Youth Teams

Male and Female teams for each age group are formed for:

• Division 1 through the Club’s annual grading process
• All other divisions through social and friendship groups.

All players are expected to wear the club’s full kit (shirt, shorts, and socks). Players bring their own football boots and shin pads.

Non-graded teams attend one training session per week and can choose to attend optional development sessions. Training takes place at one of BDFC’s grounds – Birchgrove, Easton, Glover St, or Cohen Park – on a weekday afternoon/evening. All teams are led by parent or volunteer coaches and managers.

Graded teams attend two team development training sessions (led by DP coach) per week at Waterfront Oval.

Training allocations are usually finalised in early March and the day/time depends on the team and age group.

Volunteer coaches drawn from our parent and player community provide coaching for our youth teams. Parents are encouraged to participate as coaches or assistant coaches and will be provided with all the resources required to support their team, including opportunities to complete relevant coaching certificates.

Each team has at least one volunteer manager drawn from the parents and carers of the team players. For these age groups, the manager’s role is to:

• Communicate games and training sessions times and locations
• Manage player cards and game record sheets
• Pay referee match fees
• Assist the team coach in managing game day activities
• Coordinate the team to complete the teams ground official duties

Volunteer Managers are fully briefed and supported by the Club.

Each Balmain home team MUST provide one volunteer for EVERY home game they play, regardless of the ground they play on. Your team must provide a Ground Official (GO) for your own game. If you are the home team on another club’s field, you must in that instance also provide a GO for your game.

Please go here for more detail on Ground Officials and their responsibilities.