Fingal County Council and FAI launch second year of TY Football Development Course
Friday, November 3, 2017
Fingal County Council and the Football Association of Ireland launched the second year of the Transition Year Football Development Course last week in Dublin.
The comprehensive course gives participants an opportunity to meet their educational requirements while developing football skills in a professional manner.
Denis Hyland and Martin Doyle are co-funded FAI Development Officers with Fingal County Council who assist in the co-ordination of this successful initiative.
Over the course of the 2017-18 academic year, the 26 Transition Year students participating in the programme will mix academic subjects such as Maths and English with Kick Start 1 and 2 coaching courses and modules in Fitness Instruction, Media Skills and Personal Development as well as football training and strength and conditioning work.
In addition, the participants will undertake an ITEC Fitness Instructors Course delivered by Litton Lane Fitness Training. They will also return to their local primary school one day a week to work with teachers in the delivery of physical education and gain valuable work experience.
The students all demonstrate a high level of footballing ability with three of the current crew capped at International level. This was similar to last year’s candidates with four International starlets involved in the programme.
Fresh from last week’s Victory Shield endeavours, the three students missed the launch due to their International involvement but Harry Halwax, Brandon Holt and Cain Kelly put their skills to the test in the Home Nations Tournament which saw them retain the title. The trio were all capped for Paul Osam’s Republic of Ireland U16 select.
Youngster Kelly captained his side to the two in-a-row as they stomped to victory against Scotland and hosts Northern Ireland and a draw to Wales was even to see Osam’s charges lift their second title in three years.
Baldoyle’s Pobalscoil Neásain scholar Holt had a sensational campaign for the Irish in Belfast and will be one to watch out for in the future.
The course ran last year in partnership with the support of Blanchardstown Area Partnership and Sport Ireland. It was extermely well-attended and recorded an impresssive average attendance rate of 93% throughout the school year.
Seán Bohan, course participant in 2016 stated that the programme developed his game both on and off the pitch. At the start of the course Bohan was playing with Malahide NDSL team and then progressed to the U17s National League with Bohemians FC. The full time training was really beneficial to his football development. He too participated in the Victory Shield last season, which was a dream of his since he began playing football at age six.
No doubt there will be more success stories stemming from the programme on offer at Fingal.
ENDS
IMAGE
Young students Rabby Tabu, Corduff, Luke Clancy, Blanchardstown, Carl Callaghan, Malahide and Adam Verdon, Malahide with CE Fingal Co Co, Paul Reid, Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Mary McCamley and former International Keith Andrews
