After being a part of the Foundation Phase (Under-9s to Under-12s), the U13s are now part of the Youth Development Phase (Under-13s to Under-16s). This is the penultimate stage of development football before the Professional Development Phase (Under-17s to Under-21s).
The EPPP is key to ensure the holistic development of the young Eagles not only as players, but also as individuals. It is a broad approach which includes: coaching, education, a Games Programme with fixtures both domestic and abroad, and an Elite Performance Plan to ensure the best development through a statistical approach.
“In the Foundation Phase, we train twice during the week, whereas in YDP [Youth Development Phase] they train three times a week and have the luxury of the hybrid programme where they have day release from school,” explains Under-13s Head Coach Michael Kamara.
“They’ll go from playing four 20-minute quarters to two 40-minute halves, YDP makes the game a bit more realistic for them. It becomes a little bit more real, like what they’re seeing when they watch a Premier League game.”
