As part of the Sky Blues ongoing efforts to expand the reach of their talent identification and player development pathways a new Sydney FC Academy School program has been launched in Canberra in partnership with Erindale College and Wanniassa School.
The Sydney FC Academy School program at Erindale College and Wanniassa School will offer students in years 7-12 a unique opportunity to study and train at the newest of seven networked Sydney FC Academy Schools.
The program will also have the capacity to offer a skill development program to be delivered to students at the Wanniassa Junior campus.
Kelly Cross, our Technical Director – Youth, travelled to Canberra to help launch the partnership.
“We are proud and excited to join forces with a group of qualified and committed football people at the schools, as well as two fully supportive principals,” he said,
“Both Gary Lawson (Wanniassa) and Jessie Atkins (Erindale) are totally behind the partnership with Sydney FC and can see the many benefits our relationship will bring to all the young players here.”
The program will be the second satellite Sydney FC Academy School program outside of the Sydney metropolitan area joining Illawarra Sports High School in Wollongong.
Other programs in the Sydney metro area include Endeavour Sports High School (Sutherland Shire), Narrabeen Sports High School (Northern Beaches), Bossley Park High School (South West Sydney), Crestwood High School (Hills District) and Matraville Sports High School (Eastern Suburbs).
Technical training will be provided by approved Sydney FC coaches with academic and wellbeing support offered by school staff dedicated to providing a first class coaching and learning experience for young players in a full time year round training environment.
In addition to training with their local clubs, players will train three times per week during school hours and participate in Sydney FC talent identification days, the Sydney FC cup, attend match day and training ground experiences and participate in training sessions with Sydney FC academy staff during monitoring and support visits.
Over time the program aims to collaborate with local clubs helping to provide more opportunities to players, develop additional player pathways, produce a broader base of talent and assist with quality long-term development of young footballers.
“We believe A-League clubs should do more to help the game as a whole,’ Kelly Cross commented.
“Through the Sydney FC Academy Schools network we are helping around 500 young boys and girls as they strive to achieve their goals. This is a unique initiative and shows our commitment to growing the game of football in Australia.”
For more information on Sydney FC’s Academy School Program – click here.
