Introduction to Football at King's College
Since its introduction at the College in 1989, football has grown significantly in terms of both the number of students playing as well as the success achieved at all levels each year. In 2010, with over 180 players registered, the College is able to field 11 sides from Year 9 through to Year 13, including a First XI girls team.
King's is fortunate to enjoy the services of a number of experienced as-well-as qualified coaches. Ro Bairstow has coached the top Year 9 side, 13A, for a number of years very successfully. The 14A coach in 2010 is Dan Dyer, who recently gained his National Coaching License and is responsible for identifying up-and-coming players for the Reserve and First XI squads.
Geoff Smith and Mike Stewart are the coaches of the King's College First XI football squad in 2010. Both have a considerable amount of coaching expertise acquiring national coaching qualifications as well as coaching Auckland representative sides. Between them they have coached the First team at King's for 15 of the last 16 years and achieved unprecedented success.
Recent History
In 2003, Geoff and Mike managed to get the King's First XI into the Auckland Premier grade for the first time, where they have remained ever since. From 2004 through to 2007 the team finished in the top four of the Auckland Premier competition for four years consecutively. In 2003, King's defeated Auckland Grammar School for the first time and recorded the highest ever finish in the Premier Grade, coming third. In 2006, the team finished 8th at the Lotto Premier League, a feat that has never been repeated. The aim in 2010 is for the First XI squad to better all of these achievements.
A number of players from the King's First XI have gone on to represent both Auckland as well as national teams in recent years. These include John Niyonsaba, Adam McGeorge and Tom Spragg (Selwyn, Year 13). John Niyonsaba is the most capped King's player ever and is now currently in the USA at Fordham University in New York. He is the first and only football player, so far from King's, to gain a full football scholarship to a top university and is currently playing for the Premier side at Fordham and studying for a Finance Degree. Tom Spragg is the captain of the First XI in 2010 and represented the New Zealand Under-17 side in the World Cup in Nigeria last year.
Pathway for Students Playing Football at King's
Since 1998 there has been a very clear pathway for students playing football at King's College. In that year, Mike Stewart and Ricki Herbert established a Development Squad for emerging players from Year 9 to Year 11. In 2004 this became the Reserve Squad for the First XI.
At Year 9, the aim is for the King's 13A side to gain qualification for the top competition grade and to achieve as high a placing as possible. Likewise in Year 10, the top players in the College play in the 14A side with the aim of gaining a place in the Premier league and a top finish.
Players in both of these teams are regularly watched by the First XI coaches and feedback is provided from their own coaches in order to plan for selection for the following year. The pathway for the top 14A players is to gain selection for the Reserve squad and then on to the First XI. This system has been integral for the success of the sport at King's over the last ten years.
The First XI squad consists of 28 players from Year 11 through to Year 13. Each week, 14 players are selected for the First XI squad and 14 for the Reserve Squad. Both sets of players practice on the same nights undertaking the same practice drills and grid exercises. This induces a tremendous amount of competition for places and allows the First XI coaches to select the best team each week. Both the Reserves and the First XI play against the same opposition and at the same venue each Saturday and the weekly draws are on the King's website.
The main aim of the College is for players at all levels to enjoy playing football but at the same time improve individually as players, as well as enjoying all the positives that such a great team sport has to offer.
