MUMFC MiniRoos (5 - 9 Yr Olds)
Our Murdoch University Melville Saturday MiniRoos (5 – 9 yrs) play an intra-club competition at Len Shearer Reserve on Saturdays. The aim of MiniRoos is to give young girls and boys the maximum opportunity to participate in football, the world’s most popular sport. As long as you are between 5 and 9 years old, you can sign up to start playing MiniRoos at MUM FC right now. See the Age Groups for Season 2026 in the table below.
Key dates to remember:
Orientation – 2nd May 2026
Season start – 9th May 2026
Mid-year break: 4th, 11th, 18th July 2026
Windup 19th September 2026
NB: if we lose a session due to severe weather/pitch condition, 18 July may be used as an optional mark up session.
| Age group | Year of birth | Playing times | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U 5/6 | 2020/2021 | 8:30 am – 9:30 am | |
| U 7 | 2019 | 9:30 am - 10:45 am | |
| U 8 | 2018 | 8:30 am – 9:50 am | |
| U 9 | 2017 | 9:50 am – 11:00 am |
FAQ
What do I wear on the first day?
Black shorts plus any comfortable T-shirt. Shin pads are compulsory, and football boots are recommended but sports shoes are OK especially for youngest kids. Check the boot swap box for a second-hand option. Don’t forget sunscreen! Uniform will be distributed on orientation day, or on arrival if starting after orientation day.
What is included in the uniform?
Uniform includes a colour coded top, black shorts and black long socks. We distribute a mix of sizes in each pack, but if your child is particularly small or large, you can approach your age group coordinator to arrange a swap. Parents should supply shin pads (compulsory) and football boots (or sport shoes).
Can my child play in the same team as their friend or family member?
Community sport is one of the best places to make new friends and we highly encourage parents to be flexible in team allocation.
Team requests can only be made if children are in the same birth year (not school year). The only exception to the age rule is that girls in mixed teams may, at parent discretion, enrol in the year group below their usual age group. Girls only teams currently start at U10 level, but girls are also most welcome to continue to participate in mixed groups.
The Club does not extract school information from the PlayFootball database. If you need to make a request, please include first and last names of your child’s friend(s) so we can match with the registration detail.
Existing teams continuing to the next age group will be kept together.
Request Form: https://forms.gle/R9K5vbidY4MUtGUT7
All team requests are saved and actioned as a block the week before orientation. If we can’t accommodate your request, we will do our best to let you know, otherwise team lists will be published at orientation. Hot tip, if you volunteer as coach or team manager, it makes it easier to prioritise your request!
I don’t know anything about soccer, what can I volunteer for?
There are many roles in the club that don’t require soccer knowledge. Team manager is the main role that anyone can take on. We are also keen for qualified parents to step forward as first aid volunteers. For the younger years, coaches are often parents who have experience of other sports, or general experience working with children, such as teachers, health professionals. The Club’s Technical Director provides an introductory session for all interested parents/caregivers early in the season and there are plenty of experienced club members around to guide you. Give it a go, you may be surprised how fast you can learn. We also need people with a whole range of skills for general club roles. We offer a great rebate for those who do put their hand up, and it’s a fantastic way to make new friends and support your kids to enjoy the beautiful game. https://www.mumfc.com.au/volunteer-at-mumfc/
What does a team manager do?
The team manager helps the coach by passing on messages from the central coordinating WhatsApp group and helps on the day (or coopts other parents to help) with rotating to the correct pitch according to the schedule, substitutions, making note of who has won player of the week etc. Team manager also reminds the whole team to contribute to set up or pack up a couple of times during the season according to the roster. Optional extras may include organising a fruit roster.
My child has a medical condition/support needs – who should I inform?
MUMFC is an inclusive club and we love to see kids thrive. We encourage coaches to be mindful that all kids learn differently and that Miniroos sessions are about participation.
The PlayFootball registration system includes a question about disability, but as kids’ needs can vary, please chat with the coach about what your child needs and support the coach as much as possible. Please inform the coach of any medical conditions they should be aware of. Parents are responsible for monitoring your child during the session and handling any necessary medication. Please also inform your coach and team of any food allergies/sensitivities.
If you have questions about your child’s participation before registering, contact VP Miniroos Kate McKenzie at miniroos5-9@mumfc.com.au
How does the session run?
Each session starts with a practice warm up which may include soccer skill drills or any other practice that the coach thinks is helpful. There are lots of ideas on Football West https://footballwest.com.au/coach/resources/coaching-sessions-discovery-phase
See also the national playing format https://playfootball.com.au/miniroos/resources These include modified rules that introduce new skills as the kids get older.
In the second part of the session, teams rotate to play other team(s). The home pitch coach will usually act as the game leader (similar to referee) although another parent can also help.
For the younger group, teams are split in half and one group stays on the home pitch and the other group rotates to visit another pitch. A parent helper accompanies the visiting team and also helps the home pitch coach/game leader to manage the game.
Do I need a working with children check to volunteer?
If you have a working with children check via your employer or other volunteer role, please supply the details when requested. If you don’t have one, you should qualify for the parent/guardian exemption if volunteering for your child’s team. If you are taking on a club level role, you will be guided on the requirements.
It’s raining – will the session be on?
Soccer is a winter sport and rain alone won’t stop us! Some of the best fun can happen in a slightly muddy session. Keeping a change of clothes in the car is often a good idea. We will cancel a session if there are severe conditions such as thunder/lightning or if overnight heavy rain has caused or will cause damage to the pitch. If this is the case, someone will check the pitch as early as possible in the morning and distribute a go/no go message via the WhatsApp team communication channels.
Why MiniRoos?
Small Sided Football is truly aimed at young people of all abilities, not simply the more talented players in each age group. With the emphasis on participation and enjoyment, and an associated removal of the emphasis on the importance of winning, children are much more likely to enjoy their football playing experience, will be keen to play more often and are less likely to drop out of the game.
The benefits to our kids playing MiniRoos include:
- The improvement of fundamental motor skills;
- The development of social skills through peer interactions;
- Enforces the values of team work, cooperation, fair play, and respect for others;
- Enhances a child’s ability to make quick decisions and improves reaction time;
- Not to mention the Health and wellbeing benefits from regular participation in outdoor exercise;
How you can help?
All we really ask of parents is your support and positive encouragement of the MiniRoos spirit; that is an emphasis on fun and participation rather than on winning!
Having said this however our club relies heavily on parent-helpers, everyone involved in the club is a volunteer and we do ask that you be mindful of this fact.
We are always on the lookout for and need helpers, parent-coaches and managers, so please don't be shy to put your hand up and help out where possible there is always a place for parents on a MiniRoos team.
Volunteering for your club to support an activity your son or daughter is taking part in is truly a rewarding experience.
The rules of Small Sided Games are not complicated so even if you have never been involved in football before, you can still be involved. Having good personal and organisational skills are beneficial skills for parent coaches however the aim is allow the kids to learn through playing the game with minimal instruction. Our club does provides excellent opportunities and support for our parent coaches which allows them to learn and to build their coaching skills.
Our parent coaches are there to make the football experience of every player and their families in their team as enjoyable as possible, so please give them the respect that they deserve.
Why we use the intra-club model?
Every Saturday morning from May to September between 8:30am and noon, Len Shearer Reserve in Booragoon is abuzz with over 400 young players along with their parents, preparing for then playing scheduled MiniRoos matches.
Parents only need to travel to the same location each week they do not have a "home and away" situation.
There is less emphasis on competition as our games are in house and not against other clubs.
We offer a greater degree of flexibility in terms of being able to monitor, asses and or move players between teams if required.
The club can provide a greater level of support to game leaders, coaches and manager as they are all at the club's home ground rather than travelling to other clubs
There is a greater number of people at the ground each week which helps to share the load of the various roles enriching the kids' experience.
MUM FC MiniRoos helps to build a strong, active local community and aims to ensure the health of future generations.
How is MiniRoos structured?
In MiniRoos we have four age groupings, where we slowly develop and expand the training and matches as the children get older and more experienced. Age groups are generally directly reflective of child's DOB and the four groups are U5/6, U7, U8 and U9.
Each registered MiniRoos player will be allocated to a team for the season. As part of the registration fee, each player is provided with a full uniform (MUM FC Melville shirt, shorts and socks) for them to keep.
Players must provide their own boots and shin pads. In the interest of safety we do operate a no shin pads no play policy. A boot bin recycling program is available if you might be looking for a pair of good quality second hand boots or your child has out grown a pair that someone may still get the use out of.