The Guernsey Football Association and Guernsey Soccer School delivery programme for the 2019 calendar year with Spirit has now concluded, and once again it has been another successful year with record attendance numbers at the various sessions and tournaments.

Since the GFA and GFC Soccer School combined resources several years ago, the Soccer School has been able to offer an enhanced provision of football activities that provides fun learning and development opportunities for players of all levels of ability and experience. Over the years, this has led to the introduction of some fantastic initiatives and events including the community focused Football for a Fiver scheme, the exciting Dutch Masters tournaments, Guernsey FA ‘Giveaway’ and various tournament weeks, including the 2016 Euro Championships tournament and 2018 WolrdChamps tournament. 

The partnership with Spirit, which secured the future of the overall Soccer School delivery programme, also includes the year round core delivery of the after-school coaching courses that have been, and remain, so popular and successful in terms of introducing young children to the sport in a positive environment with highly qualified and experienced professional coaches. During 2019 the number of children attending these weekly sessions has significantly increased, whilst a record number of children that attended the ‘Giveaway’ week and Football for a Fiver sessions during the summer holidays.

Over the course of the year, a total of 305 hours have been delivered, which for the first time has also included specific Goalkeeper sessions within the Soccer School programme and Guernsey Soccer School Director, Tony Vance commented that:

‘The partnership with Spirit continues to be positive for local football development in that it ensures there is a wide ranging Soccer School programme that continues to be available for the hundreds of children that attend the various sessions delivered throughout the year. We greatly appreciates the support being provided by Spirit and look forward to continuing to provide these, and new, opportunities for the local community. It has been great to see the addition of the Goalkeeper sessions to the Soccer School programme to ensure we cater for the development of all players.

It is great that we have the support of Spirit through the Soccer School programme and that supporting player development is recognised in this way. The Soccer School has always focused on providing young children with the opportunity to learn the game in a safe and fun environment and as a result has received great feedback from children and parents for the technical development and understanding the sessions provide.  With the support of Spirit, all of the Soccer School coaches are looking forward to 2020 and the opportunity to continue supporting the development of many young and enthusiastic footballers throughout the upcoming year’.

For more information about the Soccer School, or to book onto the various sessions, please visit http://www.soccerschool.gg