The West Ham United Foundation’s Player Pathway programme has announced new dates and venues for the upcoming trials.
Running from Monday 27 March to Friday 5 April, the trials are an opportunity for young footballers across east London and Essex to showcase their skills and receive an invite to join the Foundation’s Player Pathway squads for the 2023/24 season.
The Foundation’s Player Pathway consists of a three-tier system (four-tier for girls) which provides young people with a specialised environment where they can develop as a player, both on and off the pitch.
“The programme aims to offer an environment which bridges the gap between grassroots and academy football,” insisted Football Development Manager Luke Hirst.
“No player is promised they’re going to be a professional footballer or an academy player; we are simply here to provide an environment that might be different to their grassroots clubs. Our job is to help each player build a toolbox of skills and understanding that can be used for the rest of their football journey.
“The objective is to help all players be ready for the next step in their journey, whether that be an academy trial or a progression within the Player Pathway.
“At the Foundation, we understand that children develop at different rates, physically and mentally. With that in mind, we look to progress players through the tiered system depending on what is right for their development at that time. We cater for all that come through our door.”
Technical Development Centres – Also known as TDCs, this is the entry tier of the Foundation’s Player Pathway model. Engaging over 250 boys and girls aged five to sixteen on a weekly basis, the emphasis is on developing players’ technical ability as well as their social circle.
Emerging Talent Centres – The ETCs offer eight to sixteen-year-olds an introduction to a squad environment with weekly sessions, showcase fixtures and individual development plans (IDP). Operating out of Woodlands School in Basildon and Beckton in Newham, players receive West Ham United Foundation training kit and a full season commitment to be a part of the Foundation’s squads with a view of aiding their long-term development and progressing them along the Pathway.
Performance Academy – Training twice a week, this specialised environment offers boys and girls aged nine to sixteen a chance to apply their learned roles and responsibilities in weekly Junior Premier League (JPL) fixtures. This tier of the Pathway aims to provide an experience that will help bridge the gap between grassroots and Academy football, offering players the chance to develop skills to use both on the pitch and off it.
Female Youth Team – The final tier of the Female’s Player Pathway looks to progress players into the Women’s first team via the Under-21s. Girls train twice a week in Beckton with weekly JPL fixtures at the weekends and have access to elite level coaching, as well as sports injury clinics, strength and conditioning plans and regular IDPs.
Commenting on the Foundation’s unique position within the community to expand the women’s game, Female Player Development Manager Nick Crickmar said: “At the West Ham United Foundation, we take our position really seriously, with the opportunity that we have to impact the local community and the wider women’s and girls' game.
“We’ve been able to work closely with partner grassroots clubs in the local area, specifically those that may have never had a girls' team before. We’ve been able to support those sections within their clubs helping to grow the women’s game locally."
As well as providing each tier with all the tools to develop as a football player on the pitch, the Player Pathway model also provides young people with a wide range of additional support.
As an organisation that covers multiple strands of work, the Foundation also provides services for players such as support concerning health and nutrition to support players’ active lifestyle, workshops surrounding resilience and confidence, as well as injury prevention.
“As part of our wider education offer, we’re able to provide online and in-person workshops that will support players’ development on and off the pitch,” added Crickmar. “For our female teams, we cover a wide range of topics including menstrual cycles, and even which sports bras to choose as well as other equipment that will help the girls be successful.”
For more information on the Player Pathway trials for the 2023/24 season, please visit the Foundation’s weekly clubs booking page at foundation.whufc.com.
