GIRLS Elite Development PROGRAM

Girls Elite Develeopment Program

The club is proud to have established and is now able to provide direct player pathways from our DP into our JDL.

Our GEDP – Girls Elite Development Program has been created for girls aged 7-19.

These players will be provided with the same curriculum, program and guidance that we use for our very well-established GSAP program. It will include all the same technical and tactical coaching by our certified coaches, which allows players to easily and continually progress through the club’s pathways, directly moving into our GSAP program and then into our Youth Program. All players in our GEDP Program will play competitively each Sunday in the local CDSFA competition, representing APIA Leichhardt Women’s FC.

The program runs for 20 weeks.
Each player will receive two nights of training per week.
Home Playing Kit consisting of a personalised MACRON Jersey, Shorts and Socks, A Full Training Kit Jersey/ Shorts / Socks, a Polo Shirt, Jacket and Backpack. * All competition entry fees and insurance are covered.
Parents will also receive complimentary season passes for all Senior Home games. * All our players will also have access to our A league Women’s Players and the ability to meet and interact on NPL Match Days.

Ultimately, our club’s goal is to move away from having trials for our GSAP Program and select only players from within our own Development programs, to ensure our players are playing the APIA way – Fast, Possession-based, Attacking-minded Football and help develop them to see them go through our pathways of GSAP, NPL1 Youth and into Senior Football.

The reality is that some players won’t ever fulfil their potential because they haven’t been taught the right way to play or because the basics required from an early age have not been perfected. The ideology behind our GEDP is to ensure that players will receive a thorough football education from Elite coaches, all of whom will be A. B or C license coaches who have either played at the elite level, including National teams, NPL, or A League Women’s throughout their careers.

To register to join our GEDP Program, please CLICK HERE

The Two training sessions are very different.

Session 1 – Monday Night is at Ashfield Boys High School – Artificial.

This session focuses on Individual Skill Development. These sessions are done by our highly motivated and successful Club Coaches in a team environment focusing on ball manipulation, touches, and skill acquisition.

Session 2 – Thursday Night is held at Ashfield Park.
This session is run by our team coaches whilst being overseen by our Club Coaches. Session two is all based around team cohesion and tactics. Focusing on what went well the week past, and what needs to be improved for the next game. All sessions are created by our Club Coaches.

Session 3 – Friday Night is held at Ashfield Park.

Session 3 is a bonus session for our EDP Program, where our EDP teams will play our JDL teams throughout the course of year. These games are done regularly and on rotation for our EDP teams between 1 and 2 times per month.

Our EDP program’s major ROLE is to develop players once they join the program, and our GOAL is to create pathway into our JDL program, reducing the need to trial externally.

We are proud of our retention rates:

	EDP Players who moved into APIA JDL	EDP Players who moved into other JDL Clubs	EDP Players who moved to other NPL1 Clubs	EDL Players who moved to other NPL2 Clubs
2023	13	16	3	14
2024	9	27	5	19

We are currently ranked in NSW :

#1 in NPL Youth (of 13 clubs not inc A league Academies)
#1 in NPL Seniors (of 14 clubs)
In the top tier of JDL (no official table).

Making an APIA JDL/NPL team is difficult, however not impossible.

Whilst everyone’s preference is to make APIA, it is difficult. Please look at the “Female Football Pathway” attachment for a clearer understanding.

Should players not make APIA JDL or NPL , the club is excited and fully supportive if/when a player is selected into another clubs JDL or NPL program.

We are proud that we were a part of a player’s journey to go from community Football to JDL/NPL whether it’s for APIA or another club.

Our EDP Program has become renown as the program that provides talented community Football players into the JDL/NPL space.