Northern League club Takapuna have launched a youth and junior development programme under the guidance of recently-appointed Youth Director of Football, Daniel Semp.
Semp, who holds the OFC/NZF C Licence, brings a level of experience not only as a first team player but also with a history of working with young footballers.
Takapuna chair Glyn Taylor said the role would bring a “sound understanding of coaching at junior and youth level, high performance and what is required to perform at a high level.
“His appointment forms a critical piece of the club’s future development. It is absolutely aligned to the club’s strategic plan and shows that the club is fully committed to the development of its young footballers by providing a clear pathway for those players wanting to achieve.
“It is an area that the club has not previously invested in and, if the club is to continue to be sustainable, we must nurture our future footballers.”
Semp said he considered Takapuna to be an exciting place to be, watching the club “go from strength to strength”.
About the development programmes, Semp said:
“I want to create an environment where our players can come and enjoy their football while pushing themselves and making as much progress as possible.
“I want to create a space where players can improve mentally, technically, and tactically. I firmly believe Takapuna is a club which can develop players over the long term and generate a pathway to our first team and hopefully even higher.”
The new programmes are designed to provide young players with an extra training session a week, with qualified coaches, while they learn and enjoy the Takapuna playing model.
Junior programmes are available for players born between 2011 and 2014, while youth programmes are available for players born between 2004 and 2010.
A development programme for goalkeepers will be announced soon, the club says.
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