While Wolves’ official charity has shown its flexibility and ability to deliver many of its projects in a different and ‘virtual’ way during the Covid-19 pandemic, there isn’t anything which can replicate the face-to-face experience of delivering coaching sessions.
The sessions, which come under the ‘Core Sports’ umbrella of the Foundation’s offering, have now restarted and as numbers have been allowed to increase staff are keen to raise awareness and welcome both new and returning players to help improve their games.
“What we deliver with the ‘Core Sports’ programme are structured football sessions covering school age from reception up to Year Six,” explains Tom Wellings, football development coach with the Foundation.
“The Foundation deliver some fantastic projects across so many areas such as school sport, health and inclusion, but this is our structured football programme where we particularly aim to help participants improve.
“This is the opportunity to play football in a Wolves facility, coached by a Wolves coach and develop your game.
“The sessions are usually run over a block of six weeks, during which we work from a plan with players learning everything from fundamental skills to basic passing and receiving the ball, shooting and dribbling.
“As they progress through, they learn skills to help them in all areas and become what we describe as ‘the complete Wolves player’ so we will do drills based for example on Conor Coady’s defending, Ruben Neves’ passing and Raul Jimenez’s shooting.
“At the end of the course we then have a games week where they can put everything they have learned into practice.”
Click here to view the variety of paid sessions available on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, including goalkeeper sessions, with all open to both boys and girls while a separate ‘girls only’ group is currently being piloted.
All abilities are welcome and, as part of the player pathway, players who show particular ability can be referred to Academy coaching staff with the objective of attending an Academy session or trial.
Although current blocks have started, participants can still sign up for remaining sessions before the summer holidays (prices are adjusted based on number of sessions remaining) after which Soccer Schools will then return.
A competition held on social media offering a free taster sessions to different local clubs or schools to help build awareness of the restart received over 800 entries via the comments, with the lucky winners now having been selected.
“The sessions are really popular and we are fortunate to have so many loyal players who keep coming back,” adds Tom.
“We have seen a real difference since lockdown with some of the players who were in Year 2 having come back in Year 3 and really developed and been ready to make further progress.
“We always look forward to new people coming along and our coaching is not just about improving skills but also enjoyment and having fun.
“For us, lockdown was a lot about planning and talking as it is difficult to replicate what we do in coaching although we did send out an Activity Pack with drills children could do at home and in their gardens.
“But there is nothing like being back doing the sessions and we even had a nice little reunion last week with two staff who we hadn’t seen for over a year!”
Players attending Core Sports sessions were also able to get involved in the Foundation’s Play on the Pitch day of activities recently, enjoying the chance to grace the Molineux turf as part of the end-of-season programme of activities.
What is also beneficial about the development sessions is that the vast majority of coaches are already well known to the Foundation, as they have come through the BTEC or degree courses run by the charity.
So not only is there a potential pathway for players, but coaches as well.
“It is great that so many of our coaches have studied with the Foundation – it is what helps create the Wolves family with strong values and makes a positive difference with coaching the young players,” says Tom.
“It gives them the opportunity to put what they have learned on the courses into practice in real life coaching situations.”
To get involved, click the link above or call our administration team on 01902 828366. Don’t forget to follow us on social media for regular updates @wwfcfoundation.
