Football fever at Wellington as World Cup approaches
Simon Shand
We are two months into the academic year at Wellington. Sport is in full swing, and I have loads of exciting updates to our football programme to share with you.
This academic year, we have significantly expanded our coaching resources and are confident in our support for our pupils in their football pathways. It is, therefore, my great pleasure to announce that James McDaid is our new full-time Coordinator of Football. Many of you know James through his work with our younger and girls football teams. He will be a tremendous asset to us in this position as we see more home and away games being scheduled in and partnerships fruition.
I would also like to welcome Harry Hardy to the PE Department. Harry is an excellent football coach as well as a highly experienced PE teacher. He will work alongside James to ensure our players are trained and match ready this season.
Additionally, we have recruited Sara Gandola to our coaching staff to provide more support for our female players. Sara works with the Juventus Senior Women’s team here in Shanghai and is an excellent role model to our players and brings club level experience to the training field.
As we look to expand our football programme, we have entered into a partnership with Phoenix Global Elite, a well-known football provider in Shanghai. They have a successful record of collaboration with professional clubs in both Spain and Germany, as well as years of experience working with international schools in Shanghai. Phoenix will take responsibility for our Saturday Mini Kickers programme as well as all of our holiday football camps. They are also looking to develop a mid-week football programme after the school day here at Wellington.
In addition, we will also welcome two full-time coaches, Jose Quero and Phil Friedrich from Phoenix. Both have years of experience within Shanghai and will provide a great link between Wellington and the external Phoenix programme.
Fixtures and facilities
We are about to embark upon our Junior Season of football in Shanghai. This will be for children 14 years old and younger and will start at the end of October. Fixtures will take place midweek (Boys on Tuesdays and Girls on Thursdays). We are also looking to run football competitions on Saturdays for these pupils using our magnificent fields.
Our Senior players, whilst out of season, will still be training with our coaches in preparation for their upcoming season, with friendlies already played and in store. The grass pitch has been reseeded and Astroturf undergone some work ready for our players. In addition to the field, a series of Teqball – football played over a curved ping pong table – are now available for precision and technique training and a whole lot of football fun!
Elite pathways
We are also re-introducing our performance programmes for our players who demonstrate high potential and will begin run sessions before school, similar to our current swim programme and our soon-to-be-introduced tennis provision. These pupils may be eligible for our Sports Scholarship. Stay tuned for more details on that!
World Cup fever at Wellington
We could not let Qatar steal the spotlight. So, this year, we have some fun World Cup activities in the works. On November 20, we will hold our first-ever Wellington World Cup – Football Festival. This tournament will see parents and staff take to the pitch for a marquee match preluded by a day of football-related activities, including the Lower Prep House football finals and friendlies with the Wellington Lions home squad. It will also mark the debut of our new sports mascot, Welly the Lion and our Wellington Lions Dance Squad. Can you Hear Us Roar?
The Wellington World Cup promises to be good fun. Be sure to scan the QR code above to purchase tickets. It is for a good cause! Proceeds go to Stepping Stones, a charity that supports local schools in need here in Shanghai.
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