News Flash
Downley Dynamos is an FA Charter Standard Club
We are also registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club CH12593
The U18s team is for players who from 1st September will be in the Year 12 at Secondary School school or above.
The squad is managed by Mark Godden, assisted by Cliff Kemp and Scott Marshall. If you are able to assist the coaches in any way, be it collecting money & registration forms, setting up or clearing away, please let them know ~ all offers of help are always very gratefully received!
Training for the U18s will start on Saturday 2nd September 2023 from 10:30am - 12:00pm at the California Field in Downley (see map and directions on the 'How to find us' page)
Please note: No cars are to be driven down to the California Field, please park in Mannings field or the Le De Spencer car park and walk. When parking in the new car park extension on Mannings Field, cars will need to be parked at a 45° angle to allow the maximum number of cars to be parked. There is a turning area at the far end. Please do not park on the road. Thanks for your cooperation.
Ethos
Downley Dynamos coach girls and boys of ALL footballing abilities. So if you've never played but you want to come and have a go you'll be made very welcome. Training in the early years is non-competitive and all football at the club up until 11 a side is of mixed gender. You will benefit from qualified instruction using the latest soccer methodologies. Regulated by The FA (The Football Association), all Downley Dynamos players learn individual skills and personal development as well as collective team development.
Football is about having fun and enjoying regular exercise. Helping players develop will also help to build self-confidence. We, as coaches, believe that everyone can benefit from playing the game and making new friends. So come along on Saturday mornings and join in the fun.
Training
Training is held every Saturday morning during term time, starting at 10:30am sharp at the California Field in Downley. We ask that players arrive early if possible to enable us to start on time and the session runs until 12:00pm. Please try to have the players with us on time as the warm-up is an important part of the session. Please also try to ensure they have a good night's sleep the night before and a decent meal at least 1 hour prior to training.
The training ethos is simple. We try to ensure that every player has as many touches of the ball as possible during the session. We try to play 2 or 3 'matches' during training and our aim is to make these small sided games so the players have more touches, try and make more tackles (although that is not important at this age) and hopefully score more goals. The rest of the session is made up of 2 or 3 drills in which the players will usually have a ball each. They are encouraged to try and use both feet for passing, running with the ball etc. whilst, most importantly, having FUN!
What to wear/bring
Players should wear suitable shirts, shorts, socks and boots on training days with warm clothing depending on weather conditions. Players are expected to provide their own training kit (Replica Kit usually) plus clean studded boots. The club recommends 'NO BLADES' due to the potential dangers associated with them so please bear this in mind. Players should bring their own "non-fizzy" refreshments. SHIN PADS are compulsory.
Important Note to Parents
Parents are encouraged to stay at each training session but may drop their children if direct notification to the coaches is agreed by both parties. Parents must have left emergency contact details and have arranged to collect children promptly when the session finishes. Having parents/guardians on site supporting the players during training encourages them to develop their skills and practice at home. The encouragement you have given to date is the envy of many other clubs.
Training during the school holidays
Training will take place 1st Saturday of either the half term or end of term holidays and will resume on the 1st Saturday after school has reopened.
New Players
If you are interested in joining the U18s please register your interest by sending an email to mark@downleydynamos.com and we will do our best to respond as quickly as possible. Please bear in mind that the club is run entirely by volunteers, and if we do not reply immediately please bear with us. Should there be a space available for your child you will be sent a link to our Online Registration Form and following completion you will be sent an invoice for your subscription via PayPal
Subs & Player Registration
Subs for the 2023-24 season are £150.00 which will be requested in two installments of £75.00, one at the start of the season and one in January. Subscriptions are managed via the Spond App and prior to the start of the season you will be sent a message via Spond to ask whether you wish to register. New players will be sent a link to our Online Registration Form which should be completed before the first training session in September. Following registration you will be send a payment request via Spond which we politely request is paid promptly.
Matchday subs are nown INCLUDED within the annual fees to help cover the cost of running matches, cutting grass, line painting etc. If you need to talk to the club about Subs, or anything other matter, please feel free to discuss with any of the coaches or club welfare officers in strict confidence.
Our Sponsors
The U18s Team is currently sponsored by Globalise Me, however there are plenty of sponsorship opportunities within our age group and we are always looking for local businesses to help support our young players. Please email mark@downleydynamos.com if you would like to support the team in any way.
