Youngsters benefiting from soccer coaching programme (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Youngsters benefiting from soccer coaching programme

FOLLOWING the Christmas break, Cirencester Town FC's Junior Players' Development programme is set to recommence next Wednesday, January 15.

As part of the club's aim and philosophy to be an integrated community-based club, a coaching and training programme for junior players selected and invited from local junior clubs commenced last September.

The basic aim of this coaching programme is to give above average standard and improving young players from the ages of 9-14 an opportunity to develop their skills by receiving professionally managed coaching from EUFA A qualified coaches.

Sessions are held at the Royal Agricultural College sports ground on a Wednesday evening under floodlights.

And young lads have been put through a planned programme of tuition on the skills, techniques and positional sense of football under the leadership of Steve Lowndes and Paul Compton, head coaches at the Cirencester College 17-19 ages Soccer Academy, along with John Paget of Swindon Town FC.

The boys are placed into age squads, and at present there are five squads with the intention of extending the scheme next season to include an U15s squad and U10s.

Youngsters are drawn from local clubs such as Cirencester Juniors, Stratton Juniors, Malmesbury, Ashton Keynes, Sherston.

It is hoped to that other local junior clubs in Tetbury, Oaksey, Minety and Cricklade will eventually be included.

Participants remain with their respective junior club and every effort is made so that JPDP matches don't clash with their junior, school and/or representative games.

The ultimate aim is to give the more talented entry to the club's Soccer Academy, which competes in the professional standard football world of the South West 17-19 Youth Leagues against Nationwide League sides.

For the Academy provides student opportunities to gain academic qualifications at the Cirencester College whilst playing and training.

The JPD programme recently completed its first full term with a round up of matches against Swindon Town FC's Centre of Excellence Juniors 9-12 ages.

Despite having to play in borrowed kit, JPDP's teams gave a great account of themselves against strong opposition.

The U10s, who have recently had three players sign for professional clubs had beaten Swindon 7-1 earlier in the season.

This time, they lost narrowly 4-3 while the U11s gave a commendable and improving performance before going down 1-5.

Perhaps the best result of the night, in these matches played at the Corinium Stadium, came from the JPDP U12s who managed a superb 2-2 draw with Swindon's Centre of Excellence.

The JPD Programme is still at the early stages of development, but has made a positive start.

About four to six matches a year are being planned against professional clubs' Centres of Excellence and Inter-League Representative Squads.

Running costs of the JPD Programme, with coach fees, hire of sports lights and all- weather pitch, does have expensive overheads.

Any local company willing to help out with sponsorship, or that assist in any other way, is asked contact Cirencester Town FC's general manager, Anna Kocerhan, on 01285 654543.