Reds Elite Development Soccer Programme
Crawley Town Community Sports Foundation is proud to introduce a unique Mini Soccer Centre that offers children aged 5-8 years the ideal introduction to football.
The Reds Elite Development Soccer (R.E.D.S) programme allows players to experience top quality training that will focus on improving their core technical skills such as ball mastery, dribbling and striking the ball as well as match days, where, as part of a team, their communication skills and insight into the game will develop.
Community manager Dave Francis said: “This is a great opportunity which I experienced the benefits of first hand in America through organisations such as the American Youth Soccer Organisation. Fun games and exercises are a great way for children to become ‘best friends’ with the ball, but it is the opportunity to play games that allows them the confidence to put those skills into a practical situation, as well as learning the rules of the game.”
Training days will take place at Oriel High School, Maidenbower, every Thursday from 5-6pm. Players will be split into two groups – Mini R.E.D.S. (School Years R and 1) and Junior R.E.D.S. (School Years 2 and 3) – and will work in groups of no more than eight with their designated coach in order to make sure they get maximum contact time. They will take part in progressive training sessions following our age-specific curriculum where learning through fun games and exercises are the key.
Match days take place from 9-10am on Saturdays and, as with the pros, they are at a different venue to training with Ifield Community College being our host. Players will play with their squads of eight in 4 versus 4 games against other squads. Substitutions will happen on a consistent basis to make sure each player receives ample rest and game time. Each week will see different opposition, in order to allow children to get used to playing against a variety of players, as well as learning key laws such as how to take a throw in, when goal kicks, corner kicks and free kicks take place and showing good sportsmanship at the end of each game.
Every child who takes part will receive a wristband, a training day t-shirt and a match day t-shirt, dependant on their squad, each with their own squad number. The season will last for 27 weeks with the first training session at Oriel on October 4th.
Cost of the sessions is £6 per week (training and match) or £135 down payment for the entire season, a £27 saving. Players will also receive a progress report at the half way stage and end of the season to see how their skills have improved and what they still need to work on.
If you are interested in signing your son or daughter up as a R.E.D.S. Player, or would like to find out more, please contact either Dave Francis or Sam Dowling at the following e-mail addresses: davefrancis@crawleytownfc.com or samdowling@crawleytownfc.com