Club engages with over 1,000 kids across 11 venues.
Cambridge United Youth Development coaches deliver May half-term Soccer Schools to over 1,000 children across 11 venues last week.
A team of over 30 of the U’s FA qualified coaches carried the U’s message across the area and engaged with a host of local youngsters in the most popular set of Soccer Schools to date.
The sessions which took place in destinations such as Chesterton, Bottisham, Huntingdon and Linton amongst others, provided those taking part the opportunity to work closely with the club’s professional coaches on basic football skills such as passing, shooting and dribbling.
The schools also included educational benefits with the children taught about a number of topics, including the importance of diet and nutrition, hydration and fair play.
The U’s have also identified a number of children taking part deemed to be gifted and talented, who will be offered places on the club’s youth development system.
Reflecting on a successful four days, Cambridge United Youth Development Manager James Cutting commented: “The Soccer Schools are a fantastic combination of technical coaching, fun games and matches in which we want to create an opportunity for children to engage with our professional youth development coaches, have fun and enjoy the football as much as possible.
“In total we took over 1000 bookings for last week, which is quite astounding when you consider there was only four days due to the Bank holiday.
“We have also had several other events taking place for our youth development players that were exclusive to them, so we were near to 1,200 bookings over the four days, which just shows the demand for professional coaching in the local area.
“The club will continue to do all we can to provide that and of course any gifted and talented players that we identify throughout the week, we’ll be able to give them a chance in the Cambridge United Youth development system.”
He continued: “The Soccer Schools run from 9am until 4pm each day but we also have an early drop off service until 8am and a late pick until 5pm, so there is a chance for parents to drop their kids off early, go to work and pick them up later.
“The end result is cheap child care for £25 a day, where they also ensure their child has fun, develops and learns about a number of topics, as well as most importantly having a fun experience with Cambridge United Football Club.”
Meanwhile, Cutting also reveals a number of exciting developments for the Soccer Schools programme which is set to expand its reach with the addition of four more venues in Red Lodge, Newmarket, St Neots and Cottenham.
He added: “We will have 15 venues running in the summer holidays in which there will be five venues running per week.
“They will include girl specific sessions, goalkeeper specific sessions and we have also recently introduced a soccer schools season ticket, which will enable parents to bring their child to basically any football session they want to throughout the course of the 2015/16 season.
“It’s important that the club continue to engage with the youngsters like this, because it’s crucial Cambridge United is a community club.
“We are always looking for more ways to increase the number of people coming to first team games and engaging with the club in any way they possibly can. One way to do that is to come along to the Soccer Schools, one way for parents to do that is to send their children on to our Soccer Schools.”
He continued, “Through support from our partners Elms Cambridge BMW and their dual branding with Cambridge United, people know they can rely and trust in our brand. Their tagline is driving youth development and it is plain to see that their contribution is driving a massive programme within our community.
“With the additional venues coming into play this summer, we could be engaging with between 3,000 to 4,000 unique participants, so I think it is going to be a wonderful summer for Cambridge United.”