TALENTED footballers from Avon Valley School have been given a glimpse into their futures with the beautiful game thanks to two local football academies.
The students heard a presentation by Strachan Football Foundation’s head of football operations Ryan Coneelly and football coach Lewis Hudson, during which they learnt about the footballing and educational opportunities available to them once they leave school.
And a group of 20 Year 10 students visited Rugby Town FC’s academy, where they were put through their paces by assistant head coach Will Grocott.
During the day the students took part in technical sessions covering possession-based drills, passing, shooting, switching of play, attacking, decision-making and movement off the ball. The students also learnt about game-based scenarios and styles of play.
Following the session, Will tweeted a message to the school saying: “The boys were superb and a real credit to your school.”
Both academies offer members the chance to train and play football while gaining nationally-recognised qualifications.
PE teacher Craig Hartfield said: “We are really grateful to the staff from both football academies for the time they’ve spent with our students.
“Many of the lads play football for local teams and a few play at county level. Meeting the academy staff has given them a great insight into how they can play football and gain qualifications once they leave school at the end of Year 11.”
Head teacher Alison Davies said: “As a school we invest a lot of time and energy into providing a comprehensive careers programme to help our students make informed decision about their post-16 destinations.
“These two events have hopefully given some of our footballers a better idea of how they might progress in the future.”
