Stars of tomorrow celebrate academy's third birthday with trip to Spain

Nick Watkins - Writer 03:28 07/03/2018
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  • Alliance Academy

    Some of football’s stars of tomorrow are getting the chance to train with some of the biggest names in Spain.

    Alliance Academy, a UAE Football Association-approved soccer school, is traveling to Spain to train with La Liga giants Valencia.

    This month, the academy celebrates its three-year anniversary having been set up in 2015 by Mehran Rowshan.

    As part of the academy setup, this year, they will be taking thirty-five members to Spain for some La Liga coaching. “We actually work with Valencia FC and the difference between this trip and others is that we will train with Valencia’s coaches and use their academy. The kids get to play against their teams too.”

    Crucially for Rowshan, the trip is just as much about education as it is football, “We also have a reading initiative while we’re there, each kid has to read their book before training and then at the end of the day a few of the kids will be speaking to the group about the book and what they’ve learned. It’s not just football we’re teaching; it’s educating kids and teaching them to be good people. This year 35 kids will be going with our coaches. Half of the group are under 10s and 12s and the other half are under 16s, so we’re looking forward to the trip.”

    Rowshan started the Alliance Academy after his semi-pro career was cut short due to injury but his love of the game led him to become a professional coach, helping develop over 5,000 players off all abilities. He has designed a course, which helps develop character, build confidence and life skills as well as developing as a footballer.

    His credentials include UEFA and International Coaching Licenses, along with qualifications in football psychology, match analysis and coaching children. “We’ve grown a lot and we expect to double in size by October this year, we should have around 300 kids,” Rowshan told Sport360°.

    Players, between the ages of 4-18, spend the majority of sessions involved with a ball to establish a connection with it and to develop technique. Away from the pitch, players also get a good understanding of the health and nutritional side of the game to ensure they maximize their performance on the field.

    The academy also gives children a chance to test their abilities with players overseas. Previous events have seen the Alliance Academy travel compete in Europe and Africa.

    Children can get involved in the weekly training sessions, which take place, at Sunmarke School, JVT, on Sundays and Tuesdays and Fridays at Jebel Ali shooting club. Prices per term (10 weeks) are AED 2500 for 2 training sessions a week, AED 3300 for 3 training sessions a week.

    For more information visit alliancefootballclub.com.

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