Sky Blues in the Community Player Development Centres have once again enjoyed success this season, with over 40 players having trials at professional football academies.
The Development Centre initiative was set up in 2010 to provide advanced technical and tactical coaching to young players aged 6-18, with the aim of helping players achieve their potential and offering a pathway from grassroots to elite football.
Of the 40 players attending trials this season, seven of these have signed their first contracts with professional academies. All these players trained and developed their skills with our UEFA ‘B’ qualified coaches, before progressing on to the academy ranks.
So far this season Charlie Morgan, Pharrell Small, Paul Bracken, Callum Scott, Lewis Campton, Chris Rhodes and Riley O’Sullivan have made the successful step up to professional academy football.
Shaun Pierce, Sport Manager for Sky Blues in the Community is pleased with the progress of the initiative this season: “It has been a fantastic season for our development centres and having seven players sign for professional academies has topped it all off.
“We have a great relationship with our academy and have had over 40 players go in on trial this season alone. I am also pleased with the player pathway we have in place, which allows us to cater for players of all abilities. A number of these players have progressed from our entry level development groups into our elite centres, and all the way through to our academy.”
Carl McNally, Head of Recruitment at the Coventry City Academy said “Since taking over as head of academy recruitment at CCFC, I have been over the moon with the link we have with our community scheme and the success stories keep coming.
“We work very closely together and either myself or one of our scouts try to attend as many training sessions and games as we can. It’s not just the boys who have been in on trial I have been impressed with the whole set up and the standard of the players is excellent.”
Planning is already under way for the 2015-16 season, with assessment days coming up for next seasons development groups. The assessment days start on the 7th May. For more information or to book a place please contact Shaun.pierce@ccfc.co.uk or phone 07766 365675.