guidelines and regulations, and as part of the official structure of football in Australia, IFA will oversee and regulate delivery standards; and provide additional visibility of player talent and development.

(b) By collaborating with and being part of the national architecture, IFA will be contributing to the “One Football” vision of FA.

(c) By collaborating with other stakeholders including clubs, coaches and other representative bodies IFA will seek to align different mindsets between the traditional pathways and those offered by independent coaching providers.

(a) By delivering business support to Members, so the Members comply with the published standards.

(b) By intending to work with organisations such as Football Coaches Australia to provide independent counsel and review of programs and standards, IFA can provide independent coaching providers with pointers to improvement.

(c) By providing a voice for independent coaching providers and competitions, IFA can ensure representation in the official architecture of the game.

(d) By legitimising and publicly endorsing the benefits of IFA members, IFA will help ensure a vibrant, competitive and well-run environment.