Ifill ready to share wisdom at academy

CAPTION: Paul Ifill shows off his Football Academy Training Kit.PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

THE Paul Ifill Football Academy is set to open in Wairarapa next month and the Wellington Phoenix legend is looking for the first group of participants.

The academy is being launched in association with Wairarapa United and trainings are to be based at Memorial Park after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, lasting up to 90 minutes involving two age groups, 12- to 14-year-olds, and 15- to 17-year-olds, for boys and girls.

Ifill says each group will be limited to 16 so participants can get good quality concentrated skills training and the first intake will be named after two trials on Queen's Birthday Monday.

The two trials, of 90 minutes each, are to be held on the Memorial Park artificial turf on Monday, June 1. The first for 12- to 14-year-olds is at 10am, and the second for 15- to 17-year-olds starts at 12.30pm.

Ifill says the training sessions, to be worked around school terms, will start within two weeks of the trials with each selected player getting a proper training kit.

Sessions are to be four weeks on, two weeks off, and four weeks on, "so that the players don't get burnout".

Although the initial focus is on elite footballers, Ifill says the aim is to eventually extend the programme to include development players.

He also hopes to arrange games or possibly attend tournaments once the academy is fully established.

Ifill says the aim is for it to be a free academy, but there will be a charge of about $20 a session to start with.

-Players interested in trying out for the academy need to register online at www.paulifill.com