A First Season to Remember – FTFA’s IFA Winter Tournament Journey

First Touch Football Academy has completed its first season competing in the IFA Winter Tournament, and we couldn’t be prouder of what our players achieved.

Entering four teams across three age groups – U8, U10 Division 1, U12 Pink and U12 Blue – this was our first opportunity to test the development of our players across a full competitive season.

The results were fantastic, but more importantly, throughout the season we saw our players continue to develop, compete, learn and put into practice the football principles we work on every week at First Touch Football Academy.

A competitive first season

From the opening round through to Finals Weekend, all four FTFA teams showed they belonged at this level.

Our focus has never been simply on winning matches. We want our players to become confident and intelligent footballers – comfortable on the ball, brave enough to play, aware of their surroundings and capable of making good decisions under pressure.

Throughout the IFA season, we saw more and more of those qualities appearing in our football.

Players were encouraged to trust their first touch, maintain good body shape, move the ball with purpose, play through pressure and work together rather than simply chase results.

There were wins, losses, close games and plenty of challenges along the way – exactly what young players need as part of their development.

U8 – stepping up and finishing third

Our U8s produced a terrific first season and ultimately finished third.

The group competed strongly throughout the tournament, including impressive results against a number of established academies. What made their performance particularly pleasing was seeing such young players beginning to understand and implement the football concepts they have been learning at training.

After finishing the regular season in third position, the team faced Neil Young Football Academy in the semi-final, going down 3–0.

They responded brilliantly in the third-place playoff, defeating Elle Football Academy 3–2 to finish the season on a high and secure third place overall.

It was a fantastic achievement for the group and an excellent foundation to build upon.

U10 Division 1 – results don't always tell the whole story

Our U10 Division 1 team finished the regular season in fifth position, but their development throughout the competition was one of the real positives of the season.

They competed in a strong division and experienced a number of tight matches where the final score didn't necessarily reflect the quality of their football.

As the season progressed, we saw significant improvement in their movement, decision-making, positioning and ability to keep and move the ball.

There were some unlucky results along the way, but the players continued to trust what they were being taught and remained committed to playing football the right way.

Their fifth-place finish was a positive result in our first season at this level, but the progress made by the group gives us even more reason to be excited about what comes next.

U12 Pink and Blue – an incredible season

Our U12 age group produced an outstanding campaign.

With two First Touch teams competing – U12 Pink and U12 Blue – both sides established themselves among the strongest teams in the competition.

The regular season finished with U12 Blue in first place and U12 Pink in second, setting up an exciting Finals Weekend.

Across the season, both teams produced some excellent football and strong results against academies including Mastery, Elle, SBD, Neil Young, Prime Football and others.

More importantly, both groups continued to demonstrate the technical ability, confidence and football intelligence that we want our players to develop.

Their performances eventually resulted in something particularly special – both First Touch U12 teams progressing all the way to the Grand Final.

U12 Blue defeated Elle Football Academy Black 2–0 in their semi-final, while U12 Pink progressed through a dramatic penalty shootout against Drago's Football Academy after the match finished 0–0.

That meant the IFA Winter Tournament U12 Grand Final would be an all-First Touch affair.

In a fantastic finale to the season, U12 Pink edged U12 Blue 4–3, meaning First Touch Football Academy finished first and second in the U12 competition.

For an academy in its first IFA season, it was an achievement we are incredibly proud of.

More than results

While the final standings are something our players should be proud of, our biggest measure of success is the improvement we have seen from week to week.

Across every age group, our players have been challenged to listen, learn and then have the confidence to apply those lessons in matches.

We've seen improvements in first touch, ball mastery, body positioning, movement, decision-making and combination play. We've also seen players learning how to respond to setbacks, compete for one another and remain focused when games become difficult.

Those lessons will remain with them long after individual match results have been forgotten.

Just as importantly, our players represented First Touch Football Academy with the attitude and values we expect.

Thank you to our FTFA community

A season like this doesn't happen without an enormous amount of support.

Thank you to our parents and families for trusting First Touch Football Academy with your children's football development and for the commitment required to get players to training and games every week.

Thank you to the parents and supporters who helped throughout the season and created such a positive environment around our teams.

Thank you to our sponsors, whose support helps make opportunities like these possible for our players.

And, most importantly, thank you to every player who represented First Touch Football Academy.

Your hard work, focus, willingness to learn and enthusiasm throughout the season made us incredibly proud.

Just the beginning

Our first IFA Winter Tournament season gave us an opportunity to see how our development philosophy translated into competitive football.

The answer has been extremely encouraging.

U8 – 3rd

U10 Division 1 – 5th

U12 Blue – 2nd

U12 Pink – Champions

Four teams. Three age groups. A first competitive season filled with development, challenges, great football and some outstanding achievements.

But for us, this isn't the finish line.

It's another step in the development of our players and of First Touch Football Academy.

We'll keep working. We'll keep learning. And we'll keep giving our players the environment and opportunities to become better footballers.

Every Touch Counts.