In recent weeks, Wolves Academy coaches headed to Johannesburg to deliver on-ground coaching, which is usually presented to youngsters at the club’s academy at Compton Park.
Earlier in the partnership, Wolves coaches were delivering webinars to BSI staff and now have had the opportunity to meet in person and conduct various football coaching sessions.
As well as supporting Balderstone staff with the knowledge and practices used on players in the UK, Wolves have shared their coaching curriculum with various players while in Johannesburg, which benefitted all parties.
Zeca Marques, BSI football academy director, said: “The Wolves soccer camp was more than just football. The experience and knowledge shared have provided the youngsters with an insight to the best coaching in Europe.
“It was exciting to see how the Wolves coaches kept on emphasizing the values of sportsmanship and character. As BSI Football Academy we are privileged to be associated with a club that shares the human values and the passion for empowering youngsters with lifelong skills.
“The knowledge sharing has extended beyond the field and the BSI Football Academy have benefited from the partnership. We are looking forward to their next trip to South Africa and believe our continuing partnership will strengthen football development in the region.”
The camp and BSI training sessions provided players from around Southern Africa with a unique opportunity to be exposed to a Premier League coaching philosophy, with staff sharing their knowledge and experience by delivering a world-class training sessions.
Shawn Briscoe was part of the Wolves Academy coaching team in South Africa delivering a range of sessions, from elite to recreational camps, and even a Wolves Foundation session with St Mary’s School, Waverly, and he felt enriched from the experience.
He said: “It was an absolute privilege to go to Johannesburg and work with BSI Academy. The hospitality from the coaches and the academy was top class and made us feel extremely welcome from the second we landed. The openness from their coaches to learn and take on our ideologies and principles was fantastic, and I am looking forward to working with them closer in the future.
“The camp was extremely powerful, it brought in kids from all over South Africa and some players even travelled from Botswana to take part it. This gave us the opportunity to work with a range of different age groups and expose them to high level coaching in an environment designed for development and enjoyment.
“The Wolves Foundation session with the children from St Mary’s School was incredible. This session proved that football is more than just a game and has ability to bring such immense happiness to any participant, despite socio-economic backgrounds. This session will remain one of my fondest memories in my 13 years of coaching so far, and I can assure all that the participants from St Mary’s School feel part of the pack.”
While in South Africa, Briscoe spotted a great number of talented footballers, who are benefitting from the expert Premier League coaching they’ve received, while the club’s exposure across the globe continues to grow.
Briscoe added: “To work closely with the BSI academy players was another brilliant experience. With a great deal of talent, access to great education through BSI and the sheer desire to learn and grow; these boys have a great future ahead of them. I was blown away by how interested they were in why we do what we do at Wolves and the boys definitely took on board the club's key principles.
“All in all, the trip was unbelievable for many different reasons. The Wolves badge and colours were clearly visible throughout the week and this trip will have a lasting impact on every participant that was fortunate to be there, meaning the next time it will be even bigger.”
