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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q) Can anyone join Milnrow Juniors ?

 

A) Yes, Milnrow Juniors is open to boys and girls of all abilities aged from 6-16 years old. We also welcome children

(4-6 yr olds) into First Kicks, which leads into our club teams.

Q) Why Milnrow Juniors ?

A) Milnrow Juniors FC exists to provide opportunities for young people of Milnrow and the surrounding communities to play football in a safe, fun and positive learning environment. We want our style of football and sense of community within the club to attract young players of all abilities and help build a reputation for excellence in young player development.

We will measure our success by our positive retention rates, low drop outs and the development and progression of all players. This vision will guide everything we do.

 

Our philosophy is based on the belief that children will learn best in an environment which is challenging, progressive, fun and exciting. We offer every child, regardless of ability, a solid platform that enables them to grow in ability,

self-confidence and self-esteem.


We aim to develop an understanding of each child’s normal behaviour, characteristics and developmental stages. This personal approach enables us to gain an understanding of how we can best provide for each child’s needs. Our coaches offer an appropriate amount of direction whilst encouraging the children to problem solve themselves. The results are a
joy to see.....More game appropriate interaction with team mates and opponents, faster learning of skills, more game related decision making and more realistic challenges that young players so enjoy.

Q) What does a typical session involve ?

A)  The content of our training sessions feature two main components – Individual skill development and theme based
SSG’s (small sided games). Skill is encouraged, developed and celebrated. This enables children to become confident and enthusiastic about the game.

 

These individual skills are then applied in a team environment through the playing of lots of SSG’s, which offer more
player participation, more touches of the ball, more passes attempted, more 1v1's attempted, more goals scored &
more goalkeeper participation.


All small sided age groups (U5-U12s) are considered as one unit and not as individual squads. We will ensure age
groups do not become fragmented – the group only separating for league matches. U13s-U16s are classed as individual squads.

 

Our aim is to build capacity for the future by retaining sufficient squad sizes and players for junior and in years to come, senior football.

Q) What are your training times?

A) Please contact us for the latest information on session timings as we have had to make some adjustments due to Covid-19 protocols.

Q) Where do you train?

A) Kingsway Sports Centre, Rochdale, OL16 4XA.

Having Kingsway Sports Centre , Rochdale as our home is without doubt a huge advantage for our club. Whilst other clubs/teams stop we don't. The perfect artificial & natural grass playing surfaces our teams enjoy will also be hugely beneficial to their development over the coming years.

Q) Will my child be looked after?

A) Your child's well-being is our sole priority -  At the heart of our ethos lies our emphasis on football for all in a fun and safe environment. We believe grassroots football has the power to build better futures for our children.

 

Football can be an excellent teacher: self-discipline, teamwork, physical well-being and leadership are all examples of possible benefits. However, these will remain elusive to many if the Club does not actively embrace diversity and inclusion in the way it is run.

 

In practice, this means that we encourage children to join us, regardless of their age, gender, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, ability or disability - & we take very good care of them. 

 

To quote a famous ex-American President: “All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should be given
equal opportunity to develop our talent.”

Q) How do I sign up ?

A) Visit our contact page & drop us a message or give us a call. Your child will be invited to a free, no obligation training session. We are certain they will enjoy & if you would like them to continue with us, one of our team will discuss the options available with you.

Q) What is the cost?

  • £20/month (Training only. One session/week)

  • £25/month* (One training session/week & Saturday or Sunday team games throughout the season)

  • £32.50/month* (One/Two training session(s)/week, plus Saturday & Sunday team games throughout the season)

* A one off annual registration fee of £20 applies to registered team players

Q) When / what leagues do you play in?

A) We offer Saturday & Sunday playing opportunities. Currently our teams are members of North Bury Junior Football League (NBJFL), Manchester Youth Super League (MYSL), Heywood Sports Village Mini Soccer League (HSVMSL), Bolton & Bury District Football League (BBDFL) & East Lancashire Football Alliance (ELFA).

Q) If my child shows a high level of ability, could they be recommended to professional football clubs?

A) This is not something that we wish to or try to use as a "selling point" to parents. However, the facts are these:

 

We are proud to be officially partnered with our local professional football club Rochdale AFC.

 

After months of discussions & getting to know one another we were delighted to sign an agreement to become Rochdale AFC's official grassroots club partner in September 2018. We are very proud of this real & meaningful partnership - The first of it's kind in grassroots football.

 

Rochdale AFC are officially in the top 3 clubs in the country for bringing through talent from their academy to first team level. We believe this partnership provides an outstanding pathway for local children to progress in the game.

We also have associations with Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton, Liverpool & Bolton Youth Academies.

For the children showing most potential there is a pathway in place to enter Development Centres within all these clubs.

Q) What happens if it is bad weather?

A) Football is played in all conditions so we train and play whatever the weather unless it becomes unsafe to do so. Shelter is available at our venue.

Q) Can I buy extra kit / training gear ?

A) Yes. Please see our online club shop

 

Please also feel free to make requests if the shop doesn't yet contain what you are looking for.

Q) What are the potential pathways for Milnrow Juniors players / young coaches when they leave school ?

A) There are a number of pathways that our players can take. As well as having the opportunity of trials and contracts at professional football clubs, when you are 16 years old you can take your first steps on the coaching ladder with the FA Level 1 coaching badge. You can go and do scholarships (playing football and studying at the same time) in different countries. You can also coach at football camps across the world. There are lots of jobs and careers in football including coaches, managers, mentors, therapists, physiotherapists, performance analysts, Intermediaries and media based jobs. Some of our players who become coaches for us will have the opportunity to coach at the club long term so there is an obvious pathway for them. Milnrow Juniors cares about every single player in our club and we will help, support and guide them in any way we can, now and in the future.

Q) Do you have any more information for parents ?

A) Yes. Please click here for our comprehensive Parent's Guide

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