Aspiring young goalkeepers will soon have access to the UK’s first dedicated further education and goalkeeping academy, through a new partnership between Capital City College (CCC) and The Nationals, a leading goalkeeper coaching and education programme in the UK.
The Goalkeeper Education Academy (GEA) allows students to combine learning at a further education college while receiving professional goalkeeping coaching.
The GEA is aimed at young people aged 16-18 who are looking for the opportunities that further education can bring. This new employer partnership offers a healthy balance of studies and sport, taking place at CCC’s Enfield centre.
Launching this September, the academy offers students goalkeeper-specific coaching alongside further education classes through Capital City College.
The typical goalkeeping academy student receive:
Six hours of weekly professional goalkeeper coaching
An affiliation with, and work experience opportunities at professional and semi-professional football clubs
Performance analysis with professional feedback and target setting
Tactical, technical and mindset workshops
The chance to observe professional club training
On-site medical and physical support
Scholarship and bursary opportunities
Paul Sherratt, co-founder of The Nationals, said: “There are football programmes around the UK but none of them specifically align goalkeeper training with full-time further education. So we think it’s a first for any college across the UK. We want to create a pathway for goalkeepers, so they train and study, and work with a high calibre of professional coaches and personnel and come away with a high-quality education while developing as well-rounded individuals. It’s a win-win.”
