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TIVIDALE FOOTBALL ACADEMY JOIN NATIONWIDE FUTSAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Tividale Football Academy join a flourishing network of professional football clubs that are partnering with @Futsal Group to establish an education-led Academy
A new era of football-based education is on its way to Sandwell, as Tividale Football Academy join a nationwide Futsal Education Programme. Students aged 16-18 will have the opportunity to study towards a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport, whilst developing the technical skills to harness their potential on the pitch.
Lloyd McCormack, Youth Recruitment Manager at the academy and Owner of Kickstart Learning, commented: “We’re delighted to introduce Futsal to Tividale Football Academy and can’t wait to see the scholars’ progress both on the pitch and in the classroom. The programme that @Futsal Group have created is of great excitement to us and I know I’m not alone in thinking that Futsal has a crucial role in the future of our domestic game. That’s why we’re using Futsal alongside our 11-a-side programme, and I believe that this is a superb opportunity for any potential scholars out there. We look forward to welcoming them on board!”
The Academy’s partnership with @Futsal Group sees them join the Futsal National Development League (NDL) programme, which involves a range of professional and semi-professional clubs nationwide. Participating clubs establish an Academy to deliver the sport and work-skills study programme, as well as competing in the national games programme. @Futsal Group are an innovative education and training provider, as well as being the UK’s market leaders for the provision of Futsal as a sport. The chance to study towards a national qualification with the added enrichment of playing for a professional football club makes for a truly unique opportunity for the scholars that sign up to the programme.
Tividale Football Academy, working alongside Kickstart Learning as well as @Futsal Group, are delivering both 11-a-side and Futsal within their partnership, and are looking to establish strong links between both formats of the game in order to harness maximum potential for the scholars on board. The Futsal scholars will learn and train at Birmingham International @Futsal Arena, which is the largest indoor Futsal facility in Europe and is considered to be a centre of excellence.
Tividale Football Academy have just seen two of their players sign new deals for Tividale FC, midfielder Desean Martin and forward Shaquille Leachman-Whittingham. Whittingham made history when he became the first ever Tividale Football Academy player to feature for Tividale FC in their 61 year history.
The BTEC Sports study programme, which was created and developed by @Futsal Group is fully funded and features Futsal as an enrichment, which also includes the world’s first dedicated Futsal coaching syllabus. The courses are delivered using @Futsal Group’s bespoke learning platform; a Virtual Learning Resource called ‘Inspire’. This allows scholars to work remotely on electronic devices, whilst having online access to the very latest study content and tutor assessment.
Upon completing the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport, scholars will have the equivalent of 3 A-Levels, meaning that multiple career pathways will be available to them having graduated from the Academy. Progression into Higher Education, employment within the rapidly expanding Sport & Active Leisure industry and also the chance to represent England at Futsal are just three of the options that have already arisen for previous Academy scholars.
As part of the programme, Tividale Football Academy will compete in the Futsal National Development League, which is organised into regional divisions across @Futsal Group’s spine of state-of-the-art Futsal arenas. Futsal involves five players from each team on the pitch at any one time, and is much closer to the traditional 11-a-side game than the normal 5-a-side format that is played in our country.
The game’s leading governing bodies such as The Football Association and Premier League have earmarked Futsal as being crucial to our development in nurturing future home-grown talent. Many clubs around the country are looking to the sport for youth development, and Tividale Academy join a flourishing network of clubs that are part of the Futsal NDL programme.
Frank Rodriguez, Chief Executive of @Futsal Group, commented: “This programme provides unique enrichment for football clubs, and for the young people that decide to sign up. What we have developed is unique and world class. It is a fantastic opportunity for any clubs or individuals that share our own drive, ambition and commitment to quality. We’re thrilled to be working with Tividale Football Academy and I’m confident that it’ll be a long and prosperous partnership.”
Futsal originated in Uruguay in 1936 and has since risen to prominence in Brazil, Argentina and across the European continent. The game has produced an unstoppable array of global superstars ranging from Pelé, Socrates and Zico right through to Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. It is the only form of small-sided football to be officially recognised by FIFA, UEFA and The FA, and is reported to be the fastest growing indoor sport on the planet.
Any scholars looking to apply for the course, starting in September 2015, can do so online at
http://www.futsaluk.net/2015-07-20/tividale-fc-academy-join-our-ndl-programme
For more information, email:education@futsaluk.net or text “TIVIDALE” to 07584 166 606.
