MiniRoos Under 5/6

The Belwest Soccer Club welcomes all MiniRoos Under 5/6 players (previously known as Peewees), families and supporters to the football season. To the families returning, and to all new families to Belwest or to football, we welcome you and hope you enjoy the season.

MiniRoos Under 5/6 football is designed as an introduction to football. It offers players a safe and enjoyable environment where the emphasis is on maximum participation for all players, with fun as the main focus.

Team Allocation

Players are allocated to teams primarily based on friendship requests where possible, followed by school attended. Team sizes for the Under 5/6 age group are generally kept to around six players to ensure maximum participation and enjoyment.

Each team is run by a parent coach. No prior coaching experience is required; enthusiasm is all that is needed. Coaches are encouraged to be on the field to help guide the children, keep the game moving and create a fun and positive environment.

A short skills session will run before games and will be coordinated by the Peewee Coordinator. These sessions focus on basic football skills and confidence-building through fun activities. To run successfully each week, the skills session relies on parent helpers. If you can assist, even occasionally, please let the Peewee Coordinator, Coaching Director/Technical Director or one of the committee know.

For any questions or requests regarding team allocations, contact our Registrar via rego@belwestsoccer.com. While we do our best to accommodate change requests, this may not always be possible due to team numbers, team balance and other player considerations.

Location, Dates and Times

U5/6 commences at 10:00 am with a training/skills session followed by a game from approximately 10:30 am in 2 x 15 minute halves with a 5 minute half-time break.

We recommend arriving 15 minutes early so children have time to settle and be ready to play.

All games must commence on time as our Saturday schedule is tight and other age groups play after.

U5/6 draws will be placed on the whiteboard near Field 3 at Latham each Saturday.

Equipment

Players should dress appropriately for the weather. They may wear tracksuit pants and long sleeve tops under the playing shirt if desired. Our club colours are white shorts and red socks, which can be purchased from the merchandise shop on any day that soccer events are on.

Shin pads are compulsory for all games and can be purchased from the merchandise store at Latham.

Players should also wear adequate footwear. If you purchase football boots, boots with multiple moulded studs are recommended as they provide good stability. Otherwise, a sturdy pair of runners with good grip is required. Belwest runs a second-hand boot pool from the merchandise store.

Please also bring a water bottle.

Playing Shirts

Each team will be provided with a set of shirts, generally six per set, and a size three football. Teams hold onto these for the season and return them on presentation day. Shirts should remain together each week, with parents taking turns to wash them all.

Field Setup

Under 5 and Under 6 Field Setup and Take Down PDF

Fields should be set up each week by the time you arrive. If they are not, please see one of the committee members, who can show you where the equipment is.

At the conclusion of the game, please collect the goals and cones and return them to the shipping container behind the canteen.

Game Rules

MiniRoos rules are kept to a minimum to provide a free-flowing game for players to enjoy. Coaches, managers and referees are encouraged to use discretion when applying these rules:

• Up to 5 players per team. If there are extra players, everyone plays. There are no substitutes and teams do not need equal numbers.
• If a team is short, players can swap teams during the game.
• Players may rotate on and off at any time.
• There are no goalkeepers. Encourage players to move towards the ball, not stand in front of the goals.
• When the ball goes out, play restarts with a kick-in or dribble. Other players step back 4-5 metres.
• After a goal, play restarts from halfway. Scores are not recorded.

Referees and Game Leaders

Belwest operates its own referee program, and for U5/6 matches, junior referees or Game Leaders in training are sometimes assigned to games.

The purpose of Game Leaders is twofold. It gives Game Leaders invaluable experience in running games in a non-competitive environment, and it gives players experience in playing games with a Game Leader and listening to their direction.

Game Leaders run the game, signalling goals, goal kicks, kick-ins and similar restarts. They are instructed to let the game flow, so they will use their discretion and will not strictly enforce every rule to the letter.

Game Leaders will not be available for all games. If no Game Leader arrives, please commence the game on time at 10:30 am, with the two coaches or parents undertaking Game Leader duties.

As this is often the first time children have played football in an organised environment, they can take a few weeks to adjust. Belwest's experience in running MiniRoos for over 20 years is that it can take 3-4 weeks for players to settle. If a player is uncertain or not joining in at the beginning, try to persevere for a few weeks. If it does not work and they do not want to continue, please let the Registrar know so team numbers can be tracked.

We hope you enjoy the MiniRoos Under 5/6 season.