If you’re a new participant, before you book please email us to check availability of places.
For prices or to book a session click here… 
NEW TERM PLACES NOW AVAILABLE – APPLY NOW!
Wednesdays outdoors at the Skyliner Sports Centre
Runs all through the football season, but rests during school holidays.
School years 3 to 10 (Juniors) – Wednesdays 6pm to 7pm.
School years 11 to 13 (Seniors) – Wednesdays 7pm to 8pm.
If you’re a new participant, before you book please email us to check availability of places. To book a place use our online shop. Important things to note:
- Football activities are provided for 30 weeks of the year. Regular sessions run during the football season, from September to the last week of April, resting during school holidays.
- Each year’s fee is collected by twelve monthly instalments, i.e. payments continue through the closed season. Three month’s notice of contract termination is required.
The Academy is a unique holistic approach to youth football development for players that can’t get enough of the game they love and want to learn more! The sessions supplement standard club recreational and social team training sessions and matches; catering for the proportion of players who are ‘inspired and aspirational’. Players must meet a minimum standard in order to benefit from the sessions.
Our goalkeepers train outdoors on the 3G all weather pitch at the Skyliner Sports Centre. These are intense training sessions with occasional match experiences on offer against high level club teams and pro-club advanced level session teams.
The sessions are open to all players who are serious about improving their footy up to pro-club academy level; with high quality coaching on a par with pro-club Elite programmes. When it is appropriate for the player to progress, i.e. to contract level; we then make referrals direct to the professional academies.
Juniors
Our activities can be transformative and developmental, but in order to take part in our very disciplined Academy sessions, a player must have at least one or two years of good footy experience behind them, i.e. they should currently be attending mainstream recreational team training/matches at the same time, such as provided by Sporting 87 FC or Sporting Trust Community sessions.
Seniors
We expect senior players to have at least four years of experience and be attending mainstream recreational team training/matches. Optionally pathways can be provided into our Club’s U18 Thurlow Nunn League team, and SIL adult teams.
Session content
Underpinned by the same values and ethos as Sporting 87 Club activities, the sessions involve practical activities to develop skills and techniques, together with teaching knowledge on various aspects of the game that vastly improve the player’s confidence. Teaching is in part tailored to the individual and delivered in small groups.
Practical: Techniques and skills for football and futsal
Teaching and practice of physical and technical elements:
– No ability bar; the sessions cater for everyone
– Focus on the individual
– Improving football up to pro-club academy level
Psychological: Planned and measured interventions
Engraining and conditioning the four key football behaviour sets:
– Confidence
– Focus
– Self control
– Determination
Theory: Discussion and cognitive learning
Providing knowledge and understanding of the game that:
– Enthuses
– Motivates
– Increases self-esteem
The approach of the Academy is based on a fair measure of psychological ‘training’ as much as physical. We believe that for many players there is great untapped potential restricted by opportunity, knowledge and above all confidence. It is our aim to unlock that potential by resolving each of these issues in a holistic and structured way, which surpasses what may be regarded as similar ‘advanced’ football training activities. Players of all levels of ability will benefit from the programme, but only those who are serious about their development will gain fully. The social component of the sessions is an important part of the experience, as is having a great deal of fun, but hard work and dedication is required from all participants. Occasional home practise or research is a component of our plans and is to be taken seriously.
The sessions are presented in a module-topic structure, with a module of related and sequentially ordered topics running through each school half term. When a player joins the programme he/she is subject to an initial period of assessment through: controlled activities, observations of how they presently play, and relaxed psychological interviews. Progress is monitored and continually feedback to the player.
The programme is especially beneficial to those playing for Sporting 87 FC. Familiarity with the programme’s coaches and the learning environment contributes to the players comfort and thereby ability to learn. Also, Club team managers can be asked to support programme tasks and objectives that are set for players in matches, and so feedback on progress is more easily acquired.
If you’re a new candidate, before you book please email us to check availability of places.
For prices or to book a session click here…