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Edinburgh Council Football Development team, supported by The Scottish Football Association and Hibernian Community Foundation is looking for 20 young people with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) to take part in a new player pathway programme that will start in September in Edinburgh. This is a pilot programme.
This is an exciting new opportunity for young people with a diagnosis of autism aged between 11 and 16 years of age living in Edinburgh and the Lothians
The criteria for this pilot programme is :
-Young people must have a diagnosis of Autistic spectrum disorder
-Players must be in the age bracket of 11 to 16 years of age at the start of the programme
-Players must have a genuine interest in football
-Players must be committed to all aspects of the programme including taking part in an awards scheme and attending training sessions
-Players must be available for the full 15 sessions of the programme
The programme will include a new sports award scheme, operated by Team United who will also work with partners Hibernian FC through their Community Foundation plus some local clubs. The sessions will run from a central location, likely to be at Forrester High School in Corstorphine, mid-week from 5-6pm. Initial introductory meetings will be held at Easter Road where parents will be introduced to the programme in more detail.
The new exciting programme will run for 15 sessions with weekly SFA coaching sessions. Additional to the programme will be a monthly social club, awards scheme and opportunities for a transitions pathway to local community clubs plus other opportunities. Further details of this will follow if the player is accepted to the programme. A fee is applicable for this programme and payable in full at the start of the programme.
Notes of interest are currently being taken, with places being awarded on a first come, first served basis. This is a pilot programme and places are limited to 20.
Interested parties should email notes of interest to team.united@btinternet.com and include the following information :- prospective player’s full name, address, age and date of birth, parent/carer contact details (phone, email and name if different from player), diagnosis.
Parents/carers are expected to be in attendance at all of the sessions. Sessions will last approximately one hour on a weekly basis.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
