Max and Henry Garrey - Charlton Challenge
Twins Max and Henry Garrey started attending Charlton Challenge sessions at the age of 4. The boys had always loved football but hadn’t played much so Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) gave them their first experience of organised football sessions
Charlton Challenge offers structured football sessions for children aged 2-8 to help improve their core movement and develop their football skills over a 12–16-week period.
The sessions gave Henry and Max and excellent foundation of skills to work from, and within weeks of attending regularly their confidence and technical abilities began to grow.
The boys both progressed on to the Valley Gold Advanced Centre which offers specialised sessions for young footballers’ from CACT’s community-based programmes who have shown signs of excellent technical ability and a good understanding of the game.
Gareth Garrey, the twins’ father said:
“Within weeks of starting you could see them both grow in confidence and their love of football developed further. The coaching staff were brilliant with the boys and quite quickly helped develop their skills. After a year or so the boys were invited to the Advanced Centre sessions. Here the boys continued to hone their skills under the expert coaching, attending weekly sessions they enjoyed and felt comfortable at.”
After the summer holidays, the boys returned to regular training with Charlton with Max re-joining the U7 Advanced Centre sessions and Henry entering the Charlton Athletic Pre-Academy.
Gareth went on to say:
“Both boys continue to advance with their game, developing skills and tactical knowledge in a challenging but safe and comfortable environment. The progress they have made is highlighted by their excellent performances for their grassroots team every week.”
Josh Covill, CACT’s Football and Sports Development Coach, said:
“Henry and Max have been amazing to coach, and it’s been great seeing their development over the last few years. They have a great attitude and their willingness to learn has been a key factor in how much they have improved during their time with us.
“With Henry now in the Pre-Academy, and Max in the Advanced Centre, it shows that there is a pathway for more opportunities within the club for all the children that attend our sessions.”