The Newcastle Jets are excited to announce the launch of the Jets Football Foundation.
The Jets Football foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that has been established to support and promote the development of football in the Newcastle and Northern NSW regions, encouraging and nurturing both diversity and inclusion, with the support of the region’s football communities.
The Jets Football Foundation will develop and deliver programs and initiatives to make a positive impact on the region’s football youth. Funding will be focused in areas such as improved facilities, enhanced levels of coaching, additional development programs both on and off field, female participation growth, support, and continued development of ‘all abilities’ football including the highly successful Newcastle Jets Powerchair team.
Establishing the Foundation as the philanthropic centre of the Newcastle Jets will enable us to develop authentic, long-term relationships with corporate partners, local businesses, supporters, and the wider community to ensure the youth of the Newcastle and Northern NSW players have a bright and prosperous future.
The Jets Football Foundation will underpin the Newcastle Jets Academy, our soon-to-be Launched Pre-Academy, along with our Talent ID, Powerchair & Community Programs. The Jets Football Foundation aims to provide for the region’s youth a clear pathway to the A-League Men’s & Women’s teams and support grassroots development across all areas.
Gary Van Egmond has been appointed as the Technical Director to the Foundation and is excited for what the future holds.
“The Newcastle Jets Academy is moving into a new era, fully endorsing the ‘Whole of Club Values’ that connects from grassroots to the Pre-Academy through to the A-league Men’s and A-League Women’s teams. The culture embodies the ethics of the people of Newcastle and our desire to produce homegrown talent of the highest quality – to play with style and strive for excellence in everything we do on and off the field.”
Newcastle Jets Executive Chairman Shane Mattiske believes the new model will ensure the Academy remains sustainable and give the region’s young footballers the best opportunity to play at the highest level.
“Over the last six months, there has been many discussions around how the Club acts to ensure the Academy program remains sustainable and delivers on a commitment to be the pride of the region – evidenced through how we operate and develop talented youth moving through the Academy.
Our unique model means that the Jets are the only Club in the A-Leagues (or in fact in Australian sport) that operates a full boys and girls Academy structure designed to develop talented youth footballers in our Northern NSW region and provide an elite pathway into our professional Men’s and Women’s teams.
Today, I’m pleased to announce that we have made a significant shift towards a better structure for the region’s youth with the launch of the Foundation. We invite the business community to get behind the Jets Football Foundation and join in supporting the development of our youth to put them on the path to being a future Jets player and hopefully a future Matilda or Socceroo. ”
Over the next couple of days will see the release of some new foundation initiatives.”
