2023/24 was the tenth year of the ESPFA and we would like to acknowledge some of the fantastic opportunities that our graduates are progressing onto. 115 second-year students completed their time on the course this summer and came away with their level three in sport qualifications. 40 of those will be continuing their studies and progressing onto a higher education institution. We caught up with some of the some of those students that are progressing on to university in the UK.
Staffordshire University is a popular destination for ESPFA students with four progressing to the campus in Stoke-on-Trent.
ESPFA Staffordshire graduate Archie Davis who was a double student of the year winner in both of his years on the programme will be enrolling on to a Sports Coaching and Physical Education course with the aim of becoming a sports coach or sports teacher.
“I had a very good time at the ESPFA, it was enjoyable both on and off the pitch. Off the pitch it has given me a good understanding to future units at university, and on the pitch has increased my playing ability and has prepared me for men’s football.”
Progressing to a Sports Coach and Education course, Archie was asked which units he enjoyed on the NCFE Level 3 qualification in Sport and Physical Activity.
“The physiotherapy unit was incredibly helpful as within the second year of my course I choose the modules I would like to work on, so this unit has allowed me to realise it was an interest of mine.”
Having completed his two years on the programme, Archie has some insight for those wanting to join in the future.
“The team feeling is like no other, so it will be incredibly beneficial for those wanting to progress further in football.”
Archie’s fellow Staffordshire graduate Louis Stratton will be pursuing a slightly different sports course with his choice being a Sports and Exercise Science qualification with future ambitions of finding employment as a licensed dietician.
“I enjoyed my time at the ESPFA, it helped me develop important skills and traits that I’m sure will be important in future employment, such as timekeeping and communication. A lot of my teammates had similar interests to myself, which is something I enjoyed as it made it easier bonding as a team. The ESPFA helped me discover the opportunities and pathways after college, because of the programme I will be able to study something I enjoy at a university level, which I am very grateful for.”
As a local resident of Stafford, Louis chose the ESPFA over other local options as it was a programme that offered progression opportunities in football and in the sports industry as a whole.
“Some of my favourite units I covered during my time at the ESPFA include nutrition and psychology. I believe I enjoyed these the most as I didn’t cover them much in high school, which meant there was a lot to learn.
“Overall, my highlights during my time at the ESPFA was playing in the inter-league cup. I enjoyed the cup style tournament as well as the opportunity to play other teams from other counties.
“I would definitely recommend joining the ESPFA, especially if you are interested in progressing down the pathway in football, or sport in general.”
Rivals on the pitch last season and now campus mates at Staffordshire University this year, treble winner Ioannis Koutouzos will be enrolling on a Criminology course this September.
“I enjoyed both the first and second years of college because we won plenty of trophies. The lads were all great and the coaches and the tutor were fantastic. I learnt a lot from both years in football and also in education and that helped me with being more mature and how to be a better person. What I enjoyed the most was winning five trophies in two years and gaining a great experience.”
Ioannis experienced great success on the pitch and alongside his five team trophies he picked up personal accolades along the way, cumulating in a starting spot in the inter-league team against Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park and third place in the ESPFA national player of the year.
“The programme was well organised and my highlights were making friends and playing football every day. My advice to anyone thinking of joining, is that the ESPFA is a great opportunity to go and play football and get a chance to play at some great stadiums.”
Ioannis’s teammate Blake Franxhi will be making the short trip to Manchester Metropolitan University to study a Sport and Exercise Science course where he is looking forward to living in the big city by himself.
Blake was the second Franxhi family member to enrol at the ESPFA after his older brother and this was a big reason on why he chose the ESPFA when he left school.
“It has been the best two years I have spent in education. Winning everything with the group I was in made the experience so much better. The dedication from all the players to win every trophy was incredible, and the experience of playing in important games was unmatchable.
“I would say to anyone who is thinking of joining to go for it!”
ESPFA Derbyshire’s student of the year at Belper Town Black, Kacper Amielko could potentially be a classmate of Blake’s having enrolled on the same course at the same university, with a goal of becoming a personal trainer of physiotherapist.
“My time at the ESPFA was an incredible experience, especially when it came to the football aspect, which I absolutely loved. I was fully immersed in the training, constantly pushing myself to improve and contribute to the team’s success. Unfortunately, during my time there, I suffered an injury that sidelined me for the rest of the season. It was a difficult period, as I could no longer play the game I was so passionate about. However, the experience taught me resilience and the importance of adapting to challenges, and I continued to engage with the programme in other ways, focusing on learning and supporting my teammates.”
With many options in Derbyshire, we asked what stood out at the ESPFA when choosing his pathway post GCSE’s.
“I wanted to join the ESPFA because it offered a unique combination of high-level football training and academic development. The opportunity to train and compete at an elite level while also working on my education was incredibly appealing. I knew that being part of the ESPFA would give me the best chance to develop as a player, thanks to the professional coaching and resources available.”
Having enjoyed his two years at the ESPFA, Kacper is now looking forward to the next chapter in his life.
“As I prepare to start at Manchester Metropolitan University, I’m most excited about diving deeper into the field of Sport and Exercise Science. The opportunity to explore this subject in a more advanced academic setting really excites me, particularly learning about the science behind athletic performance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation, which are areas I’ve become passionate about.
“During my time at the ESPFA, I particularly enjoyed units on sports coaching, nutrition, and physiotherapy, all of which are highly relevant to my course in Sport and Exercise Science at Manchester Metropolitan University. The sports coaching unit gave me a solid foundation in understanding how to effectively train and motivate athletes, which is crucial for anyone looking to work in sports performance.”
A successful graduate of the class of 2024, Kacper has some words of advice to anyone thinking of joining.
“If someone is thinking about joining the ESPFA, I would strongly encourage them to take the opportunity. The ESPFA offers a unique blend of high-level football training and academic education, making it an ideal environment for those passionate about pursuing both. The programme not only helps you improve your football skills through professional coaching and competitive matches but also equips you with valuable knowledge in areas like sports science, coaching, and nutrition.”
ESPFA Cheshire student Jayden Boardman was the North divisions top goal scorer last season and his off the pitch progression has matched his on pitch success with a place at Edge Hill University studying Sports Coaching.
“My aim is to become a professional football coach. I am most looking forward to developing myself physically and mentally at university. On the ESPFA course I enjoyed the sports coaching and exercise and lifestyle units and I was proud to get an overall distinction grade.
“What made me want to join the ESPFA was I really enjoyed football and I wanted to enhance my career.“
When asked what the highlights are he will take away from the programme, Jayden cited on field success.
“Getting to the cup final and being the North division top goal scorer were my personal highlights.
“I would highly recommend the ESPFA as you get to know new people and enjoy what you love to do.”
ESPFA West Yorkshire duo Jack Thompson and Adam Parker will be progressing to football courses at the UCEN Manchester and Huddersfield Town Foundation where they hope the courses they enrol on will guide them to a future career in football coaching.
Both students wanted to join the ESPFA as it presented an opportunity to play football regularly at a good standard and both students were recipients of the student of the year at ESPFA West Yorkshire (Brighouse Town). Jack picking up his award last season and Adam in 2022/23.
“The majority of units I studied at the ESPFA will be especially helpful as my course covers a wide range of roles within football coaching and I am looking forward to furthering my education within football at university.” added Jack.
Adam leaves with great memories of the course and if asked for any advice from younger students in the future would pass on the following words.
“I think it’s a great course if you are wanting to be part of a team and also get the chance to do your education with your team mates, train with them at least three times a week and then play a match and represent your local non-league football club. It also gives you the opportunity to progress onto any job within sport. If you love football and want to progress, then the coaches really help you throughout your time as well as your tutor. This also gives you the opportunity to progress and even get called up to play for a non-league team.”
Evan Marshall will be making the short trip to the University of Derby to enrol on a Sport and Educational course after spending two years at ESPFA Derbyshire representing Belper Town with aspirations of moving to Dubai as a teacher in the future.
“I thought the ESPFA was a really good experience. I enjoyed that I got to play football at a high level at the same time as getting an education. I thought my team was very good, we won the league two years running and were unbeaten in the second season. I also thought that the coaches and their training session were really good and helped me to become a better player overall with Carl Sheard even helping me to get a job in coaching at Soccer Stars which I would now like to carry on coaching at university.
“My tutor Sam Mason-Barton was really good who helped me get my education up to the level I needed to get into university. He also went through all my work with me and made sure I knew what to do to get them up to distinction level and he pushed to me to make sure that I got to where I needed to.”
Having graduated after two years of hard work, Evan recommends the ESPFA as a next step for current year 11 students.
“I think they should do it as I really enjoyed the two years of playing alongside the education. I would recommend it to everyone who likes playing football as they get a chance to play at a high level.”
Last but by no means least, is double player and student of the year for ESPFA Lancashire, inter-league squad member and North division and National team of the year nominee, Finley Webster.
Finley joined the ESPFA so that he could play football regularly whilst still gaining an education and now progresses to the University of Central Lancashire where he will undertake a BSc (Hons) in Football Studies for the next three years.
“I am looking forward to a new environment and independence with university as well as meeting new people with similar interests with an aim of working in full time football at the end of the course.
“I enjoyed my time on the ESPFA and developed both as a player and a person. I was lucky enough to have a great group of lads with me and we were unlucky not to win the cup final in our first year. The second season although we did not perform as well on the pitch we became a real close knit group both on the pitch and in the classroom and improved as the season went on. My coach Graham and tutors Jack and Kierran have made my time on the programme very enjoyable.”
Having achieved so much personal success both on and off the pitch, it is testament to Finley’s character how his highlights are team/class based.
“My highlights of my time on the programme would definitely be the cup run we had in our first season. We were not necessarily favourites and almost went all the way, getting through a hard group beating our rivals Runcorn and scoring a last-minute winner against Witton to put us top of the group. This year my highlight has to be on the first game of the season when Joe Hart our goalkeeper scored a volley in the last minute to rescue us a point and we never heard the end of it!”
From everyone at the ESPFA, we are extremely proud of the students that have recently finished their two years on the programme with us and we wish all of those that will be attending university in September the best of luck.
The universities that the ‘Class of 2024’ have progressed to include:-
University of Derby
University of Manchester
Nottingham Trent University
UCFB
Northumbria University
University of Leeds
Leeds Beckett University
St Johns York
Malborough University
Sheffield Hallam University
Arden University
Edhe Hill University
University of Worcester
Portsmouth University
Staffordshire University
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