NSW HP Program: It's free

Football NSW Launches ‘Project 22’

Free to all selected players, this highly professional development setup allows players to train up to five (5) times a week – for 40 weeks of the year – with highly experienced and qualified instructors.

Now it's time for Canberra to follow, not neccessarily in the same form, but develop we must....release below.


Football NSW is proud to launch ‘Project 22’, the implementation of an elite player development system aimed at producing future Socceroos and Matildas who will potentially compete at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

A Football NSW initiative, Project 22 seeks to identify the best players in the 9-14 age group across NSW, aiming to lay down the foundations required to give the best youth footballers in the state the highest chance possible to succeed at the elite level as adult footballers.

Based on the National Curriculum launched by Football Federation Australia (FFA), Project 22 is centred on Football NSW being able to exceed world best practice in providing an elite competition and training environment for our future National Team players.

Free to all selected players, this highly professional development setup allows players to train up to five (5) times a week – for 40 weeks of the year – with highly experienced and qualified instructors.

Football NSW High Performance Manager Paul Bentvelzen sees this as a fantastic opportunity for players to receive top-class coaching as well as compete in elite competitions.

“Finally we can combine a quality training environment with our own elite competition in which the ultimate goal is for player development and not the win at all cost mentality.”

The Sydney metropolitan area will be divided into six regions for boys and a single central region for girls which will provide players with a training environment specific to their geographical region facilitating an easy option for parents to access player development.

Project 22 will not only act as the official state team player pathway but will also account for country development, with the Riverina, Western and Southern Regions set to administer a centre of excellence in which state team players will train one (1) night per week.

Football NSW CEO Michael Quarmby is elated with the program, as it provides talented players with an exciting opportunity to work in a professional environment with Football NSW and the FFA.
“This is one of our major initiatives that we have been planning for some time.

“To be able to provide free coaching on a full-time basis is something that we have been striving for.

“The Board of Football NSW and I are very proud that we can take the next step in developing our elite NSW based boys and girls and look forward to seeing some of their names on the Australian team sheets in the future.

“I want to congratulate the FFA on providing a clear national vision through the football development plan and the new national curriculum.

“The united pathway and partnership with key footballing institutions; such as the Johnny Warren Football Foundation, the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and the Australian institute of Sport (AIS), make towards fostering our next generation of players.

“It's an exciting time for an up and coming football player.”

Bentvelzen sees Project 22 as a significant stepping stone in improving the standards of coaching at the junior level to rival those seen across Europe and South America.

“For the first time in Australian Football history, we finally have a long term vision for the success of our sport on the world stage.

“The national body have employed highly educated and experienced technical staff who in turn has developed a comprehensive National Curriculum.

“Football NSW in conjunction with the FFA have created the environment and structure through Project 22 in which this curriculum can be brought to life, I can’t wait to see the rapid improvement that our best players will make when placed in a truly world class program.”

Open trials will be held for boys and girls at Valentine Sports Park, Glenwood.

· U9, U10, U11, U12 (DOB 2001-1998) [boys] 19th & 20th of October, 2009
· U13, U14 (DOB 1997-1996) [boys] 26th & 27th of October, 2009
· U13, U14, U15 (DOB 1997-1995) [girls] 26th & 27th of October, 2009
Interested players can register at www.footballnsw.com.au/project22 or call (02) 8814 4436.