Minis (Ages 4–7)
Minis is about giving your child a great first experience of football. Sessions are fun-focused and built around little legs and big enthusiasm, so kids leave each Saturday with a smile and a few new skills.
2026 Season
Season Dates
All sessions run on Saturday mornings from 8:30am to 9:30am at the Ōmokoroa Sports Grounds on Western Ave. We’re on the lower fields, behind the library.
Any weather cancellations will be posted on our Minis Facebook page before 8am Saturday. Following the page is also the best way to keep up with news and photos through the season.
Saturday 2 May
First Game
30 May
No Football · King’s Birthday
11 & 18 July
School Holiday Break
ŌFC Minis World Cup
Prizegiving
Registrations
Minis is full for the current 2026 Winter Season. Enquiries are welcome for next season, so get in touch and we’ll let you know when registrations open.
Registration covers the whole season, which runs from early May to early September, not each term. Places are limited, so once the programme is full, registrations close for the season.
Girls-Only minis Teams
Girls can play in a girls-only team or a mixed team, whichever suits them better. We run girls-only teams across all Minis grades, so there’s a place for your daughter either way. Let us know at registration which she’d prefer.
Find Your Child's Grade
Minis grades are based on the age your child turns this calendar year, not their school year. Four-year-olds are welcome in Grade 5 as long as they turn 5 at some point this year.
| Grade | Age turning this year | Birth year |
| Grade 5 | Turning 5 | Born 2021 |
| Grade 6 | Turning 6 | Born 2020 |
| Grade 7 | Turning 7 | Born 2019 |
Saturday Mornings
Each session runs for an hour and follows NZ Football’s First Kicks format under the Whole of Football 2.0 framework. It’s your child’s introduction to football, focused on fun and skill-building games rather than results.
- 30 minutes of skill games and drills: dribbling, passing, shooting and more, kept fun and fast-moving so nobody loses interest.
- 30 minutes of match play within their grade: the bit the kids absolutely love!
The format is small teams and lots of game time, so every child is properly involved from the first whistle to the last:
- 3v3 match format, small teams where every player is constantly part of the action
- No goalkeepers at this age, with small goals that keep the focus on movement and skill rather than positions
- Age-appropriate from the ground up, meeting 4 to 7 year olds where they are and building confidence alongside ability
Any weather cancellations will be posted on our Minis Facebook page before 8am Saturday.
For parents and supporters: Watch from a few metres behind the field line and cheer on all the players. At this age it’s all about having a go, so keep it positive and let the kids play. Your coach has the football side covered.
The best thing a parent can do is get involved. Coaching, managing a team, or just helping out on a Saturday all make the programme what it is.
What Your Child Needs
- Football boots (moulded plastic studs)
- Shin pads
- Football socks
- Club playing shirt, loaned to every registered player for the season
The full ŌFC kit isn’t required for Minis, but if you’d like it, shorts and socks can be purchased through Friendly Manager. Boots, socks, and shin pads are available from stores like Rebel Sport or The Warehouse.
Coaching
ŌFC Minis is entirely volunteer-led and it wouldn’t happen without our parent community. We run Minis in set teams with at least one dedicated coach per team and the overall programme is coordinated by Paul Crimmins.
Finding enough coaches is one of the harder parts of running the programme, so the more parents who volunteer, the easier it is on everyone.
No football background is needed, just enthusiasm and a good sense of fun. Here’s what we provide you:
- A free online course through NZF Learn to get you started
- An in-person practical session run by WaiBOP at the start of the season
- Access to NZ Football’s coaching pathway, with most courses run at no cost to you
- Weekly session plans, so you’re never left wondering what to do
There’s also CoachMate, a free app from NZ Football with ready-made practice games and session plans matched to your players’ age and stage. It makes planning a session quick and takes a lot of the guesswork out of it.
Coaching is one of the most rewarding ways to get involved in the community and get to know the families around you in Ōmokoroa. Even helping as a backup or fill-in makes a difference. If you’re keen, or just want to find out more, get in touch.