Crawley Town Community Foundation have been creating links with local grassroots football clubs to help strengthen opportunities for junior footballers in the local area.
The scheme is free for grassroots clubs to participate within and provides opportunities for clubs to receive Coach CPD and extra training opportunities for their most talented players.
Players within our Elite and Development Programme receive:
- An extra training session a week to complement their grassroots commitments
- Ball Retrieval opportunities at Crawley Town first team matches
- Opportunity to play on the People’s Pension Stadium Pitch
- Matches against professional clubs during School Holidays
- Training and matches does not take players away from their youth teams but seeks to complement and support them
Last season we worked with Lingfield FC; Chesworth Rovers; Broadbridge Heath Bears and Henfield FC. The Grassroots Partnership Programme has already created many opportunities for players from these clubs to trial for Crawley Town. Players are usually invited through referrals from their team managers.
Vicky Hobbs, coach for Lingfield Youth FC and U9’s parent at Crawley Town, said this about the partnership, “The Partnership Scheme between Lingfield Youth FC and Crawley Town FC has been great for both my son, a player in the U9's section and myself as a coach in the U7's section.
My son has been given the opportunity to develop his skills and confidence, playing with others that match his ability within the development team and I have picked up a few coaching tips and practice ideas just by watching him each week!”
Andy, from Henfield FC said “It’s no secret that myself and John are very enthusiastic about the Crawley Town initiative and wish to expand upon the relationship – It ticks so many boxes for a community club such as Henfield; and not overlooking that such as this offers successful trialists an opportunity to make friendships with like-interest & standard footballers outside of the Henfield or school bubbles.”
If you volunteer for a Grassroots club and would like to get involved with the grassroots programme, email KayleighBowers@crawleytownfc.com for more information.
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