In the Spotlight...

It's that time of the month again, Ladies & Gents.. albeit slightly late due to the Easter Break. We hope you've all had a lovely 2 week break and are raring to get back to the School Run routine as of tomorrow. This is the April edition of our In the Spotlight, and this month we meet one of our younger members, Joseph "Joe" Hare. Joe joined us over a year ago, and in that time has gained confidence, friendships and a real passion for the beautiful game. He tells us more about himself below:

1. How old are you? ~ I am 6 years old

2. Tell us about you and your family: ~ I live with my mum, big sisters Emily and Katy, my big brother Sam, our cat Orla and Katy’s Leopard Gecko, Sonny

3. Who is your favourite football team? ~ Tottenham Hot Spurs

4. Who is your favourite footballer? ~ Harry Kane

5. How did you first hear about Hull Football Skills Academy? ~ I wanted to go to football like my friend, Noah. Mum found HFSA on Facebook!

6. When did you start your football journey with the Academy? ~ March 2017, just after my 5th birthday

7. What made you stick with HFSA? ~ I like learning to play Football and because my friends are there

8. Do you play football in a team? ~ No, but I think I would like to

9. Do you have any other hobbies? ~ Riding my bike and my scooter, running, climbing, watching Pokemon and playing PS4 games. I really love Dinosaurs

10. What do you think is the best part of your academy sessions? ~ I like playing the matches at the end

11. What is your favourite football skill, and can you do it? ~ Doing a tipple tail with the football between my ankles, and Yes! I can do it

12. What other activities would you like to see at HFSA? ~ I like it just way it is

13. What advice would you give to someone new wanting to join us? ~ I would say Yes, come and join us. If you are a bit scared, you can just come for a little bit and see if you like it

Joe's Mum says: I was a bit apprehensive about whether Joseph would actually enjoy football. He doesn't come from a sporting background, but he seemed so keen, we had nothing to lose. It was one of the best decisions I've made. Joe has barely missed any sessions, and even took part in all 3 days of the summer camp! He loves the academy, the friends he's made and even our Coach. It's definitely the highlight of his week

Thanks Joe for taking part in our feature. We hope you continue to develop and become the next Mr Harry Kane!

In the Spotlight...

We can hardly believe it's March! In just a few short weeks, spring will have sprung and we'll be contemplating a move back outside. In the meantime, it's time for this month's In the Spotlight. March's feature introduces us to one of our girls... Miss Lucy Holland. Here's what she had to share with us:

1. How old are you? ~ I am 10 years old

2. Tell us about you and your family: ~ I live in Willerby with my Mum, Dad and 2 older brothers. I go to Carr Lane School and my favourite subjects are PE and Maths. I love penguins and sport

3. Who is your favourite football team? ~ Manchester United

4. Who is your favourite footballer? ~ Paul Pogba

5. How did you first hear about Hull Football Skills Academy? ~ Through my brother Daniel

6. When did you start your football journey with the Academy? ~ I think it was 2016!

7. What made you stick with HFSA? ~ I love playing football and practising my soccer skills

8. Do you play football in a team? ~ No, but I would like to!!

9. Do you have any other hobbies? ~ Baking and anything to do with Penguins

10. What do you think is the best part of your academy sessions? ~ The football matches

11. What is your favourite football skill, and can you do it? ~ Not sure what it is called – step over and move foot across ball? (Owen says "This is called The Modric, so named after Croation Lukas Modric who made this his signature move")

12. What other activities would you like to see at HFSA? ~ Practicing crosses

13. What advice would you give to someone new wanting to join us? ~ Do not be frightened just do it, we are really friendly

Parents Richard & Claire say that it's been great to watch Lucy improve her football skills and confidence over her time at HFSA

Thank you for your time, Lucy & Family. It's a pleasure have you as part of our Academy, flying the flag for girls football as well as being an impressive and hard-working player. Well done!

In the Spotlight...

Happy February! It's time to meet another one of our fabulous HFSA kids, and with no further introduction, here is Oliver Robinson!

1. How old are you? ~ I am 9 years old and in year 4 at school

2. Tell us about you and your family: ~ I love playing football anywhere and play whenever I can especially at school. I live with my mum and dad, my big brother James, little brother Jacob and my mum is having another baby in May

3. Who is your favourite football team? ~ I love playing football but don't have a favourite team

4. Who is your favourite footballer? ~ I don't have a favourite but love the players who invent new skills like Maradona, Ronaldo and Messi

5. How did you first hear about Hull Football Skills Academy? ~ I really wanted to learn to play football and my mum found HFSA on the internet

6. When did you start your football journey with the Academy? ~ I started HFSA in September 2016

7. What made you stick with HFSA? ~ I really look forward to Saturdays. Learning football skills from Owen is fun, he explains things really well and I have made lots of friends at the Academy

8. Do you play football in a team? ~ Not yet but I hope to play for my school team soon

9. Do you have any other hobbies? ~ I love skateboarding, and running. I belong to a cub pack, and go to a musical theatre group every week

10. What do you think is the best part of your academy sessions? ~ I love learning new skills and then getting to practice them in the game at the end

11. What is your favourite football skill, and can you do it? ~ My favourite skill is keepy uppy because you can always try to beat your last score and improve. I am trying to learn the Maradona Turn at the minute, but its hard!

12. What other activities would you like to see at HFSA? ~ I think it would be cool to have a skills competition for the whole academy and an end of year party

13. What advice would you give to someone new wanting to join us? ~ I'd tell them to come and join us - it's really fun and friendly

We asked Mum, Leonie what she thinks of Oliver's sessions with the academy. Leonie tells us ~ Oliver always enjoys coming to HFSA, he bounces out of bed and into his kit every week. Owen is always kind and patient and supports everyone learning new skills. Oliver enjoys coming so much, that his younger brother has joined the earlier group and, despite being shy in new situations, he also loves coming. The confidence and skills the children gain are a pleasure to watch

Oliver, thank you lots for your article this month. You certainly are a pleasure to have in the group. You're enthusiasm is infectious.. and your little brother, Jacob, is just as keen! Thanks for coming every week and keep practising that turn; you're sure to master it very soon!

Easter Camp 2018

We are running a 3-day Easter Camp. The camp will involve fun, football-themed activities, aimed at developing ball skills and confidence-building. Your children can attend any one or all of the sessions, and we are open to both new and current members of HFSA.

If you would like any further information, or wish to book a place, please don't hesitate to contact us. We look forward to seeing you there!

In the Spotlight...

It's 2018! And from Hull Football Skills Academy to you all, we wish you a very Happy New Year! With the rollover of a new month, we bring you January's edition of our In the Spotlight feature. This month, we hear from one of our Advanced Skills members, James Rampling. Find out all about him below:

1. How old are you? ~ I am 10 years old

2. Tell us about you and your family: ~ I live with my Mum, Dad and little sister Abigail, who is 8 years old

3. Who is your favourite football team? ~ Barcelona!

4. Who is your favourite footballer? ~ Gerard Pique

5. How did you first hear about Hull Football Skills Academy? ~ From my football team goalkeeper, Seb. (NB: We met Seb in our first ever Spotlight feature)

6. When did you start your football journey with the Academy? ~ About 1 year ago

7. What made you stick with HFSA? ~ It's really good fun and not only teaches lots of cool touches and tricks, but also useful whole game tactics

8. Do you play football in a team? ~ Yes, Defender for Beverley Town Panthers U11’s

9. Do you have any other hobbies? ~ I play guitar, as well as enjoying Judo, Gymnastics and Swimming

10. What do you think is the best part of your academy sessions? ~ Learning the skills

11. What is your favourite football skill, and can you do it? ~ Ronaldinho instant first touch, yes I can do it... sometimes!

12. What other activities would you like to see at HFSA? ~ More 1v1 and 2v2 exercises

13. What advice would you give to someone new wanting to join us? ~ If you are thinking about joining, I would go for it because on my first day, I was really nervous but Owen the coach is really nice and he will tell you what to do. I have also made some great friends

Proud Dad, Marc told us: James really enjoys his sessions with Owen, his very clear explanations of what should be done is easily understood and the fun, friendly atmosphere is clear on all of the boys faces!

Thank you very much for taking the time to chat to us, James. It's always a pleasure to have you with us. How do you find the time though, between all of your activities? Do you ever sleep?? Ha! Keep on aiming high!

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