Central Football

The Central Football Youth Council exists to ensure the voices of young people are heard and reflected in the decisions that shape football across our Federation.

Made up of passionate young people from across the federation, the Youth Council provides a platform for youth to share their perspectives, identify opportunities for improvement, and influence the future direction of football. Members work alongside Central Football's management, Board and CEO to help create positive, inclusive and engaging environments for young participants.

The Council's role is to provide genuine youth representation, ensuring the needs, experiences and aspirations of young people are considered in the planning and delivery of programmes, competitions and initiatives across the federation.

Ultimately, the Youth Council is about empowering young people to help shape the game they love, with the shared goal of getting more young people playing football, more often.

Joel has played football since he was three years old, currently playing for Feilding United in the Manawatū senior men's competition. He also coaches for Takaro AFC in the senior women's competition, has helped with the Takaro Youth Girls team and has also coached at junior football level. Joel is committed to the development and growth of football across all grades in Manawatū, as well as across the Federation and nationally.

Jake has participated in the junior football programme, played power chair football, has also participated in the All Abilities programme run by New Plymouth Rangers Football Club and can be found on the sidelines every week. Jake has been a member of the Halberg Youth Council and has a passion for enhancing the lives of physically disabled people by enabling them to participate in sport and recreation through the provision of programmes designed specifically to meet their needs.

Noah plays division 1 senior football in Hawke’s Bay, as well as senior futsal and is also involved in coaching through Central Football programmes such as Holiday Programmes, Tiny Tots and Pre Academy. He has also been involved in futsal refereeing and holds a Junior Level 1 and Youth Level 1 coaching qualification. Noah has also experienced playing and coaching in different codes and is keen to see more youth being physically active in sports.

Isla has been a youth representative in a range of sports. In football she has played FTC, Whanganui High School 1st VI, Whanganui Athletic Women’s team and Girls National Youth League. Isla has been a member of Sport Whanganui's Youth Empowering Student Sports Council and is currently Deputy Head Girl at Whanganui High School where she helps run the Student Council. A key focus for Isla is keeping girls involved in sport, particularly after they leave school, and supporting young women in football.

Daniel has been playing football since his early teens, currently playing for Whanganui Athletic Football Club with his preferred position being winger. Daniel also plays futsal, assists with coaching and is always looking for ways to learn, to further develop his game and to support others on their football journey. He is also passionate about improving the football experience and elevating the game as the sport of choice in New Zealand.

Abigail’s football experiences include playing for the New Plymouth Girls High School 1st VI and Premier Futsal squad, the New Plymouth Rangers Women's First Team. She is also involved as an Assistant Referee and coaches at club programmes. Abigail is especially interested in player continuation by making the transition from youth to senior football as seamless as possible and increasing the number of people at a high school or early adult age playing football.