OUR TEAMS
HI! YOU MADE IT THIS FAR! BRILLIANT! SO, AS THE TITLE OF THE PAGE SUGGESTS, THIS IS WHERE YOU GET THE SKINNY, THE INFO, THE DOWNLOW ON THE BACKBONE OF THE BFA:
THE TEAMS
(WHICH WE DO HOPE YOU WILL JOIN!)
LITTLELIONS
AGES 3 - 5
FOR OUR LITTLE LIONS, THE FOCUS IS ON FUN, FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS AND DEVELOPING GOOD BEHAVIOURS. THE MAIN AIM IS TO MAKE SESSIONS FUN AND TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN WANT TO CONTINUE PLAYING SPORT. COACHES WILL ALSO LOOK TO DEVELOP SKILLS LIKE AGILITY, BALANCE AND COORDINATION, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME INTRODUCING SOME BASIC FOOTBALL SPECIFIC SKILLS. TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR THE FOUNDATION PHASE. A BIG EMPHASIS IS PUT ON DEVELOPING GOOD BEHAVIOURS AND VALUES SUCH AS HARD WORK, RESPECT, LISTENING SKILLS AND TEAMWORK WHICH ARE A MASSIVE AND IMPORTANT PART OF THE BFA PHILOSOPHY.
FOUNDATION PHASE
AGES 6 - 10
OUR FOUNDATION PHASE IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME IN A CHILDS FOOTBALL LIFE, HERE THEY START TO BE PART OF A TEAM, SOCIALISE WITH PEERS. BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WINNING AND LOSING. IT IS A DELICATE BALANCE OF ENJOYMENT AND LEARNING BUT AT BFA THE MAIN AIM AT THIS AGE IS TO LOVE THE GAME, BE FREE TO MAKE MISTAKES AND NOT BE CRITICISED FOR IT EMBRACE CREATIVITY AND ENCOURAGE CONFIDENCE NOT JUST IN THEIR FOOTBALL BUT IN THEIR CHARACTER.
FOUNDATION PHASE PHILOSOPHY
• Learn to ‘Love the Game’ – stay in love
• High levels of technical repetition work
• Players to enjoy playing in the positive environment created
FOUNDATION PHASE TEAMS: BOYS & GIRLS
WE WILL HAVE TEAMS THAT PLAY IN GAMES STARTING FROM UNDER 6, THROUGHOUT THIS PHASE THERE WILL BE NO FOCUS ON WINNING GAMES, WE NEED THE CHILDREN TO LOVE THE GAME AND UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS IT TAKES TO IMPROVE. WITH EACH GAME WE PLAY IN THIS PHASE. THE EMPHASIS WILL BE ON INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM TARGH-S. THIS IS CONSTANTLY EMPHASISED AT THIS AGE AS THE CULTURE OF THE KIDS AND THE CLUB IS LESS ABOUT WINNING AND MORE ABOUT THE FOCUS ON IMPROVING. PARENTS WILL HAVE A HUGE PART TO PLAY IN THIS PHILOSOPHY AND WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE NO SIDELINE SHOUTING AT GAMES OTHER THAN POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT LEAVE THE COACHING TO THE COACH!
DEVELOPMENT PHASE
AGES 11 -16
THIS PHASE IS WHERE THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO A MORE COMPETITIVE PROGRAMME, HERE WE ARE LOOKING FOR OUR TEAMS TO LEARN HOW TO WIN GAMES, BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY LOSE. THE TRAINING WILL BE MORE COMPLEX AND INTENSE AS THE PLAYERS MATURE INTO YOUNG ADULTS. DURING THIS PHASE THE PLAYERS WILL BE EXPOSED TO NEW TRAINING TECHNIQUES SUCH AS STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING, PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND WORK EXPERIENCE WHERE EACH YEAR THEY WILL LEARN HOW TO COACH AND LEAD A GROUP OF YOUNGER BFA PLAYERS IN A TRAINING SESSION THROUGH OUR YOUNG LEADERS SCHEME.
DEVELOPMENT PHASE PHILOSOPHY:
• Develop both technical and tactical aspects of the game
• Understand roles and responsibilities
• Be competitive
• Players take ownership of their own development/become more independent thinkers of the game
AS WITH THE FOUNDATION PHASE THERE ARE NUMEROUS BOYS AND GIRLS TEAMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE, FROM RECREATIONAL TO ACADEMY AND THEN OUR ELITE PROGRAMME. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ELITE PROGRAMME. DROP USA LINE FROM THE HOME PAGE CONTACT FORM!
POST ACADEMY 17+
ONCE A PLAYER IS COMING TO THE END OF THEIR YOUTH FOOTBALL CAREER IT CAN BE QUITE DAUNTING FIGURING OUT WANT TO DO, IF THEY ARE EXCELLING AT FOOTBALL DO THEY TRY TO BECOME PROFESSIONAL OR IS IT TIME TO FOCUS ON COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES7T WE ARE ABLE TO HELP IN BOTH ASPECTS WITH STRONG LINKS TO PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIES ACROSS THE UK AND EUROPE AS WELL AS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE GLOBE WHERE YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER CAN CONTINUE PLAYING COMPETITIVELY BUT ALSO GET A GREAT EDUCATION.
OUR PLAYER PATHWAY THROUGHOUT THE TIME THEY ARE WITH BFA IS CLEAR AND WE HELP GUIDE THEM THROUGH THEIR FOOTBALL AND PERSONAL JOURNEY AS SOON AS THEY START WITH US WHERE EVER THAT MAY BE.
