Stan - School Football Tournaments
Stan, a pupil from Harris Garrard Academy, took part in a schools football tournament hosted by Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) and has now progressed to CACT’s Valley Gold Advanced Centre.
Across the academic year, as part of its school sports offer, CACT hosts eight school football tournaments for both boys and girls for schools in Bexley, Greenwich, Kent and Bromley.
After impressing during a schools football tournament hosted by CACT, Stan was scouted to attend the Valley Gold Advanced Centre. The Valley Gold Advanced Centre offers talented players who have impressed in CACT’s Football and Sports Development programmes an opportunity to train each week under the guidance of UEFA A and UEFA B licensed coaches.
Stan said: “I have really enjoyed playing in the tournaments; it’s a competitive environment that makes you play better. The fact they are organised by a professional club like Charlton makes them feel more important.
“I really enjoy attending the Valley Gold Advanced Centre and I have made loads of friends. The training is more advanced and technical than my Sunday league team, so I feel I am getting better each week.”
Harry Green, a teacher from Harris Garrard Academy, said: “CACT’s schools tournaments are, in my eyes, the best football opportunities we have on offer for our school. We have borough football competitions, but they are not as well organised or played on an all-weather pitch, so we often have biased referees or postponed games. I also like the no-parent rule, as we have experienced parental issues when we have played other schools.
“The children also feel it's more prestigious to play in a tournament organised by Charlton, due to the connection to a professional club. The fact we have had one pupil be scouted and successfully accepted in the Valley Gold Advanced Centre means the others see a potential pathway.”
Bradley Marshall, CACT’s Senior Football & Sports Development Officer, said: “The school tournaments have been a huge success, with four boys’ and four girls’ tournaments run in each school year, as well as one Key Stage One tournament. Over 1,000 pupils have taken part in the last year from schools across Greenwich, Bexley and Kent.
“We provide pupils with a pathway into the Charlton Athletic Academy via our Valley Gold Advanced Centre and will always look out for players like Stan, who we feel deserve the opportunity to showcase their potential.”
Find out more about the regular football tournaments for local schools hosted by CACT.