First Kicks & fun football

Ages 4 to 9

Mens first team captain Tom Schwarz taking the half time team talk for one of our girls-only Centennial Park First Kicks teams in 2025.

FUN-DAMENTALS!

  FIRST KICKS & FUN FOOTBALL

at centennial park

Ages 4 - 9 YEARS

Our Centennial Park "in-house" competition takes place each Saturday through the winter season beginning early May, and includes players who turn ages 4-9 in 2026. Each week, teams take part in station rotations - or warm-up drills - before moving into small sided games against other CTFC teams in their grade. These warm up drills and small sided games are overseen by our wonderful volunteer Game Day Leaders and supported by CTFC staff and volunteers.


Our Centennial Park competition aligns with New Zealand Football’s Whole of Football 2.0 framework and therefore our First Kicks and Fun Football programmes are based on the FUNdamental Development Phase (for ages 4-9). This brand new framework is a nationally recognised approach and has been designed to support young players at the earliest stages of their football journey by focusing on fun, participation, and age-appropriate development.


It uses simple activities and small-sided games to help players build confidence, fundamental skills, and a love for the game in a safe and inclusive environment. Using these frameworks allows us to create an inclusive, fun, and structured environment where young players develop a love for football while building key skills at every stage.


Each week, we provide our volunteer Game Day Leaders with information, resources and details on the warm-drills that will take place the upcoming Saturday .


CENTENNIAL PARK 2026 - INFORMATION AVALIABLE FROM FEB 2026
FUN-DAMENTALS!

First Kicks & Fun Football

Ages 4 - 9 YEARS

The FUN-damental Development Phase of NZFootballs Whole of Football 2.0 Player Development programme prioritises allowing children to discover the game at their own speed, by learning through fun activities and games. This programme allows young players to build a strong foundation of physical movement and basic technical footballing ability, and subseuently build and develop those skills in a structured and engaging environment. 


FUN-damental Development Phase

This initial player development phase creates a strong foundation of movement and basical technical skills:

  • Creates a positive, supportive environment where players are encouraged to experiment, make mistakes, and develop skills through play
  • Establishes strong foundations in basic motor skills and technical movement, with plenty of one-ball-per-player activities
  • Delivers a wide variety of short, fun, and engaging activities to keep players motivated and actively involved
  • Builds self-esteem and confidence within an enthusiastic, inclusive, and encouraging environment


For more information including the Development Pathway and further information on the rationale behind the Whole of Football 2.0 changes, please view NZFootballs resources available on their website here.

FIRST KICKS FORMAT (AGES 4-7) FUN FOOTBALL FORMAT (AGES 8-9)

CENTENNIAL PARK Season Information

Join us for an exciting season of football at Cashmere Technical FC, where we focus on player development, team spirit, and love for the game!


Competition: CTFC's Centennial Park Junior competition

Location: Centennial Park

Grades: First Kicks (ages 4-7) & Fun Football (ages 8-9)

Competition Length: 16 weeks

Season Dates: Saturday 10th May

Season End: Saturday 29th August

Alternate Season End: If a weekend is called off due to weather/ground conditions, we will extend the competition to finish on Saturday 5th September

No Football Weekends: Saturday 11th July (Matariki weekend). We will play Kings Birthday weekend to align with Mainland Footballs competition schedules.

Teams: All of our teams are mixed (boys & girls) unless otherwise specified as Girls-Only.*

Training:  Typically, First Kicks and Fun Football teams do not have a training session during the week

Programmes:  However, for those players already seriously committed to football, we offer grade-specific Skill Centre and Fantails training sessions that take place weekly through each term.

FUN-Damentals Coaching Course: This free coaching course is recommended for anyone interested in being a teams Game Day Leader this season. Details TBC

Team Annoucements: We will email you your players team for the season between April 20th and May 4th

Interested in being a Volunteer Game Day Leader or Team Manager in the 2026?  Or maybe you're hoping to keep your 2025 team together in 2026?

Please complete our Club Volunteer form here to indicate your interest.


*CTFC is committed to giving female players the choice of the environment where they feel most comfortable, supporting increased participation in sport and nurturing future star players. We offer a U9 Girls-Only team for players turning 8 or 9 in 2026, competing in our 8th Grade competition, providing a supportive space to build confidence and develop football skills. If we receive enough registerations indicating interest in a Girls-Only team(s) in grades 4-7, we will do our best to make this happen!


Read more about our Women & Girls community here.

  • NEW TO CTFC?

    Welcome to the CTFC family! With over 1800 players each season and 2500+ members, you are now part of one of the biggest teams in Christchurch.


    Please view further information on registering for the 2026 season here. This page provides information on registration deadlines, when you will receive your players team and season information, and a handy Player Grade Guide to ensure you register your player for the correct grade this season. 

  • PLAYING GEAR

    Playing tops:  CTFC provides a playing shirt for each player - Game Day Leaders will collect the teams gear bag on the first day of the season and distribute them. We have various sizes avaible on-site in case of sizing swaps. Playing tops are to be returned (clean please!) to Game Day Leaders after the final weekend of the season. 


    Shorts & socks: Players need to buy blue shorts and socks at Anderson and Hill at Barrington Mall - let them know you're with Cashmere Technical and the friendly staff will get you sorted. 


    Boots:  Players are required to wear studded (plastic - no metal please) football boots whilst warming up and playing. As the season progresses, the ground can become slick and muddy. Studded boots allow for better grip whilst running and changing direction. 

    Funding is available for both registration fees and playing gear - please email accounts@ctfc.co.nz for more information, and refer to our Financial Support information found here.


    Registration for all grades is now open. Registration remains open until that grade reaches maximum capacity - we highly recommend registering as early as possible to avoid missing out! Our First Kicks and Fun Football grades generally fill the quickest each season. You can find more information on registering for the 2026 winter season here.

  • Game day leaders & team managers

    No football knowledge or prior experience is required to be a Game Day Leader! We provide all materials, resources, drills, and weekly guidance - you’ll simply help oversee warm-up station rotations and a small-sided game. Staff and experienced volunteers are on site each week to support new Game Day Leaders and provide assistance as needed.


    If you’re interested in coaching or managing your team, you can express your interest via this form.


    Support and training for coaches and team managers includes:

    • An introductory coaching course led by our Director of Football during the first week of the competition
    • Support from our women’s and men’s first team players during the first two weeks of the season to help Game Day Leaders settle into the role
    • A weekly email with session plans, drills, and all required resources
    • Volunteers and staff on site each week to provide guidance and support
    • Free coaching courses for Game Day Leaders in our First Kicks and Mini Football cohorts (see our Coaches page for upcoming courses)

  • competition Cancellations

    If, due to poor weather or unsafe ground conditions, we are forced to cancel our Centennial Park competition, we will email all registered players’ contacts by 8am on the day of the competition to inform them.


    We will also post an update on our Facebook page, which can be found here.


    Why do we sometimes wait until 8am on the morning of the competition? Because we want it to go ahead! A staff member assesses the ground conditions on the morning of the competition (unless it has been cancelled earlier) in the hope that play can proceed.


    We will only cancel if:

    • There is a risk of long-term damage to the pitches, which could impact future competition dates
    • The ground is unsafe or unplayable
    • Weather conditions are unsafe during the competition

  • Have a question or query?

    If you have any further questions about the Cashmere Technical competition, please contact drop us an email on enquiries@ctfc.co.nz.

  • Whole of football 2.0

    CTFC utilises New Zealand Footballs 


    Whole of Football 2.0 overview

    Whole of Football 2.0 framework

    Whole of Football 2.0 game format for First Kicks (4-7)

    Whole of Football 2.0 game format for Fun Football (8-9)