Lead coach
Responsible for planning age-appropriate technical sessions, maintaining the development-first coaching standard, and keeping player welfare central to delivery.
Coaches
Coaching standards built around welfare, detail and realistic progress.
The academy coaching team supports U8-U11 players with structured technical development, safe supervision, positive standards and age-appropriate football learning.
Role-based safeguardingSafeguarding-led deliveryAge-appropriate practiceClear parent guidance
The academy does not promise professional academy placement, trials, club signings, or affiliation with any professional club.
Coaching Team
Role-based support for safe, consistent delivery.
The website does not publish named coach profiles in this version. These role-based profiles explain how the team supports players and families.
Assistant coaches
Support safe group management, individual encouragement, technical repetition, and positive feedback during practices and small-sided games.
Safeguarding lead
Maintains safeguarding visibility, parent confidence, welfare escalation routes and clear expectations around safe, respectful academy behaviour.
Safeguarding First
Player welfare comes before performance outcomes.
Coaching is delivered with clear boundaries, respectful behaviour expectations, suitable supervision, and a culture where welfare concerns can be raised through the academy's agreed safeguarding route.
Players should feel encouraged to try, make mistakes, listen, improve and enjoy football in a setting that is calm, safe and development-led.
Read PoliciesCoaching Standards
Consistent standards across every session.
Planned sessions
Coaches prepare purposeful practices with clear technical outcomes, realistic game links, and age-appropriate levels of challenge.
Positive detail
Feedback is specific, calm and useful, helping players understand what to improve without creating unnecessary pressure.
Safe group management
Delivery keeps welfare, supervision, respectful behaviour, and parent confidence at the centre of every session.
Age-Appropriate Development
Technical detail matched to the player's age and stage.
Heading is not part of the U7-U11 curriculum. Heading in matches is banned for U7-U11 from the 2026/27 season.
U8-U9 sessions prioritise touches, ball confidence, turning, dribbling, simple support, and enjoyment within structure.
U10-U11 sessions add scanning, receiving under pressure, support angles, combinations, transitions, and clearer game understanding.
Players are encouraged to build repeatable habits over time. Progress is supported through coaching, practice and confidence, not promises about future selection.
Development Pillars
What coaches reinforce on the pitch.
Ball mastery
Close control, turning, dribbling and comfort receiving under age-appropriate pressure.
Decision-making
Scanning, support angles, passing choices and simple tactical habits linked to real game moments.
Confidence
Positive repetition, clear coaching language and small-sided play that helps players try, adapt and improve.