Academy
Academy Strategy - A New Direction
The Town Academy has recategorized itself from a Category 2 system under the Elite Player Performance Plan to a Category 4 system. This will refocus the Club’s efforts on the higher Academy age groups where it has had its success in recent years with the progression of the likes of Tommy Smith and Philip Billing; both who joined Town post-16 years old.
The Club has switched its age groupings to echo the European model, with Under-19 and Under-17 groups running alongside an Elite Development Team (EDT) for its older talents.
The Academy, under the leadership of Leigh Bromby, has also re-banded its age categories to fit the calendar year as opposed to the Academic year to try and combat relative age effect, which shows Academy age groups are usually full of August to December birthdays due to their physical development.
The EDT and Under-19 sides will play bespoke, tailored games programmes that will be put together to challenge Town’s young players, whilst the Under-17s will receive the physical stimulus of playing against Under-18 sides in league action.
