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Buckswood Football Academy(To be read in conjunction with the School Prospectus)

S.A.F.A.Southern Association Football Academy

BUCKSWOOD FOOTBALL AC ADEMY

Buckswood SchoolBuckswood School is near the seaside town of Hastings, an hour’s drive from London. Parents select Buckswood because they know it is something special to their children’s education. Its size allows the School to preserve a more home-like atmosphere, where the care and welfare of students is a priority.

The school is set on a beautiful, safe campus with a golf course, swimming pool, quad bike track, horse riding stables, indoor sports hall and sports fields. Boarding accommodation and classroom facilities are continually being improved and added to.

Small classes ensure pupils receive more individual attention, and there is an emphasis on traditional values and good manners. Students are educated in the British curriculum as part of an international community.

Director of Football:Jim ColstonJim Colston has a wealth of experience in youth football, having been involved at various levels of the game for just over 14 years. Jim quickly progressed from the local scene on to League Representative football, winning the only treble, the league has ever seen.

Jim’s coaching expertise was soon recognised and he was approached to coach with the England Schools FA (ESFA), an association that he still enjoys today.

In 1999 Jim joined the newly established Football Academy (the Southern Association Football Academy) whose primary aim is to develop youth footballers at all levels.

Whilst remaining with S.A.F.A, Jim became a coach to the Gillingham FC Youth Centre of Excellence for two seasons, before moving on to Charlton Athletic.

Proving that senior football remained as much a passion as youth football, Jim also held the post of Assistant 1st Team Coach with Eastbourne Borough FC (English Conference National) for three seasons, where he worked alongside the very successful management pair of Garry Wilson and Nick Greenwood who were both very influential in Jim’s coaching career.

Following a spell at Luton Town FC as coach and scout, Jim was head hunted back to Charlton FC by the youth academy, assistant manager, where he remains as a coach and scout for the Southern area of England.

Jim also covers the senior scene, attending Conference National/South and North matches writing player reports for Milton Keynes Dons (League 1).

Jim has worked with some of football’s top names, including Kevin Blackwell, John Carver and Pat Holland.

Jim currently remains Director of Coaching at S.A.F.A, where he writes the various curriculums that are delivered to over 400 boys and girls every week.

Facts and FiguresPlayer success rate at S.A.F.A is exceptional with a number of our young players progressing through our curriculum to many professional football clubs in England these include: Arsenal FC; Chelsea FC; Tottenham Hotspur FC; Portsmouth FC; Charlton Athletic FC; Gillingham FC; Luton Town FC; Brighton and Hove Albion FC


What’s included?

▶ One match day experience per season.

▶ Training session at a Premier League club.

▶ Opportunity to gain a S.A.F.A. Skills Challenge Certificate.

▶ Train for your FA Coaching badge.

▶ One European football tour per season.

▶ Guided tour of the national stadium at Wembley.

▶ Train for your referees qualification.

▶ Premier League / Football league scout assessment every term.

▶ Opportunity to play high level local football.

▶ FA Youth Cup match tickets – see the best Under 18s in the country.

▶ Speed, Agility and Quickness programme.

▶ Regular visits to Charlton Athletic FC matches.

▶ Fitness testing facilities.

▶ Use of school gym.

▶ Academy training kit and travel suits.

▶ The boot room – Choose your boots at the academy as the manufacturers visit us and offer advice.

▶ Use of players pool and sauna for post match recovery.

▶ Visit to Premier League Academy training session.

▶ Two Premier League football fixture tickets per season.

▶ Fulham FC tour.

▶ Weekend social activities.

▶ Accommodation and all meals.

▶ All academic lessons and support.

▶ Unlimited use of all school sports facilities.

▶ Six training sessions per week.

▶ Competitive matches.

▶ Performance profile analysis.

▶ Chelsea FC tour.

The Football Academy and International Study Programme


The Academy Curriculum

SeptemberPre-season work

▶ Endurance based work

incorporating the football

▶ Speed work and SAQ

▶ Technique and first touch

OctoberIndividual Attacking Techniques

▶ Receiving

▶ Control Techniques

▶ Passing Techniques

▶ Creating Space

▶ 1 v 1s

Individual Defending Techniques

▶ 1 v 1s; 2 v 2s; 3 v 3s

▶ Pressurising and intercepting

▶ Tackling

▶ Forcing play

▶ Marking

▶ Cover

▶ Support

NovemberTeam Attacking Principles

▶ Attacking team shape

▶ Switching play

▶ Creating space in wide areas

▶ Midfield support play

▶ Forward movement

Team Defending Principles

▶ Defending in a back line

▶ Defending in midfield

▶ Defending from the front

DecemberAttacking Principles

of Team Play

▶ Overlap runs

▶ Wall passes

▶ Movement to attack crosses

▶ Movement of forwards to

receive in space

Defending Principles

of Play

▶ Dealing with 1 v 1s

▶ Defending a 2 v 1s

▶ Communication

▶ Defending in a 2 v 2s

▶ Defending in a 3 v 3s

▶ Compactness

JanuaryIndividual Attacking

Principles of Play

▶ 2 sessions speed agility

endurance based sessions

▶ Creating space as an

individual to turn / receive

▶ Individual turning skills to

create space

▶ Individual dribbling skills to

create space

FebruaryIndividual Defending

Principles of Play

▶ 2 sessions speed agility

endurance based sessions

▶ Defensive footwork

▶ Defensive heading

▶ Jockeying

▶ Direction and distance

▶ Coach team / player needs

MarchCoaching Player / Team

Weaknesses

▶ Small sided games

▶ First touch work

▶ Maintaining fitness


All Weather Academy Training Area

Indoor Swimming Pool for Fitness

Indoor Training Area

Futsal Pitch

Aerobic Fitness AreaFoot Volley and Tennis Courts

Junior Football and Rugby Pitch

Senior Football and Rugby Pitch


09:00 – RegistrationGet ready for the day ahead.

09:05-10:25 – Football Fitness SessionTesting our fitness, tough but essential if we are footballers. We all try and be the fittest player in the squad.

10:25-11:05 – AssemblyMeet up with the Academy boys and the rest of my school pals.

11:05-11:20 – Morning Break

11:20-12:00 – Academic LessonAfter a quick change and a shower I am off to an English lesson. All footballers need a top education so my academics are just as important as my football.

12:00-12:40 – Academic LessonOff to Mathematics, very important for me to work out how many goals I have scored for the Academy this season.

12:45-13:35 – Lunch TimeEssential for footballers, the food is fantastic here freshly prepared by a team of chefs and very nutritious.

13:35-14:15 – Academic LessonGeography with Mr Shaw, he is a keen footballer who can help improve my world knowledge. He knows where all of the top clubs are.

14:15-15:35 – School Sports LessonDifferent sports are on offer and taking part enhances my motor skills and balance, football is always available though which is great.

15:35-16:00 – Afternoon Break

16:00-17:00 – PrepKeeping up my grades is important to me so any homework is done now so tomorrow is free.

17:00-18:00 – Squad Football PracticeTraining with my school team squad. We have professional coaching from S.A.F.A. We have teams representing Under 13s, Under 14s, Under 15s, Under 16s and Under 19s.

18:30-19:15 – DinnerI need my food after a full-on day its chicken pasta and fresh fruit salad tonight. Another chance to see my school pals.

20:30-21:30 – Evening PrepKeeping on top of my academic studies is as essential as my football training.

22:30 – Lights OutI have worked hard today and Mr Colston the Academy Director tells me that quality rest is just as important as quality training. So it’s off to sleep for me.

A Typical Day at Buckswood


Every year Buckswood Academy participate in a Football

Development Programme and Match Day Experience with

Chelsea FC and Fulham FC.

This exciting initiative offers our enthusiastic young footballers

the opportunity to train with expert professional coaching staff

at one of the Premier League’s top clubs, with access to first

class facilities and tickets to watch a Premier League fixture

against one of the top teams in England.

This is a unique chance to experience life within a top

professional club and provide our players with hands on

knowledge of what it takes to be a professional footballer.

It will help develop them as players and as a team and provide

them with valuable lessons that they can take with them in

whatever their chosen career path should be.

The day starts with a full mornings training session at the

Fulham first team training ground in New Malden, and after

lunch the boys are given some small sided game coaching and

a number of football challenges to complete. The afternoon

session takes place in Fulham’s state of the art mega dome

which houses a fantastic 3g pitch and training area which the

boys thought was fantastic.

After the session the boys were given medals and certificates.

After a brief stop to grab a snack we made our way to our

hotel for the night. The hotel is used by many premiership clubs

before matches in the capital and has an amazing amount of

things to do. We decide to have a gym session before dinner

and we all meet in the dining room for a real footballer’s meal

of chicken and pasta which replaces all of the energy lost from

the tough training session.

The following morning after breakfast we are transferred to

the first team training ground of Chelsea FC and are treated

to a whole morning of first touch and technique training by

excellent coaches. After lunch at the complex we begin our

afternoon training session which to the boys delight is all about

improving your finishing. At the end of the session we are

transferred to Craven Cottage as guests of Fulham Football

club and are given tickets to the Fulham v Chelsea premiership

clash which is being shown live on sky sports.

While we are watching the match we are informed that we are

to be invited to take part in a penalty shoot out competition

in front of the cameras and 40,000 people, what an honour.

At the end of the game just when we thought the day was over

we were introduced to several of the Chelsea players many of

them came over and signed autographs for the boys.

What a great experience for the Buckswood Academy boys.

Stamford Bridge the home of Chelsea FC

Craven Cottage the home of Fulham FC

Football Development Programme and Match Day Experiencewith Chelsea FC and Fulham FC


Buckswood Football Academy, live on Sky Sports at half-time for a penalty shoot-out competition during the match between Fulham FC and Chelsea FC


The Academy boys set off for the English national stadium at

Wembley for a guided tour of the whole ground. We arrived to

see the amazing Wembley arch which was visible from at least

3 miles away. All of the boys stared at the unbelievable sight of

Wembley’s newest feature.

On arrival we were greeted by our tour guide who took us up

to the top of the stadium to see it from the roof. What a fantastic

sight this new stadium is. We were then shown the post match

victory lounge where the winning team celebrates their victory.

We pose for pictures here and then move on to see the press

room.

All of the lads pose in the England managers chair and give a

press conference to the rest of the group. After a short DVD

presentation of Wembley over the years we move on to see

the changing area and the Academy boys rush to sit in Frank

Lampard and Steven Gerrard’s seats and pose for pictures. What

an inspiring place.

The guys are shown to a warm up room which is completely

soundproofed and also to the shower area before making our

way out of the tunnel on to the hallowed Wembley turf. What

a buzz, the guys are mesmerised by the experience as they set

foot on the pitch.

We are shown the dug outs and take the long wembley walk

up the steps to see the FA Cup waiting for us at the top WOW

!! the Academy boys cant believe they can hold the cup aloft at

Wembley.

After several pictures we are shown to the Bobby Moore statue

and after posing for pictures there we are led to the Wembley

shop.

After spending money on Wembley merchandise we board the

Buckswood coach for home. A fantastic day was had by everyone.

Our Annual Trip to the National Stadium at Wembley

National Stadium at Wembley

The Academy Boys got to lift the FA Cup at Wembley


Every year the Academy go on an international development

tour to a different country.

This year we chose Georgia and were hosted by our sister school

Buckswood International School Tbilisi.

The philosophy of the academy is that the boys visit different

cities around the world and experience both a new culture of life

and a new style of football. This also raises the player’s confidence

and profile whilst also learning about the country visited.

The academy boys began each day with a training session which

included an early morning run or swim and then we would eat a

good breakfast before going on a short excursion in preparation

for one of our matches.

We played two matches, both of which we won and participated

in a 5 v 5 tournament in Tbilisi.

The academy boys were split into two teams for the tournament

and we finished as champions and runners up in the competition,

with one of our teams not conceding a single goal.

We were also lucky enough to play against the Georgian National

Youth Under 16 side at a fantastic venue in the city, and were

unfortunate not to win, the game finished 1-1.

The hospitality of the Georgian people was fantastic and all of

the boys who attended the tour not only enjoyed the football

element but learnt a lot about Georgian culture a.

International Trip – Georgia

Below: Buckswood School in Tbilisi’s Astro Turf Pitch Right: Tbilisi’s Parliament Building

The School Teams

Buckswood SchoolGuestling, Nr Hastings, East Sussex TN35 4LT

Tel: +44 (0)1424 813813Fax: +44 (0)1424 812100

Email: [email protected]

Under 16s – League Champions

Under 19s – League Runners-Up and Cup Finalists

Under 16s – Georgia Tour Champions

Under 14s – League Champions

Under 14s – Regional Cup Winners

football acedemy brochure

Documents

charlton fc

director of football

senior football

representative football

established football

buckswood football academyto

professional football

youth academy