Nancy Ovens Bursary Update: Tom Lloyd

Andrew Brown, SkillsActive - 17/09/2007

Tom Lloyd has recently spent a month in the United States at the Cary Soccer Academy in Chicago. Here he was working with top professional coaches at a variety of levels in order to gain an understanding of the structure of the game in America and allow him to further develop the Soccerette Academy which he runs, delivering a variety of coaching in schools across Portsmouth and the surrounding area.

As well as spending time coaching boys and girls aged between four and sixteen, Tom also had the opportunity to take in the US women’s team training and later on their World Cup warmup match against New Zealand which they won convincingly 6-1. Tom also managed to find time to meet some of the national team and their coaching staff to discuss the development of Women’s football, as well as coaches at leading universities with a view to developing scholarship opportunities for a number of his Soccerette Academy members.

Tom said of his experiences; “This trip has exceeded every expectation I had and I have truly achieved my aspirations. Working alongside an excellent coach such as Brad Wellmen has given me a valuable insight into different coaching techniques and the rapid development of the game of soccer in the U.S. I now have a sound knowledge of the American soccer structure supported by a number of coaching ideas, insights from elite players, coaching staff, medical directors and junior players as well as contacts with four major educational establishments.”

For a more indepth look at what Tom was doing in America visit his webpages here where you'll find weekly updates from his time away, and click here for more information on the Nancy Ovens Bursary in general.