An indoor based winter soccer school commences in October with 40 places available for those enthusiasts aged from five to thirteens years of age.
Based in Moate, the perennially popular soccer school has enjoyed a busy and successful year to date with the the imminent 15 week programme set to sign of the calendar year.
The winter soccer school will be the culmination of a busy year for the Young Lions who exceeded expectations with a very successful coaching trip to Ajax in May before the start of their 10 week summer coaching programme. They have developed a recognised expertise in overseas coaching packages so much so that they now advise clubs on organising and funding their own trips.
Nine Young Lions players enjoyed the advantage of attending the FAI regional training camps during the summer months. The standard was exceptionally high both in content and intensity. It augurs well for the game in the midlands when this standard becomes the norm in clubs and schools in the coming years. Furthermore, Young Lions players, 32 of which, will attend for an advanced, innovative two day coaching during Halloween in Moate.
Young Lions Soccer School also launched a five year coach development and upskilling plan for each of its fifteen coaches. The plan incorporates the best of the FAI’s coach education pathway 2017-2020, customised it to suit their needs.
“Our Coach Development Plan will facilitate those who wish to work with our under 6 players up to those with ambition to work professionally in clubs and with elite players at representative levels,” Leigh Feery, Director of Coaching, Young Lions soccer school commented.
“We are delighted with the new emphasis by the FAI on coach development. We happily adopt the parts most suited to our needs and marry them with our overseas-experiences in elite footballing academies. The ‘one size fits all’ approach does not work. We are building excellent relationships with the FAI Development Officers across the midlands. They are good people. Given time they will be invaluable to those of us who are working towards upskilling our players. We are investing €10,000 over the next 5-years on coach development. We are confident players, clubs and teams across the midlands will be key beneficiaries of our investment. We are indebted to our sponsors,” Leigh concluded.
Currently players afrom the midlands region to include Athlone, Ballinahowan, Moate, Mountemple, Rosemount and Ballinasloe participate in the Young Lions soccer school.
