Argyle Community Trust
ARGYLE Community Trust welcomed a group of new students on our Football Education programme for an introduction to the course at the University of St Mark & St John (Marjon).
The youngsters will begin their two-year BTEC in Sports Development and Coaching in September, working at sites across the region, including the Home Park stadium and our specialist Futsal Centre in Redruth.
The day was hosted as part of our partnership with the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and Union Learn Funding (ULF), who assist the Trust in providing access to education for the wider community by using the ‘Achievement Through Sport’ project.
“This was a special opportunity for the youngsters to experience a taste of their course for the next two years,” said Trust Manager Mark Lovell.
“They are now part of the football club, members of the Plymouth Argyle family and we want them to reach their full academic and football potential on a course that looks to provide a clear pathway to higher education and a career in the sports industry.”
The day kicked-off with an early morning training session on the fantastic facilities at Marjon before the students were given an overview of the academic content from our course leader Lee Britchford, focussing on the specific modules covered over the two-year period.
Lead tutor at Redruth, Mike Foley, then outlined the specific overseas opportunities provided to our students, as we continue to forge closer links with leading universities and football clubs in the United States.
This partnership stems from our annual pilgrimage across the pond to sample life in an American university, while playing matches against some top teams from the east coast of the States.
We were then delighted to welcome PFA representative Riz Rehman for a detailed workshop on the importance of equality in our sport, focussing on the students’ new responsibilities as official members of the Plymouth Argyle family.
Riz Rehman added: "It’s great to see so many young people signed up to the PAFC education programme and be really enthused about what is on offer for them. To have the first-team manager Derek Adams attend and talk to the young players about his own journey was inspiring.
“There are countless opportunities available for young people at the Trust and the PFA are pleased to be working closely with Argyle Community Trust to support learners through their journey."
The morning was completed by the Q&A session with Argyle manager Derek Adams, providing the students with a unique insight into his experiences as a player, coach and manager.
After a well deserved lunch, the players took part in a fitness-based water polo session and a series of Futsal matches, giving them the full spectrum of what to expect when their course commences in September.
A big thank-you to the PFA and ULF for their excellent support for the Trust and to find out more about the fantastic education programmes available with Argyle Community Trust, give us a call on 01752 562561 ext.4 or email community@pafc.co.uk
