Registrations fees to rise.

No-one likes paying more money out but given the overall growth of football, the need to put structures into place which will benefit the whole game, and their associated costs, then maybe this rise is understandable if not welcomed.

Certainly if it gives the game financial stability, a Women's league,Youth League and further significant benefits to development of junior football, I'll support it.

FFA explanation of Registration fee increasese for 2008 is below.


Dear Football Supporter,
As you may be aware, Football Federation Australia (FFA) has determined that the national
registration fees for all players will be increased in 2008. This is the first increase in the fee since
2002 and, as a valued member of the football community, we wanted to let you know why the FFA
Board made this decision.
As a sport, we have taken many positive steps in recent years. There have been extensive
governance reforms to unite the game under one constitutional framework; the Socceroos and the
Matildas made their respective World Cups in 2006 and 2007; the Hyundai A-League has been
established, crowds are at all time records and we are attracting new fans to the game; we have been
admitted to the fastest growing football region in the world, the Asian Football Confederation; and we
have introduced new community and coach development programs, with a lot of hard work and
investment in the area of football development still to come.
We believe football in Australia can compete with other major sports in this country. However, to do
so we need to strive to match the investment the other codes make at all levels of the game to ensure
that football can compete with the other sports for participants, elite players, corporate sector support,
media attention, spectators and volunteers, as well as be competitive internationally.
Next week, FFA will be releasing the first ever National Football Development Plan for Australian
football. It's ambitious, but if we want football to match the other major sports, then we need to strive
to match the investment that those codes make at all levels of the game.
The National Football Development Plan will benefit all players at grassroots level, as well as give
talented young players the opportunity to achieve their dreams and become a Socceroo or a Matilda.
Every child who plays must be able to develop new skills, to improve their technical proficiency, and to
do so in a safe, positive and enjoyable environment; and for those young people who are talented, we
need to deliver high quality coaching that continuously builds skill levels and technique, and which
gives them the right competitive opportunities throughout their career. FFA will provide leadership,
consistency and additional resources through the National Football Development Plan to achieve
these outcomes.
The priority areas for investment include:
§ coach education for grassroots coaches so young players learn the right technique and build
skills in a fun and safe environment
§ an improved coaching pathway with progression to other coaching levels if desired
§ the recruitment, retention and education of referees
§ developing facilities to match the growing participation rate to ensure that as many people who
wish to play football can do so
§ consistent schools programs to give more young people an opportunity to play the game and
find a way to access club football
§ the introduction of small sided games across the country to make the game more enjoyable
for younger children, as well as to develop technical proficiency
§ supporting the network of parents and other volunteers who are the backbone of the sport
through volunteer development programs
§ providing a national online registration system for all football clubs in Australia which includes
the capability for self-registration and competition management, saving many hours of time for
club volunteers
§ supporting our talented player development pathway programs, including appointing
appropriate coaches, investing in our State and National Institute programs, introducing a
National Youth League program and creating a growth plan for women’s football
§ supporting our national teams including the Olyroos, the Young Matildas, the Young
Socceroos, the Under 17 women’s team, the Joeys, the men’s Paralympics team, our National
Futsal team and, of course, the Socceroos and Matildas. (To put this in some context our nine
national teams played some 90 games in the last 12 months.)
To sustain the growth of the game and to allow FFA to provide national leadership in the development
and implementation of the programs listed above, the national registration fees have been set as
follows:
- Junior Player $10.00 including GST
- Amateur Player $20.00 including GST
- Contracted Player $55.00 including GST
A
s has occurred since 1996, an amount of $1.10 per player is being returned to each Member
Federation for State-specific initiatives. Once this rebate and the impact of GST is taken into account,
the net amount to FFA is $8.09 per junior player.
FFA looks forward to an exciting growth period and to working constructively with the entire football
community to create a regular and open exchange of communication to implement our National
Football Development Plan and other key initiatives.
I hope this letter assists your members to understand that, by acting now to continue to grow and
develop the game, the ultimate beneficiary will be football and all those who enjoy playing and
watching it.
Thank you for your continuing contribution to the development and growth of football in Australia.
Frank Lowy AC Ben Buckley
Chairman Chief Executive Officer
Football Federation Australia Football Federation Australia