Packagoals help young Aucklanders get their football fix

A social football programme helping Aucklanders get their kicks has added portable, inflatable goals to its arsenal for the summer.

FootballFix provides five-a-side and seven-a-side football leagues across 11 sites in Auckland, with thousands of players competing each week. It also operates an after-school coaching programme and junior tournaments at a purpose-built academy in Albany.

Ten Junior Football Packagoals from Packaworld International will feature in the academy’s junior coaching and holiday programmes, and FootballFix Director Marc Prenty says he is really putting the new goals through their paces.

“We used to use pop-up goals for our junior leagues over summer but when you’re trying to run a league, you need something with integrity that can stand up to shots with a bit of power behind them.

“The Packagoals are great. We can bring them out during the day and then pack them away into a small space when we’re done. We found they have performed really well in our latest coaching and holiday programmes.”

Mr Prenty says in addition to quality game time, the Packagoals can offer coaching programmes flexibility in how and where they operate. While it’s still early days, he says the goals are well-placed to help young Aucklanders learn the beautiful game in years to come.

Prior to founding FootballFix, Mr Prenty held Director of Coaching roles at Ellerslie Football Club and Westway Development Academy in London. He says Football Fix makes football more accessible to Aucklanders by helping them play on their own terms.

FootballFix has grown “like wildfire” since its founding in 2011, he says. It started with four teams, and has now grown to 850 teams for the upcoming season.

“The concept is very much based on bringing people together to play social football. They can get involved at whatever level is best for them and suits their lifestyle”

Leagues are held midweek in the late afternoon or evening so people can compete after school or work, and graded so people can compete at the right level. Four 10-week seasons a year are played, and games are 40 minutes long.

For more information on Football Packagoals, visit the product page>>

​For more information on FootballFix, visit the website at www.footballfix.co.nz>>