The programme is designed specifically for talented and busy children. We appreciate how much talented Prep Schools pupils take on both on and off the sports field. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t represent their region and enjoy an experience of a lifetime.
Those players selected for the A squad play against professional Academies and other District teams.
We offer talented players an opportunity to develop their ability, play alongside other good players and to represent their District.
Players who show a high level of ability, but are not selected for the main District A squads, are invited to join a ‘Development squad’. They will have the opportunity to attend the Gothia World Youth Cup in Gothenburg and play alongside the players who were selected for the ‘A’ District team. Parents will need to cover the cost of the trip to Sweden. With 60,000 people at the Opening Ceremony and teams from 90 countries this really is an experience of a lifetime!
The ‘A’ squads
This squad is for the 17 most outstanding players who attended the trials.
The Lions have an “A” squad at Under 11, Under 12 and Under 13 age groups, who will play Academy and other regional District representative sides during the Lent term.
Previous matches have included Fulham FC, Reading FC, Crystal Palace FC and Brentford FC. A number of players were subsequently invited to trial by these Clubs.
There is a new trial each year, so players who played for the ‘A’ squad last year will need to re-trial again for the coming season.
There are no costs for playing or training with the team, although players are asked to buy their own personalised kit, which they can then keep.
Players in the ‘A’ squad will also be invited to attend the residential Training Camp and the Gothia Cup. They will play in a squad alongside other players selected from trials who impressed the selectors but who did not get selected for the ‘A’ squad.
The fixtures for the ‘A’ Squad will be confirmed in January. We would expect the team to play three/four fixtures during the Spring term. We try to spread these across different days of the week.
Gothia Cup
The Gothia World Youth Cup is the biggest football tournament in the world. With around 80 countries represented and an Opening Ceremony attended by over 60,000 this is an experience of a lifetime!
Gothia Cup 2024
It is our intention for teams to fly to Gothenburg on 12th, 13th or 14th July depending on flight availability and return the following weekend (20th /21st). Matches start on Monday 15th July.
Training Camps
We will be running residential Training Camps for players selected at trials in November. The Camp provides an opportunity for players to work with top quality staff and train with other talented players in a professional and developmental environment. The Camp will focus on developing physical, mental, social, and technical abilities and attributes and will include:
- Sports Therapists who will conduct group sessions and individual screenings with each player to identify injury prevention and to enhance athletic performance.
- Workshops conducted by an FA qualified Football Psychologist looking at developing ‘ mental fitness’. Topics will include relaxation techniques, use of visualisation and imagery.
- Use of swimming pool for workshops with Sports Therapist
- Highly qualified and experienced coaches using the latest coaching tools including video analysis.
- Specialist UEFA qualified goalkeeping coach
The camp will give an insight into life training as a professional footballer and provide an ideal environment, not only for preparation for the Gothia Cup, but also to develop players’ sporting ability and life skills.
The Camps will take place at Tonbridge which boasts fantastic sporting facilities, beautiful well-kept grounds and stunning views over London.
An independent set-up run by teachers
A number of our coaches are Heads of Football at various independent schools in the area. Our coaches understand the importance of offering younger players a great experience and a chance to further develop their game in an enjoyable environment. We are proud of our set-up and that we are offering an fantastic experience to players who are selected.
Although our Head Coach Dan Abraham is a former Coach at ISFA, we are not run by the Independent Schools FA (ISFA) . We are an independent organisation and are not affiliated to either ISFA or the IAPS.
We are extremely proud of the service we offer and the feedback we receive. In our first season (2014/15 season) we had 57 independent schools nominating players and this has now grown to over 100 schools who nominate players each year. The Prep Schools Lions offer a fantastic representation of the best players across the region.