So we come to the end of our 13th half term, they say the number 13 is unlucky and it has proven so this term with the horrific double leg break for Academy first year player Owen Skinner.

Owen has been fantastic this season for us having joined the programme in the summer from Chauncy School in Ware, quickly establishing himself as first choice left back for the College Elite side and continued his progression with an U21 debut earlier this month. As you would expect Owen's injury affected everyone associated with the club from those team mates on the pitch who saw the incident to the academy staff and in particular Owen's family who have been incredibly supportive of his football over the past 11 years since he first kicked a ball. Today we find out the severity of Owen's injury and lasting long term effects having already had 3 operations in a week.

The first operation was last Wednesday to insert a metal rod from knee to ankle and anchored in place with a plate and screws, the second was an emergency operation due to Owen developing "Compartment Syndrome" a potentially life threatening addition to his already painful injury which resulted in him having part of his muscle cut away and the very real chance of never being able to play football again, the third to take a skin graft from his thigh to cover the shin and the open wound (left open to allow the pressure from CS to relieve). So all in all Owen and Owen's family have been through it the past 10 days with mum pretty much living on a chair in the hospital ward for the first week.

As we explained to the family, we see the Scholars more than we see our own families so when something like this happens it has a huge impact on the academy, from Kevin Kuhn fainting at the hospital to Liam Foster our Sports Therapist walking out the room in tears at the thought of this luckless 16 year old boy laying on a hospital bed being told he could potentially lose his leg. And all due to a leg break after a nothing challenge, no foul, no malice just pure bad luck.

Academically we have started very well, we have an excellent group of scholars this year all with their own personalities and a fantastic work ethic. With George Hebden Lee, Ross Bourke and Harry Pluckrose all excelling at University and sharing their experiences it has given a number of second years a new option and given them a decision to make. They are all on course to exceed the targets set at the start of last year and we are looking forward to channelling their energies over the next 6 months to help them become the best they can be on and off the football pitch. We also had Future Elite Sports in to present on the American Opportunity...I use the word "Opportunity" rather than "Dream" as with FES and our partnership the opportunity is very realistic and achievable.

The 1st years have started well and have quickly become accustomed to our teaching styles, at the academy we don't "hand hold" the students, we teach, set them deadlines, give them all the support they need and expect them to meet deadlines set, if they don't meet deadlines they don't play in the games. We have high expectations and set our standards high. The boys quickly realise they are in a "life programme", not a football course or an education course. Education, of course, comes first. Football, the carrot, comes third. Sandwiched between the 2 comes what we call, "Life skills". This set of skills are the details that we believe make a difference in the "real world", time keeping, meeting deadlines, being able to converse at different levels, making eye contact, shaking hands, appearance and body language. Small details that can make a big difference when the scholars are eventually looking for employment.

On the grass all 3 groups have made a positive start to their league campaigns, the development group sit halfway in the Cat 3 league having played 3 won 2 and lost 1. Darius Grant is having a strong impact in the group having won man of the match in 2 out of the 3 games. Cavan Weaver marked his debut with a brace including the winner in recent game vs St Neots. First year Harry Living has also made a strong start to the season at full back.

The VLUK group have made a strong start winning twice and drawing once including an excellent 4-1 home win vs Stevenage EDP in the stadium at Wodson Park. The group is a nice mix of first and second years providing energy and experience. The difference in 1 year of college football is bigger than it suggests and the physical change the boys go through over the course of 12 months on a full time football programme is staggering. Rickadan McCoy, Cory Dyer and Chris Ingleton continue to impress alongside 1st years Owen Ede and Lasana Edwards.

The Cat 2 group have made an unbeaten start to the season, the group is young with 7 of the 11 starters being 1st years. Nathan Walker continues to impress with 2 hat tricks in the first 3 games. This earned him a well deserved 1st team call up alongside Mattie Kyriakou who has been instrumental to the successful start the group have made. Pete Abrams remains a threat and is slowly recovering the form that made him such a pivotal player last season. Finley Long made a strong start but then got injured in our FA Youth Cup game and is regaining fitness. The squad as a whole is very strong and injuries to key players Finley Long, Owen Skinner, Caleb Steel and Mehmed Bexavogui haven't impacted the 1st team group as much as would have in previous seasons.

This term we have had Owen Skinner, Matt Nolan, Nathan Walker, Mattie Kyriakou, Cameron Currie, Charlie Ruff and Pete Abrams already appear for the U21s. Cameron Currie, Nathan Walker and Mattie Kyriakou have all been involved in 1st team squads. This is the footballing progression we like to push at the club and with the academy staff being heavily involved in the U21 group we're not afraid to give the youngsters a chance to progress and impress the 1st team manager.

An Academy of any type is only as good as the staff it employs and we are lucky to have 3 members of staff in Dan Evans, Liam Foster and Kevin Kuhn who are reliable, enthusiastic and share our vision and philosophy. This has been highlighted this half term by Dan and Liam leading our Ware FC in the Community Programme. Still in its infancy stage we are now coaching Free of Charge after school and lunch time clubs to 5 local primary schools aswell as offering holiday camps. We are working hard to establish the Academy and Club in the local community. Ware is a great place with a fantastic community and our football club being the towns highest positioned senior club should be a central part.

Half term coming up and our first recruitment day for our 2016-18 scholar intake. Our network spread again last year and we now have boys travelling to our programme from St Albans, Wembley, Finchley, Harlow, Stevenage, Loughton and Stratford. This is a fantastic reflection on the programme that students will travel in from far and wide to attend the course.

Next blog at Christmas where hopefully we can provide a positive update on injury situation and good news on education and playing fronts!

Enjoy!

Sam & Dan.