EduKick England Football Academy Training Review: Week Two

Bolton, England, Oct 5, 2009 – Students in EduKick football academies kick off their third week of training with IA skills testing, their first premier league game, and a friendly match against Preston North End just around the corner. EduKick England director Dave Bailey shares highlights from the year-long football studies program.


"The week has gone very well," said Bailey. "James Ward, the assistant coach, has had them more this week, and I have been arranging the elite trials for next season."



"The boys themselves have had another big week with the IA testing we do throughout the world, looking to identify where the players are at and compare against our own data and results from main academy and first team."

EduKick Football Academy Students Cheer First Premier League Game

The boys also went to their first premier league game this Saturday, Spurs vs. Wanderers. And what a game it was!

"The first team played Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs)," said Bailey. "They got a well-deserved point and were unlucky not to have the game wrapped up and all three points by half time. The first team played very well with the long ball tag.



"The pace of Ricardo Gardener and Chunk-Yung Lee always a threat, and on top of that, the work rate and physical presence of Kevin Davies caused Spurs plenty of problems all game.



"The boys I know really enjoyed the experience. The Bolton fans were in good song and really got behind the team with huge applause at half time and full time, and well deserved too."



EduKick Football Academy Students Challenged in IA Skills Testing

Players ran a gauntlet of skills testing last Wednesday on and off the pitch. The tests focus on speed, stamina, strength, agility, power, and balance -- key components of the EduKick football training program.

"We look at speed (straight line) over 10 and 30 meters, and agility (speed with change of direction) with and without the ball," said Bailey. "We also run a control and turning test with the ball over 10 meters, and a dribble test over 20 meters. Plus they are timed, as we want to see how players perform under a pressure environment.



"Then we do an average for the group and give them an idea of how they compare to others. We also have several other tests we do in the gym and the track. We really do put them through their paces.



"Players like to be challenged. It lays down a goal, a benchmark, and helps us identify potential players early. [It also] shows concerns and areas we may need to improve, and, as important, our strengths. Not all clubs do this, but we feel it works for us and we have great feedback whenever we do these tests."

EduKick Football Academy Prepare for Match with Preston North End

A friendly championship game pits EduKick football academy players against Preston North End. With several games under their belt since July, the mature team should give EduKick players a chance to test their skills.

"I feel they will enjoy the experience," said Bailey. "We will be assessing the fitness first, to see how they match them. We will set the boys tasks later this week to achieve in the game and we'll see how they cope with the aspects of the English game, meaning the physical and pace at which we play.



"It would be unfair to ask too much at this stage of the season and in their development. We cannot push too much too soon. Preston will have been in from July and will have several games under their belt."

EduKick Football Academy Staff Impressed with Player Progress

Bailey and the rest of the EduKick staff have been impressed by the players' progress in language and technical football skills.

"They are learning new aspects of sport, and the practical side has gone well too," said Bailey. "As for English for the non-speakers, they are doing very well. On the pitch these boys are communicating in English most of the time.

"They have conducted themselves exceptionally well off the pitch so far, and we had great feedback from the arena and café who provide the boys with healthy food from Monday to Friday. Let’s hope all the boys keep this up."