The inaugural Junior Premier League (JPL) will take off in October with the season-long meet set for kids aged between 6 to 10 years old.
The Junior Premier League runs from October 2016 until May 2017.
If you are that kid who loves football, your dream is just about to come true – a Premier League of your own.
The Junior Premier League (JPL) is an open football league to promote the love of the game, a good, clean, healthy competition for all.
“This is undoubtedly one of the best concepts for your kids to enjoy their early years and be outside with a healthy lifestyle, playing the beautiful game of football and having fun,” said David Mitchell, who had previously played for Selangor.
With a maximum of 36 teams, up to 720 kids, in 25 amazing weeks, and 50 thrilling games, the league is a private sector initiative to promote grassroots football focused on young children.
Based on international best practices, the league has been set up to provide a league organization for kids to enjoy playing the game they love.
The mission is to develop junior football, foster cross cultural understanding, instill sportsmanship, provide safety and knowledge in sports, and raise the level of coaching standards in local academies.
According to Muzafar Abdul Mutalib, the Operations Director of the JPL: “for the past few years, there is a pent up demand for a league for kids below 10 yrs old and this is a great opportunity to get it started. There are about 300 over private academies, clubs, or makeshift teams involving kids football in the country, and in the Klang valley, we estimate there are over 150 such teams.”
He added: “For our country to develop grassroots football, we need to start organized football when they are young. Improving coaching standards, utilizing safe equipment, and exposure to healthy competition, are all part of the equation. I have been involved in coaching kids for the past 15 years and with almost everyone I have met bar none, I have been encouraged to organize a juniors league. It’s a dream come true for the kids and we are pleased to be part of this initiative.”
The Junior Premier League comprise the JPL league, followed by the League Cup and ends with the FA Cup competitions.
The League Cup divides teams into two groups and the top four teams then plays the quarter finals knockout phase. The FA Cup is a straight knockout competition. The JPL is also pioneering safety in sports equipment.
“We are definitely pleased to work with one of the the best equipment suppliers on this amazing opportunity to set up this league. Priority number one is always children’s safety. We are pleased to introduce SKLZ football equipment to the market,” added Muzafar.
Besides safe goals, the brand also carries not just a comprehensive range of soccer training equipment, but also products for performance sports.”
“We are big on safety. The goals are flexible, the A-boards for advertising are also collapsible, and not to mention the state of the art portable lining system,” Muzafar said.
“The kids are young and they need to train and play in a safe and efficient environment with equipment they can trust. What I really like about the goals are that they are not only safe, they are light and comes in portable bags.
“Easy to set up in minutes and dismantle in a jiffy. What coaches really appreciate is that they can take them to any park and set up training sessions really quick. This bodes well for the smaller academies who may not have their own training grounds.”
JUNIOR PREMIER LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS
- The definitive premier football league for kids 6 to 10 yrs old.
- Three age groups, up to 36 teams and 720 players.
- 25 season long weeks and 50 exciting JPL league, League Cup and FA Cup games.
- Laying out the foundation for grassroots football development in the country.
- Multi ethnic and multi-national cross-cultural participation to promote sportsmanship, fair competition, and friendship. It’s not about winning, it’s about the experience.
- It is big on safety with no heavy metal goals, collapsible a-frame boards, and the latest state-of-the art line system.
- The largest open league of its kind for kids under 10 years old.
- It aims to help educate the juniors football industry on age appropriate coaching methodology, fitness, nutrition, injury prevention and recovery.
- Comprehensive website to aggregate content on league statistics, results, fixtures, team profiles, player interviews, training tips and videos, the latest equipment, and junior football news.
- Affordable at about RM25 registration fee per player and less than RM5 per game per player.
