News Stories - Newsletter 2

Football Development Centre Takes Off

The Sport Trafford Football Development Centre is an initiative that was raised by Sale United and developed with partner clubs and the Football Development Officer.

All were concerned that players entering the league at Under 9’s were being introduced to the less positive aspects of football, such as the “win at all costs” mentality. It was thought a better scheme would be to introduce children to football where not only do they learn to play in a less pressured environment but also get a lot of the most important part of the game, the football.

Football Development Officer, Andy Hilton, said “The Development Centre is about teaching skills to players in an environment where they can experiment, make mistakes and not be criticized for it. We also want to educate parents so that the players can be introduced to the game of football without the pressure that comes from over zealous parents. The session also brings together three of the larger Charter Standard clubs in the authority and an element of this is to break down barriers for not only the parents and club officials but for the players too. The development centre is first and foremost child centered. If this pilot scheme is as successful as we expec,t it will be the first of many in the future”.

Colin Dowdy, Chairman of Sale United FC said “The Development Centre gives the players a great chance to play together, make new friends and concentrate on improving their skill rather than focusing on winning trophies”.

The Development Centre takes place on a monthly basis at the Trafford Training Centre in Carrington.

For more information about football in the Borough contact Andy Hilton, Football Development Officer at andy.hilton@traffordleisure.co.uk