Liverpool International Academy has launched in Sydney with free holiday clinics throughout June and July to supplement player development and create pathways through football.
Liverpool FC is a name that is synonymous with success. It has a storied history as a football club, as well as a rich history of achievement on and off the park. The LFC International Academy is an extension of this successful culture – by partnering with education providers, their aim is to not only improve people as footballers, but also create opportunities in the sporting industry for those who take part in their new Sydney-based program.
The program offers girls and boys aged 5-17 the opportunity to benefit from an authentic Liverpool FC coaching experience delivered by a team of accredited coaches. By using first-team players as role models, the coaches aim to develop the player as a whole – across technical, tactical, social, mental and physical elements while instilling the club’s values of Ambition, Commitment, Dignity, and Unity.
Chris Adams is the technical director of the academy and says that the difference between the LFC International Academy and other similar programs is that they offer further educational goals beyond developing the players on the pitch.
“The academy program is currently based in New South Wales. We are trying something a little bit different from other academies because we have partnered with education provider The Australian College of Physical Education,” Adams said.
The Australian College of Physical Education is an independent tertiary institution focused on physical education, coaching, and sports management. It was founded in 1917 and is based at Sydney Olympic Park. The academy will have access to these state-of-the-art facilities to give the best possible facilities to the players who take part.
General Manager Scott Collins says that the opportunity for players to further develop through education and football creates a unique offering from the academy.
“This partnership will create an environment for young players and families that will improve their knowledge and skill of football but also deliver educational outcomes to participants as well,” he said.
“Through our programs, we aim to inspire people to be the best they can be, to enable opportunity and to create an environment for success on and off the pitch.”
The format of the academy is to offer supplementary training to players while they continue to develop at their clubs, while also creating opportunities for them in a career in sport.
“We aren’t competing with the clubs or representative sides. We want to work with them to help develop these players to the best they can be. They continue to play for their clubs because our aim to develop them on and off the park,” Adams said.
Adams holds an AFC/FFA ‘A’ License in coaching and says that offering players the best coaching is paramount to their development as players.
“If we can make them better players and provide better opportunities for them in sport then we have succeeded. Having professional coaching and a professional pathway beyond this goes a long way,” he said.
Adams highlighted the strong partnerships available to the academy as its strength, as they aim to give players opportunities within sport beyond just playing.
“The facilities are fantastic, as well the pathway offered beyond just playing. If we can develop a player and allow them to pursue a career in sport then they are achieving what we set out to do,” he said.
The academy has also partnered with St Narsai Assyrian Christian College as their first school partnership. The Liverpool International Academy plans to continue partnering with other schools to strengthen its ties to the community and grow the program.
Currently, the school program offers eight weeks of professional coaching to school-aged children during the term. The program is centred around education and is a cornerstone of how the academy gauges the development of attendees.
With plans to grow the academy Australia-wide, New South Wales is just the first step in a larger plan for the academy. The Liverpool International Academy is running several free holiday clinics around Sydney over June and July which can be found here – featuring the same training programs and methods used at the Liverpool Academy in the UK, giving players the best coaching possible.
The Liverpool International Academy aims to ensure through the combination of football and education, participants will never walk alone throughout their footballing career.
