Find out from your Phase Lead, Lewis Goater, how we approach the start of the footballing journey for the boys and what role you can play in helping your son thrive as they settle into Academy life.

Watch Lewis

Find out from your Phase Lead, Lewis Goater, how we approach the start of the footballing journey for the boys and what role you can play in helping your son thrive as they settle into Academy life.

Watch Lewis

Foundation

Specialist
Support

Below is an overview of the support our teams will give to your son in the Foundation Phase.

Performance
Analysis

What do we do?

Performance Analysis is a newer discipline in comparison to sports science & medical for example and has developed exponentially with technology. Performance analysis is split into 2 key streams – video and data, of which is coupled to maximally improve individual player performance and team development.

We use video and data simultaneously to improve your son’s development from an individual point of view and, as they progress throughout the age groups, how that links to their role in the team. Video filming provides the foundation of analysis; we have world leading analysis camera software at Hale End and Sobha, including an automated camera system, meaning analysts can focus on analysing the information & creating insights, rather than putting vast human resource to cover games & full training programme. 

Where do we do it?

As players progress through the Academy, they will be exposed to a variety of analysis meetings in each of the 5 facets of analysis – pre-match/opposition analysis, live/matchday analysis, post-match analysis, training analysis and best practice/projects analysis. Each of these 5 areas are delivered in an appropriate player-friendly, visual format as an individual, unit or team and this is carefully decided based on information being delivered.

At Foundation Phase

In the Foundation Phase, instead of overwhelming your son with lots of information, the focus is on familiarising him with analysis in a safe, engaging way. We do this through things like quizzes and watching first-team clips to highlight technical aspects. The goal is to create a culture of wanting to explore analysis and for your son to start thinking, “how did it go and why?”.

We use a platform called Hudl.com, where video is stored. Players and parents can view clips, create playlists and have informal conversations with coaches, analysts or teammates. We also use Sports Session Planner to link session objectives to analysis focus points, showing outcomes and first-team examples.

Creating core reviewing habits in an engaging manner & developing a reflective culture is our chief aim.

Contact Time

There is a full-time analyst present all season, enabling at least one engaging session per week, which are run quite informally. These vary between watching highlight reels, doing quizzes or reviewing technical aspects of matches.

Individual development areas (IDA) are a key piece of the jigsaw.

The coaches share IDAs with your son and the analysis team supports that process, mostly from an Effective Team Player perspective.

The focus is on the individual, rather than how they fit into a team, exploring technical aspects and helping players to visualise through video. The feedback from these sessions is about gaining an understanding their development, without being overwhelmed.

Being interested in analysing the game is great, but it’s important that we do not push players to always feel the need to watch football outside of sessions. We want them to enjoy the game and do things because of that.

What Can I Do?

Help your son explore Hudl.com and start reviewing their footage, without getting too bogged down in details. At this phase, it’s about getting into a habit of looking at the footage and staying engaged but still enjoying that process.

If there is anything that needs more explaining, you’re welcome to reach out.

Nutrition

What do we do?

Nutrition plays an integral role in overall health, growth and development, training, recovery and match performance. It impacts body composition, strength, power and speed at the elite level.

As players progress through the Academy, we adopt a phased approach to their nutrition education. We begin with a strong food-first foundation, focusing on core principles such as building a balanced plate. From there, we introduce football-specific strategies, including pre- and post-training nutrition, hydration and matchday fuelling. In the later stages, we individualise nutrition plans based on the unique needs of each player, ensuring they are optimally fuelled for performance and recovery.

Where do we do it?

Across all phases, we deliver an education curriculum including theoretical workshops and practical sessions and offer weekly drop-in nutrition clinics for players, parents and host families.

At Foundation Phase

Our key philosophy is to build a solid food first foundation during this phase. Our tagline for Foundation is eat for enjoyment. We want the players to enjoy eating a wide variety of different foods and have a basic knowledge of a balanced meal. 

A lot of the information we provide goes straight to parents at this stage. We’re giving players knowledge, but the application of these behaviours is reliant on your understanding and support, in a dual approach.

Workshops

We run two parent workshops a season, either in person or online, where we deliver educational material and Q&A’s. We encourage you to come to these. Players in the Foundation stage will also take part in theoretical and practical sessions across the season.

We educate your son on key food groups (carbohydrates, protein, fats, fruits, and vegetables) and start to develop practical skills. This foundation makes them better players and people.

Each age group has access to a dedicated nutritionist. You will also receive monthly newsletters with key nutrition updates and can book into weekly nutrition clinic slots for parents.

Screening

What about screening? At the Foundation phase, we don’t routinely screen players, except from taking bloods if they have an extensive injury history and it’s relevant for that injury, or if we know that food groups are excluded from the diet due to an allergy or religious belief.

At Hale End, injured players will get additional nutrition support through an injury nutrition clinic, with the player and parent.

Training and Match Nutrition

At this phase, the Academy provides pre- and post-training snacks and on game days, we provide snacks throughout the day, but not pre- or post-match meals.

We don’t provide supplements, unless for medical reasons, until U18. We do advise that all players take a daily dose of 2000 IU vitamin D in the winter months (Oct-Mar). We’ll send out a reminder email with further information and a product discount code.

What Can I Do?

It’s helpful for you to take in the information from the workshops and encourage your son to apply the foundational knowledge he is developing.

At home, please do ensure your son has breakfast before school. It doesn’t need to be complicated, even cereal, toast, or a banana with yoghurt is good. The more opportunities to get calories in, the better, since players are growing, training and have high energy requirements. It’s great to have snacks and fluids available, such as when traveling from school to training. For evening meals after training, batch cooking on a Sunday is a good way to prepare quick, post-training meals.

Have any questions about nutrition? Please come and see us.

Physical

Performance

What do we do?

As a Physical Performance team, we develop players’ physical attributes: how quick, strong, powerful and fit they are. Our approach is player centred. Your son follows an individualised programme focused on long-term athletic development. We identify their strengths and areas to develop, leading to a clear action plan to make them physically healthy and capable of applying their attributes on the pitch.

We work closely with the coaches and the Multi-Disciplinary Team, informing them of the training load of the players or how much running they’ve done during a game. From that we can prescribe intensities for the week or months after to develop the players on an individual basis.

We also work with players from an injury prevention and rehabilitation aspect. If your son gets injured, they’ll spend time with the physio initially, then we’ll return them to the pitch in a safe and gradual manner – before they join back in the team training.

Where do we do it?

At a variety of locations. We do sessions with the players inside in the gym and sometimes do specific athletic development sessions in the Dome. Before the football session, for U12s and older, we’ll do the first 15-20 minutes of athletic development on pitch. We also might give your son some sessions to do at home, whether that’s injury prevention or conditioning as they return from injury.

We deliver the best programme to enhance your son’s performance and optimise him as a footballer. You play a vital role by asking questions, maintaining open communication and encouraging your son to maximise each opportunity to develop. 

At Foundation Phase

In the Foundation Phase, as a Physical Performance team, there are three key elements we’re developing:

Fundamental movements, ensuring healthy movement patterns through squats, lunges, forward rolls etc; A healthy relationship with sport and exercise: they love football, but we want them to also enjoy physical development; And multi-sport exposure: activities like tennis, rugby and American football to develop skills which transfer to football.

There are one or two sessions per week, depending on age. The first one falls on a Monday for all age groups, where players do 20 minutes with a coach before their football session. Players in U10 and U11 age groups do an additional session on a Wednesday. We also have a Wednesday Speed Club for selected players, based on interest and coach recommendations.

Testing

When your son comes in, we identify their strengths and areas to develop, leading to a clear action plan to enhance their qualities and address. He will go through physical performance testing, but at this phase results are just a guide for supporting development, not something that affects selection.

What Can I Do?

Trust the long-term approach. The sessions might not look like football or intense fitness, but there’s science behind them. Is your son doing activities outside the Academy like swimming, rugby and other sports? If yes, great – these will benefit his football, but keep us informed about these activities so we can factor them into their development.

Also keep in mind your son’s age relative to the year group, as being born in early September is very different from late August in terms of development – it’s normal to see physical differences in the same year group.

We welcome you to join the induction at the start of the season where members of the MDT explain each department’s role. This is a great place to start communicating what to expect and an opportunity for parents and players to ask questions.

Physiotherapy

What do we do?

The Physiotherapy department at the Academy aims to maximise player availability by reducing the impact of injury and illness and therefore allowing more development time on the pitch. This involves screening, injury rehab and working in a multidisciplinary team to ensure players return in the quickest, safest way.

We run an open-door policy for questions, emphasise education and prioritise early detection. Early reporting gives us the best chance to keep players on the pitch. Our goal isn’t just return-to-play but also staying on the pitch. When injuries occur, players and parents are encouraged to ask questions to understand the issue. 

Up to U16, you are welcome to join assessments where we discuss with your son how to manage the injury and provide clear explanations of physiology and anatomy to help support recovery. As boys get older and it becomes full time, it’s much more prescriptive with what players need to do. 

At Foundation Phase

At the Foundation phase, as a Physiotherapy team we focus more on education as, fortunately, injuries aren’t too common at this stage.

It is not unusual for your son to be busy with other sports outside of school and PE in school.  As they continue to grow and be active, they may start to experience growth related issues, which is normal for someone of this age.  Our aim is to try and manage any issues with as little disruption to their football as possible.  Some players with growth related pain often benefit from temporary changes to their weekly schedules, in order for them to continue their training.

Common areas of growth-related issues at this phase are the back of the heel and the front of the knee.  We are here to provide education on what to do when you feel your son is experiencing issues around these areas.

Assessment at this phase?

Physiotherapy is provided in a ‘walk-in’ scenario, so there is no need to book an appointment. While coaches feed forward relevant information about the players to us, we welcome both players and parents to come in and chat with the physio team if they are unsure about anything or have any concerns.

We are available to see players every training day, and we aim to have a physio pitchside on match day, so if you have any concerns please come and talk to us.  One of our academy doctors is also available on specific days to advise if required.

What Can I Do?

Seeing a physio might be new for you and your son but we’re very accessible, so don’t be apprehensive, we’re here to help with any case. Come and see us, use our FAQs and the more information you can provide about your son and his schedule, the better equipped we are to help. Have experience with injuries yourself? Please do still come and see us, so we can keep him on the pitch as much as possible.

Player Care

What do we do?

Player Care focuses on empowering your son to learn and develop using the Football Academy, helping him grow as a footballer and as a person with skills he will take into adult life, whatever career he chooses. We support players with their personal development goals and celebrate these milestones, in football and life.

Where do we do it?

The Player Care team has a presence at both Hale End and Sobha and there is always an opportunity for 1: 1 contact time for any player around player care or wellbeing in performance.  Conversations, either pitch-side, in the corridor or the canteen, are positively encouraged and they are welcome to come into the office and to have a chat, whether that’s about home, school, football or what’s happening on the weekend.

At Foundation Phase

Throughout the Foundation Phase, we help players settle into becoming Strong Young Gunners. As Player Care, we complement their football programme and education through the Lifelong Learner Programme, for players and parents to explore the early stages of their academy journey. We align this to the experiences and learnings they would have school and home with the Academy. 

We’re working with a talented young person, who’s not a footballer yet. There are so many other things going on in their life, where they are still learning. We’re here to help them develop behaviours which are going to help them settle in our academy, thrive on and off the pitch, to and away from the academy as a young person.

For parents, we offer support to starting and navigating the journey. There are departmental induction sessions for players and parents, with Academy staff members, on how they impact your son and how you can align with our support. 

Workshops

The Lifelong Learner Programme and curriculum span across the season. Certain topics have guided learning hours. For the Foundation phase, we aim to cover age-appropriate topics which link to their role in the academy and wider life. Topics include Wellbeing, Our Academy Values, Nutrition, EDI and Football Transition. We aim to have a Lifelong Learner session every six weeks. Players hear from different people over a season, including Player Care staff, external guests, Premier League life skills providers and other MDT staff.

1:1 Time

Player Care support is available for your son throughout their time in the academy. This could be supporting with any issues on or off pitch, away from the academy or life at home or school. For parents, we can offer you guidance and support on anything to do with the academy journey. We’re available at Hale End on training nights and weekend activity, so please reach out.

What Can I Do?

Come and be present, but allow the boys to settle in. It’s a unique job, being a parent of a talented young person who’s early on in their football journey. You want your son to succeed and perform, we understand that, so your support is always welcome and needed.

It’s a massive thing to be part of the Academy and we shouldn’t underplay that. At this point, the emphasis should be on enjoying their learning, not winning. At this stage, the journey is far more important than the destination.

Your communication with your son around their football will have a lasting impact on their relationship with sport in general. Have any concerns or need support? You can always discuss anything that your son is experiencing, whether it’s in or outside of football, with the Player Care team.

Psychology

What do we do?

As a Psychology department, we provide group-level psychological support during sessions, in workshops and in analysis meetings. We also work closely with players on an individual, often around performance support, but sometimes well-being and mental health, which we collaborate on with the Multi-Disciplinary Team.

We work with the coaches, who are very experienced and psychologically aware, so our role is to align their knowledge of psychology, football and the players with our expertise in child and adolescent brain development, understanding this generation and bringing in psychological strategies.

Champion Mentality is gradually integrated as your son moves up through the phases, through the respective coaches and staff into sessions on and off the grass.

Where do we do it?

There are between 1-4 sessions per week, depending on the phase. These are primarily on the grass, but also in the gym and the analysis classroom.

At Foundation Phase

At Foundation it’s about mindset – your son dedicating himself to his development and being the best person he can be. There are three areas we focus on: growth mindset, role model mindset, and performance mindset, to develop the psychological skills to perform better on and off the pitch.

Screening

We screen players three times in a season for mental well-being, to check in and see where they’re at. This happens roughly at the beginning, middle and end of the season.

Predominantly, Psychology is delivered through the coaches in training and on match days, but if anyone flags anything, whether it’s parents, coaches or other staff, we are there to support. Player Care often has the initial conversations, and then we follow up on that. If a player is really struggling, we might do 1:1 work. This doesn’t happen often, but if a need is raised via Player Care or Psychological support, our team is there to step in.

This can come through any channel: Multi-Disciplinary Team staff, individual development meetings with parents, or from parents directly. We are always accessible. 

What Can I Do?

As a parent, you have a big influence at this age. We’re not working directly with boys via the workshops yet, these come at a later phase. But we are always available to support you. Whether that’s having conversations on car journeys to and from games, how to give your son space, questions to ask, or ways to reflect on their experience with them. 

If you ever would like to find out more information or have a chat, please do reach out.

Analysis

Nutrition

Physical

Physiotherapy

Player Care

Psychology

Our Phases

Foundation

Early Youth Development

Late youth Development

Professional Development

Performance
Analysis

What do we do?

Performance Analysis is a newer discipline in comparison to sports science & medical for example and has developed exponentially with technology. Performance analysis is split into 2 key streams – video and data, of which is coupled to maximally improve individual player performance and team development.

We use video and data simultaneously to improve your son’s development from an individual point of view and, as they progress throughout the age groups, how that links to their role in the team. Video filming provides the foundation of analysis; we have world leading analysis camera software at Hale End and Sobha, including an automated camera system, meaning analysts can focus on analysing the information & creating insights, rather than putting vast human resource to cover games & full training programme. 

Where do we do it?

As players progress through the Academy, they will be exposed to a variety of analysis meetings in each of the 5 facets of analysis – pre-match/opposition analysis, live/matchday analysis, post-match analysis, training analysis and best practice/projects analysis. Each of these 5 areas are delivered in an appropriate player-friendly, visual format as an individual, unit or team and this is carefully decided based on information being delivered.

At Foundation Phase

In the Foundation Phase, instead of overwhelming your son with lots of information, the focus is on familiarising him with analysis in a safe, engaging way. We do this through things like quizzes and watching first-team clips to highlight technical aspects. The goal is to create a culture of wanting to explore analysis and for your son to start thinking, “how did it go and why?”.

We use a platform called Hudl.com, where video is stored. Players and parents can view clips, create playlists and have informal conversations with coaches, analysts or teammates. We also use Sports Session Planner to link session objectives to analysis focus points, showing outcomes and first-team examples.

Creating core reviewing habits in an engaging manner & developing a reflective culture is our chief aim.

Contact Time

There is a full-time analyst present all season, enabling at least one engaging session per week, which are run quite informally. These vary between watching highlight reels, doing quizzes or reviewing technical aspects of matches.

Individual development areas (IDA) are a key piece of the jigsaw.

The coaches share IDAs with your son and the analysis team supports that process, mostly from an Effective Team Player perspective.

The focus is on the individual, rather than how they fit into a team, exploring technical aspects and helping players to visualise through video. The feedback from these sessions is about gaining an understanding their development, without being overwhelmed.

Being interested in analysing the game is great, but it’s important that we do not push players to always feel the need to watch football outside of sessions. We want them to enjoy the game and do things because of that.

What Can I Do?

Help your son explore Hudl.com and start reviewing their footage, without getting too bogged down in details. At this phase, it’s about getting into a habit of looking at the footage and staying engaged but still enjoying that process.

If there is anything that needs more explaining, you’re welcome to reach out.

Nutrition

What do we do?

Nutrition plays an integral role in overall health, growth and development, training, recovery and match performance. It impacts body composition, strength, power and speed at the elite level.

As players progress through the Academy, we adopt a phased approach to their nutrition education. We begin with a strong food-first foundation, focusing on core principles such as building a balanced plate. From there, we introduce football-specific strategies, including pre- and post-training nutrition, hydration and matchday fuelling. In the later stages, we individualise nutrition plans based on the unique needs of each player, ensuring they are optimally fuelled for performance and recovery.

Where do we do it?

Across all phases, we deliver an education curriculum including theoretical workshops and practical sessions and offer weekly drop-in nutrition clinics for players, parents and host families.

At Foundation Phase

Our key philosophy is to build a solid food first foundation during this phase. Our tagline for Foundation is eat for enjoyment. We want the players to enjoy eating a wide variety of different foods and have a basic knowledge of a balanced meal. 

A lot of the information we provide goes straight to parents at this stage. We’re giving players knowledge, but the application of these behaviours is reliant on your understanding and support, in a dual approach.

Workshops

We run two parent workshops a season, either in person or online, where we deliver educational material and Q&A’s. We encourage you to come to these. Players in the Foundation stage will also take part in theoretical and practical sessions across the season.

We educate your son on key food groups (carbohydrates, protein, fats, fruits, and vegetables) and start to develop practical skills. This foundation makes them better players and people.

Each age group has access to a dedicated nutritionist. You will also receive monthly newsletters with key nutrition updates and can book into weekly nutrition clinic slots for parents.

Screening

What about screening? At the Foundation phase, we don’t routinely screen players, except from taking bloods if they have an extensive injury history and it’s relevant for that injury, or if we know that food groups are excluded from the diet due to an allergy or religious belief.

At Hale End, injured players will get additional nutrition support through an injury nutrition clinic, with the player and parent.

Training and Match Nutrition

At this phase, the Academy provides pre- and post-training snacks and on game days, we provide snacks throughout the day, but not pre- or post-match meals.

We don’t provide supplements, unless for medical reasons, until U18. We do advise that all players take a daily dose of 2000 IU vitamin D in the winter months (Oct-Mar). We’ll send out a reminder email with further information and a product discount code.

What Can I Do?

It’s helpful for you to take in the information from the workshops and encourage your son to apply the foundational knowledge he is developing.

At home, please do ensure your son has breakfast before school. It doesn’t need to be complicated, even cereal, toast, or a banana with yoghurt is good. The more opportunities to get calories in, the better, since players are growing, training and have high energy requirements. It’s great to have snacks and fluids available, such as when traveling from school to training. For evening meals after training, batch cooking on a Sunday is a good way to prepare quick, post-training meals.

Have any questions about nutrition? Please come and see us.

Physical

Performance

What do we do?

As a Physical Performance team, we develop players’ physical attributes: how quick, strong, powerful and fit they are. Our approach is player centred. Your son follows an individualised programme focused on long-term athletic development. We identify their strengths and areas to develop, leading to a clear action plan to make them physically healthy and capable of applying their attributes on the pitch.

We work closely with the coaches and the Multi-Disciplinary Team, informing them of the training load of the players or how much running they’ve done during a game. From that we can prescribe intensities for the week or months after to develop the players on an individual basis.

We also work with players from an injury prevention and rehabilitation aspect. If your son gets injured, they’ll spend time with the physio initially, then we’ll return them to the pitch in a safe and gradual manner – before they join back in the team training.

Where do we do it?

At a variety of locations. We do sessions with the players inside in the gym and sometimes do specific athletic development sessions in the Dome. Before the football session, for U12s and older, we’ll do the first 15-20 minutes of athletic development on pitch. We also might give your son some sessions to do at home, whether that’s injury prevention or conditioning as they return from injury.

We deliver the best programme to enhance your son’s performance and optimise him as a footballer. You play a vital role by asking questions, maintaining open communication and encouraging your son to maximise each opportunity to develop. 

At Foundation Phase

In the Foundation Phase, as a Physical Performance team, there are three key elements we’re developing:

Fundamental movements, ensuring healthy movement patterns through squats, lunges, forward rolls etc; A healthy relationship with sport and exercise: they love football, but we want them to also enjoy physical development; And multi-sport exposure: activities like tennis, rugby and American football to develop skills which transfer to football.

There are one or two sessions per week, depending on age. The first one falls on a Monday for all age groups, where players do 20 minutes with a coach before their football session. Players in U10 and U11 age groups do an additional session on a Wednesday. We also have a Wednesday Speed Club for selected players, based on interest and coach recommendations.

Testing

When your son comes in, we identify their strengths and areas to develop, leading to a clear action plan to enhance their qualities and address. He will go through physical performance testing, but at this phase results are just a guide for supporting development, not something that affects selection.

What Can I Do?

Trust the long-term approach. The sessions might not look like football or intense fitness, but there’s science behind them. Is your son doing activities outside the Academy like swimming, rugby and other sports? If yes, great – these will benefit his football, but keep us informed about these activities so we can factor them into their development.

Also keep in mind your son’s age relative to the year group, as being born in early September is very different from late August in terms of development – it’s normal to see physical differences in the same year group.

We welcome you to join the induction at the start of the season where members of the MDT explain each department’s role. This is a great place to start communicating what to expect and an opportunity for parents and players to ask questions.

Physiotherapy

What do we do?

The Physiotherapy department at the Academy aims to maximise player availability by reducing the impact of injury and illness and therefore allowing more development time on the pitch. This involves screening, injury rehab and working in a multidisciplinary team to ensure players return in the quickest, safest way.

We run an open-door policy for questions, emphasise education and prioritise early detection. Early reporting gives us the best chance to keep players on the pitch. Our goal isn’t just return-to-play but also staying on the pitch. When injuries occur, players and parents are encouraged to ask questions to understand the issue. 

Up to U16, you are welcome to join assessments where we discuss with your son how to manage the injury and provide clear explanations of physiology and anatomy to help support recovery. As boys get older and it becomes full time, it’s much more prescriptive with what players need to do. 

At Foundation Phase

At the Foundation phase, as a Physiotherapy team we focus more on education as, fortunately, injuries aren’t too common at this stage.

It is not unusual for your son to be busy with other sports outside of school and PE in school.  As they continue to grow and be active, they may start to experience growth related issues, which is normal for someone of this age.  Our aim is to try and manage any issues with as little disruption to their football as possible.  Some players with growth related pain often benefit from temporary changes to their weekly schedules, in order for them to continue their training.

Common areas of growth-related issues at this phase are the back of the heel and the front of the knee.  We are here to provide education on what to do when you feel your son is experiencing issues around these areas.

Assessment at this phase?

Physiotherapy is provided in a ‘walk-in’ scenario, so there is no need to book an appointment. While coaches feed forward relevant information about the players to us, we welcome both players and parents to come in and chat with the physio team if they are unsure about anything or have any concerns.

We are available to see players every training day, and we aim to have a physio pitchside on match day, so if you have any concerns please come and talk to us.  One of our academy doctors is also available on specific days to advise if required.

What Can I Do?

Seeing a physio might be new for you and your son but we’re very accessible, so don’t be apprehensive, we’re here to help with any case. Come and see us, use our FAQs and the more information you can provide about your son and his schedule, the better equipped we are to help. Have experience with injuries yourself? Please do still come and see us, so we can keep him on the pitch as much as possible.

Player Care

What do we do?

Player Care focuses on empowering your son to learn and develop using the Football Academy, helping him grow as a footballer and as a person with skills he will take into adult life, whatever career he chooses. We support players with their personal development goals and celebrate these milestones, in football and life.

Where do we do it?

The Player Care team has a presence at both Hale End and Sobha and there is always an opportunity for 1: 1 contact time for any player around player care or wellbeing in performance.  Conversations, either pitch-side, in the corridor or the canteen, are positively encouraged and they are welcome to come into the office and to have a chat, whether that’s about home, school, football or what’s happening on the weekend.

At Foundation Phase

Throughout the Foundation Phase, we help players settle into becoming Strong Young Gunners. As Player Care, we complement their football programme and education through the Lifelong Learner Programme, for players and parents to explore the early stages of their academy journey. We align this to the experiences and learnings they would have school and home with the Academy. 

We’re working with a talented young person, who’s not a footballer yet. There are so many other things going on in their life, where they are still learning. We’re here to help them develop behaviours which are going to help them settle in our academy, thrive on and off the pitch, to and away from the academy as a young person.

For parents, we offer support to starting and navigating the journey. There are departmental induction sessions for players and parents, with Academy staff members, on how they impact your son and how you can align with our support. 

Workshops

The Lifelong Learner Programme and curriculum span across the season. Certain topics have guided learning hours. For the Foundation phase, we aim to cover age-appropriate topics which link to their role in the academy and wider life. Topics include Wellbeing, Our Academy Values, Nutrition, EDI and Football Transition. We aim to have a Lifelong Learner session every six weeks. Players hear from different people over a season, including Player Care staff, external guests, Premier League life skills providers and other MDT staff.

1:1 Time

Player Care support is available for your son throughout their time in the academy. This could be supporting with any issues on or off pitch, away from the academy or life at home or school. For parents, we can offer you guidance and support on anything to do with the academy journey. We’re available at Hale End on training nights and weekend activity, so please reach out.

What Can I Do?

Come and be present, but allow the boys to settle in. It’s a unique job, being a parent of a talented young person who’s early on in their football journey. You want your son to succeed and perform, we understand that, so your support is always welcome and needed.

It’s a massive thing to be part of the Academy and we shouldn’t underplay that. At this point, the emphasis should be on enjoying their learning, not winning. At this stage, the journey is far more important than the destination.

Your communication with your son around their football will have a lasting impact on their relationship with sport in general. Have any concerns or need support? You can always discuss anything that your son is experiencing, whether it’s in or outside of football, with the Player Care team.

Psychology

What do we do?

As a Psychology department, we provide group-level psychological support during sessions, in workshops and in analysis meetings. We also work closely with players on an individual, often around performance support, but sometimes well-being and mental health, which we collaborate on with the Multi-Disciplinary Team.

We work with the coaches, who are very experienced and psychologically aware, so our role is to align their knowledge of psychology, football and the players with our expertise in child and adolescent brain development, understanding this generation and bringing in psychological strategies.

Champion Mentality is gradually integrated as your son moves up through the phases, through the respective coaches and staff into sessions on and off the grass.

Where do we do it?

There are between 1-4 sessions per week, depending on the phase. These are primarily on the grass, but also in the gym and the analysis classroom.

At Foundation Phase

At Foundation it’s about mindset – your son dedicating himself to his development and being the best person he can be. There are three areas we focus on: growth mindset, role model mindset, and performance mindset, to develop the psychological skills to perform better on and off the pitch.

Screening

We screen players three times in a season for mental well-being, to check in and see where they’re at. This happens roughly at the beginning, middle and end of the season.

Predominantly, Psychology is delivered through the coaches in training and on match days, but if anyone flags anything, whether it’s parents, coaches or other staff, we are there to support. Player Care often has the initial conversations, and then we follow up on that. If a player is really struggling, we might do 1:1 work. This doesn’t happen often, but if a need is raised via Player Care or Psychological support, our team is there to step in.

This can come through any channel: Multi-Disciplinary Team staff, individual development meetings with parents, or from parents directly. We are always accessible. 

What Can I Do?

As a parent, you have a big influence at this age. We’re not working directly with boys via the workshops yet, these come at a later phase. But we are always available to support you. Whether that’s having conversations on car journeys to and from games, how to give your son space, questions to ask, or ways to reflect on their experience with them. 

If you ever would like to find out more information or have a chat, please do reach out.

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