The Sky Blues Academy players exercise their coaching skills at holiday football camps...
A few weeks back, the Coventry City Academy players join Sky Blues in the Community staff at their holiday coaching camp at the Alan Higgs Centre.
Every holiday, the Sky Blues in the Community team offer coaching courses for boys and girls of all footballing abilities aged 5-12. Coventry City first-team players regularly visit the camps and every summer, players aged 16-18 from the Coventry City Academy also get involved.
Academy players dropped in to the Alan Higgs camp and promptly led a series of drills and activities as part of their FA Level One coaching qualifications - they also took the time to speak with the children about life as a young footballer.
The purpose of the camps is to provide an opportunity for children to play football, whilst meeting friends and having fun. All children completing a full course are in with the chance to win a special Matchday Experience which consists of two free Coventry City match tickets and the chance to win prizes including forming the guard of honour or playing on the pitch at half-time.
Alongside the Matchday Experience, the children have the opportunity to win a month’s free trial at the Sky Blues Player Development Centres. The development centres offer high quality coaching with FA Level 3 coaches to over 450 boys each week, with the aim of helping players reach their individual potential and with close ties to the club's Academy.
To date, over 70 players have signed Academy terms after an involvement in the player development centre. Shaun Pierce, Sports Manager at Sky Blues in the Community said: “It is fantastic that the Academy players get involved every year in our summer holiday coaching scheme.
“The children on the courses really look up to them and from the player’s perspective it is a good opportunity to see at an early age the responsibilities that come with being a top footballer.
“The holiday camps are a great way of providing children with a cheap and fun activity during school holidays, whilst also offering a progression in to more serious football if they wish through our development centres. For those that are good enough, our strong links with the Academy provides a tried and tested pathway in to elite football – so one day we may see some of these children coming back and coaching like the Academy players have."
To find out about the remaining holiday courses during the summer break, please visit www.officialsoccerschools.co.uk.