FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA FUNDAMENTALS+
The Football Australia Fundamentals+ program is an adapted version of the 11+ Kids program. The 11+ Kids has been shown to reduce injuries in youth football by 50%, severe injuries by 74% (1, 2); the financial cost associated with youth injuries by 51% (3) and improves physical performance in balance, jump performance and agility (4, 5).
The program includes fundamental movement skills and coordination drills which are designed to be fun and engaging for children. It is designed to be delivered from 5 to 13 years of age. The Football Australia Fundamentals+ has 3 levels of difficulty and 7 exercises in total.
Coaches and parents are encouraged to ensure that players perform all the exercises 2x/week with exercises able to be completed at home. To assist coaches, they can pick a minimum of 3 of the exercises each session and request players complete the others at home as “homework”.
This will assist with coaches under time pressure and also encourage players and parents to become engaged in movement development and injury prevention practices.
Most importantly, the exercises should be fun!
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- Rössler R, Junge A, Bizzini M, et al. A Multinational Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of '11+ Kids': A Warm-Up Programme to Prevent Injuries in Children's Football. Sports Med 2018;48(6):1493-1504.
- Zarei M, Abbasi H, Namazi P, Asgari M, Rommers N, Rössler R. The 11+ Kids warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young Iranian male high-level football (soccer) players: A cluster-randomised controlled trial. J Sci Med Sport 2020 May;23(5):469-474.
- Rössler R, Verhagen E, Rommers N, et al Comparison of the ‘11+ Kids’ injury prevention programme and a regular warmup in children’s football (soccer): a cost effectiveness analysis Br J Sports Med 2019;53:309-314.
- Pomares-Noguera C, Ayala F, Robles-Palazón FJ, et al. Training Effects of the FIFA 11+ Kids on Physical Performance in Youth Football Players: A Randomized Control Trial. Front Pediatr 2018;6:40.
- Rössler R, Donath L, Bizzini M, Faude O. A new injury prevention programme for children's football--FIFA 11+ Kids--can improve motor performance: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. J Sports Sci 2016;34(6):549-56.