‘ABEC Football Academy ready to open shop’

Sponsors of ABEC Football Academy have disclosed that the soccer school is ready to commence operations in Rivers State.

In a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday, the sponsors disclosed that a comprehensive programme would be unveiled on Thursday, adding that operations would commence in September with all ABEC Schools hosting at least one aspect of the project in different capacities.

“The academy is designed to provide children desirous of a career in football with quality education alongside an elite player development football programme,” the statement said.

It added: “Our overall goal is to encourage the child to develop personal/moral self-discipline, cooperate and show respect for self and others; these are keys to becoming self– reliant and actualized in all he does.

“The curriculum is designed to adequately prepare a good number of these players for successful football careers in Europe and secure sports scholarships into colleges in the United States.”

The statement added that the programme would run with three age-specific options, namely, recreational football, for athletes under the age of 10.

“These would further be grouped into two training groups: U-8 and U-10 and their training exercises will be conducted at the Primary School playgrounds of the ABEC Schools Group.

“There is also Collegiate Football for athletes under the age of 13. Their training exercises will be conducted at the ABEC Boarding School field, Woji.

They will be exposed to five hours of in-the-field training, and three hours of competitive play each week.”