Gary van Egmond believes the Emerging Jets junior development program will help to build the Club’s culture and identity.
Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets head coach Gary van Egmond believes the newly announced Emerging Jets junior development program will help to build the Club-s culture and identity.
Van Egmond said that young players in the Emerging Jets program would be coached in line with the Club-s playing philosophy from as young as 10 years of age.
“I think that-s paramount for building a football Club, not only in regards to your vision, philosophy and style of play but also from a Club culture point of view,” van Egmond said.
“You need to make sure that is something you instil in the young players so they know what is required of them on and off the field.
“I think that it is very, very important the young players adopt the style of play and adopt what Newcastle offers as a city as well.”
Van Egmond said he hopes the program will eventually become a consistent production line of locally born and bred talent who would one day go on to represent the Newcastle Jets in the A-League and W-League competitions.
“First of all you have to have a vision and philosophy on what you-re going to do here as football Club and then it-s about the style of play and how you initiate through the age groups, leading up to the first team,” van Egmond explained.
“That will be the basis of what we-re going to structure our Club and our teams on.
“It-s about finding the most appropriate coaching for the appropriate age group and it-s up to the technical committee to ensure that happens.”
Van Egmond will feature on the Emerging Jets technical committee that oversees the program along with representatives from Northern NSW Football and Football Federation Australia.
“We will be hands on in setting the structure up in regards to what we want to see down at the junior development level,” van Egmond said.
“Obviously myself and (NNSW technical director) David Smith will be a lot more hands than (FFA technical director) Han Berger, but we-ll all have a say in the structure and the coaches that are involved in the Emerging Jets program.”
