EDUCATION & SEMI-PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL ACADEMY
A full time education and football study programme for 16-19 year olds. (Est 2014)
PLAYER PATHWAY PARTNERS SINCE 2019
ESPFA WEST MIDLANDS
IN ASSOCIATION WITH RUSHALL OLYMPIC FC
WHAT IS THE ESPFA?
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The Education and Semi-Professional Football Academy (ESPFA) is a unique study programme for 16-19 year olds.
With programmes in many regions across the UK, it is an ideal pathway for students who wish to combine their further education with a high quality football programme when leaving high school or transferring from their first year of college.
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We partner with semi-professional clubs offering playing pathway opportunities and unique experiences with students studying and training at their chosen regional hub and representing the regional hubs football club pathway partner, all of which is fully managed by the ESPFA.
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WHY IS THE ESPFA UNIQUE?
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The ESPFA is unique to any other football & education study programme in the country and a concept no other can provide.
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Unlike other programmes that are run individually, all our programmes are part of a national organisation with the education programme, football programme and the league they compete in, centrally managed with a tier of regional senior management staff to oversee the day to day operation.
The traditional timetable of this type of study programme is based around a matchday on a Wednesday afternoon. In the ESPFA, the matchdays are on a Thursday afternoon.
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By joining a national organisation, students will be exposed to more opportunities, experiences and pathways from our partners in education, sport and media.
HISTORY
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The ESPFA was originally the overarching organisation of the Northern Premier League Football Academy (NPLFA), the Southern League Football Academy (SLFA) and the Isthimian League Football Academy (SLFA).
The NPLFA was created in partnership with Eliteform LTD and the Northern Premier League in 2014 to become the first ever league wide education and football programme in the UK.
An initial pilot programme that began in 2014/15 saw 75 students enrol at five member clubs Leek Town, Mickleover Sports, Newcastle Town, Radcliffe Borough and Romulus FC.
The success from the inaugural year saw the programme expand to over 300 students at 13 clubs by 2019.
In 2018 the Southern League joined and a year later, the SLFA began with seven member clubs and over 110 students.
Soon after in 2019, the Isthmian League became the third and final league at step seven of the English national pyramid system to join.
With the ILFA Scheduled to begin in 2021, the ESPFA was established as an overarching organisation to manage all three individual league programmes across the nation.
Just before the commencement of the 2020/21 season, the NPLFA, SLFA and ILFA merged under one banner - the ESPFA.
An exciting new chapter awaits with the new organisation providing new and improved pathways on and off the pitch, new experiences and opportunities, more competitive games, more flexibility on competitions as well as opening up new club partners from other leagues.
ESPFA WEST MIDLANDS
IN ASSOCIATION WITH RUSHALL OLYMPIC FC
BIO: Rushall Olympic Football Club is an English football club based in Rushall, a former mining village that forms part of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall. The team competes in the National League North, the sixth tier of the English football league system.
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LOCATION​
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CLASSROOM
Rushall Olympic FC, Daw End, Rushall, Walsall, WS4 1LJ
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TRAINING
Rushall Olympic FC, Daw End, Rushall, Walsall, WS4 1LJ
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MATCHDAYS (Home games)
Rushall Olympic FC, Daw End, Rushall, Walsall, WS4 1LJ
EDUCATION
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WHO IS THE STUDY PROGRAMME FOR?
The ESPFA is for those who wish to combine development in football, whilst having the opportunity to gain educational sporting qualifications. This vocational element of the programme is tailored for those who wish to combine progression in football, either playing or coaching, with the dynamic area of physical education, sports coaching and sports science.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS CAN I ACHIEVE?
There is a range of qualifications that are available to students on the course depending on which club you enrol at. The core modules of the education programme focus on developing knowledge and understanding of sports science, leadership and coaching skills to enhance sports performance.
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Students can currently achieve the following qualifications:
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NCFE Level 3 in Sport and Physical Activity
TRAINING
HOW OFTEN DO STUDENTS TRAIN?
Students will train specifically three times a week and will be coached and managed by UEFA or FA qualified coaches who will develop the players physically, tactically and technically during the programme through coaching and match play.
There may be added training sessions with the coach subject to availability, also there may be opportunities to join in reserve/development and first team training sessions depending on how they progress.
WHAT CAN A STUDENT DO TO ENHANCE HIS TRAINING?
The majority of our students will experience full time training for the first time. Over the duration of the two year programme, there will be over 200 sessions organised and students will need to adjust their mentality and productivity to cope with the rigours of full time training.
In order to assist with this change, students will be provided with nutritional and strength/conditioning advice prior to starting the programme as well as gaining further knowledge through their Level 3 in Sport lessons.
In order to maximise their performance and enjoyment, we recommend following this advice as well as researching themselves to enhance learning and self-development.
GAMES
WHATS UNIQUE ABOUT THE ESPFA GAMES PROGRAMME?
The ESPFA games programme is unlike any other in the UK. Our aim to provide a matchday experience that not only matches the first teams of our player pathway partner clubs, but also the professional game both on and off the pitch.
On the pitch, the vast majority of our games take place at the player pathway partner clubs main stadia, which allows the replication of the first team experience.
Off the pitch, there is a thriving social media and website experience to enhance the profile of all our students. All the games are filmed by our video partners FilmMyMatch which all students will have access to and our media team will produce footage and images that are captured to provide the following content throughout the season:-
EXPECTATIONS
WHAT CAN A STUDENT EXPECT FROM THE FOOTBALL?
We will endeavour to ensure we work with students to provide an enrichment of football experiences throughout the year.
From expert coaching through to the unique match day experience, we will treat the students with respect and look to provide a platform to allow them to receive the same football programme as a scholar would at a professional club and in return we will be requesting students to dedicate themselves to the programme.
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INTER-LEAGUE SQUAD
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WHAT IS THE INTER-LEAGUE SQUAD?
There are opportunities to be selected for the ESPFA ‘Inter-League’ side who compete against professional football club academies.
Selection for the squad is reward for those students who have impressed all season with their ability, application and attitude and are given the opportunity to showcase their talents against the professional clubs.
Click on the club badge below to see the match report from previous years.
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PROGRESSION
WHERE CAN A STUDENT PROGRESS TO?
By being a part of the ESPFA and by representing a semi-professional club, students will have first chance opportunities to be able to progress into their clubs first team as a semi-professional footballer.
First team coaching staff are informed regularly of a students progression by the academy coach and inviting students to training sessions if they are progressing well.
Every season there are also opportunities to play in the ‘Inter-League’ representative side where a nominated selected squad of players from all clubs in the programme will compete against professional club academies in a series of games to showcase their talents of which some of our students have impressed in and have progressed into the professional game.
FOOTBALL GRADUATES
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WHO ARE THE SUCCESS STORIES?
When a student make his semi-professional first team debut they are classed as a footballing graduate. Since 2014 we have had a large number of debutants make their bow with several others receiving call ups.
In February 2015, we were proud to announce our first ever professional graduate when Yohan Rutty-Smith signed scholarship forms for Notts County.
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The majority of these students have come from local junior football to semi-professional level in the space of a year which is down to the opportunities provided to them in the ESPFA and also the standard of quality coaching they are receiving on a daily basis.
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EDUCATION GRADUATES
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Throughout the year we invite higher education institutions to present their programmes and courses to our students to give them an insight on what sort of progressions are available to them post completion of the ESPFA programme.
Since 2014, there have been many students who have progressed onto higher education which includes a place at a UK university, a soccer scholarship in the United States or have gained apprenticeships in different sectors. Each year we like to highlight some of them, as they showcase what is on offer to new and current students if they achieve their goals.
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UPCOMING TRIALS
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ESPFA West Midlands (with Rushall Olympic FC)
Tuesday 22nd April | 12.45pm - 2pm
at Rushall Olympic FC, Dales Lane, Rushalll, Walsall, WS4 1LJ