Adaptive football programme brings in the players

Flynn O’Connor loves the challenge of playing football with his mates.

Photo: JC Photography NZ

By Melanie Louden

Flynn O’Connor comes from a football-loving family and has stood on many sidelines watching his father and older brother play.

So when he wanted to start playing football himself, mum Laura approached their Auckland club, Eastern Suburbs AFC, and asked if they would be happy to run a football programme for kids with a disability.

“They were on board right away,” Laura says.

Nine-year-old Flynn, who lives with Cerebral Palsy – Hōkai Nukurangi, has now been playing adaptive football since 2023.

At Eastern Suburbs, players take part in weekly training sessions where they do skills, drills and mini games. 

“The children come along and just do everything to the best of their ability,” Laura says.

“Some things can be tricky for them, so as well as it being fun they are also challenged. The coaches are so kind and patient and make sure everyone is included and they will adapt certain tasks for children if required.”

Flynn, front centre, dad John, brother Kian, and mum Laura are a football-mad family.

Laura has seen adaptive football benefit Flynn in a number of ways.

“I knew it would be great exercise [for him] but mostly I desperately wanted him to be able to do what all his friends did. It’s no fun just watching. The real fun starts when you can join in! Seeing his passion and knowledge for the sport grow has been amazing.”

Laura says Flynn’s running balance and coordination have all improved.

“A year ago I would have said he gets tired easily but in June he played a tournament. It was five 20-minute games and he ran the whole time. That’s when I really saw the improvement in his fitness and stamina.

“He’s made new friends and has formed connections with other kids who experience similar physical challenges to him.” 

Kian, left, and Flynn, are huge fans of Auckland FC and player Francis de Vries, pictured.

Flynn and his fellow players loved their weekly training so much that they were desperate to play actual games, so a team was formed and they joined the club’s in-house league on Saturday mornings.

The team, called Nottingham Forest, play two games each morning in the 7th grade division. 

Flynn, a centre midfielder, loves the challenge of adaptive football and playing with his friends.

“[They are] a lot of fun,” he says. “We all have different challenges but I think we work well together.” 

Most of his team mates have Cerebral Palsy – Hōkai Nukurangi and many of them use their e-Card funding to pay for their fees.

“[Cerebral Palsy] does make me a bit slow when I run so I have to try hard to get to the ball first,” Flynn says.

From left: Flynn, right, dad John, and brother Kian all play for Eastern Suburbs AFC. Always a proud moment when you receive Player of the Day.

Adam Thomas is the Community Development Officer at Eastern Suburbs AFC and says the aim is to make the adaptive football programme feel like every other programme at the club.

“We wanted to make this as close to our other football programmes as possible. We wanted to get the kids playing competitive games.

“It’s literally trying to copy the other programmes. We train, we get prepared for the match, we do a bit of tactics, we play the match, we go back to training, and we work on what happened in the match.”

Adam says the parents like the fact the programme isn’t “too adapted”.

“It’s got to be adapted a bit, but we still want them to improve their skills, improve fundamentals, teamwork and start to understand how to play against other teams.”

The programme runs with a low coach-to-player ratio and Adam says the key to being a successful adaptive football coach is having the right personality.

“It’s finding someone who has the patience, understanding, and empathy.”

Flynn, pictured with his team mates and coaches at Eastern Suburbs AFC. Photo: JC Photography NZ

Adam is keen to see more clubs run an adaptive football programme.

“I think if most clubs got one going there would be kids turning up.

“My vision is to have enough clubs so that we can have an interclub competition and have a league like all the other leagues,” Adam says.

“I think there is the need. I think if a few more clubs jump on board, we’ll get there. I think we definitely need to come together and share what’s going on.”

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This article was originally published in the September 2025 edition of The Review magazine.

 

For more information:
Melanie Louden
Communications Manager
melanie@cpsociety.org.nz
Mobile: 022 087 819