RECORD RECRUITMENT FOR WOOD’S ACADEMY

Boreham Wood Football Club are absolutely delighted to announce that yet again, our BW PASE Scheme and our newly created Fitness and Well Being Scheme, have surpassed our hopes for the 17th straight year, and recruited record breaking numbers.

Our PASE Academy and Fitness and Well Being Scheme can now boast an incredible 675 students – the PASE scheme was originally started way back in 2002 by the present Boreham Wood Chairman Danny Hunter. Back then, it was just a small, obscure and unheard-of sports education programme that had just 14 boys within its ranks.

The Wood Chairman recently told us that the BW PASE Scheme he created, was built on less than satisfactory facilities and with very limited resources… But, he said that he always believed that an inclusive Education and Football programme for all, could be created with thought and care. And, he said he always believed that he could create a football education scheme better than anyone out there, as he had five sons. Five sons who all needed to be educated and five sons who loved their football, but all had such differing levels of ability.

When pressed today on these record-breaking numbers, Wood Chairman Danny Hunter said: “To remember where I started makes this incredible, and to see where we now are, is testament to the amazing work that my staff, my family, and Barnet and Southgate College continue to do, to grow our academy structure.

“Their dedication to our beliefs regarding attitude, discipline and desire before talent, allows our BW PASE and our new Fitness and Well Being Scheme to continue to break new ground, and for it to be acknowledged as the most successful scheme of its type in the UK, from just 14 kids is simply amazing.

“In truth, 2017/18 was another hugely productive PASE Academy campaign, and in hindsight is perhaps our most successful season to date, with a record-breaking five of our boys making the England Colleges squad.

“In football terms, they followed that up by winning multiple league and cup doubles across our academy at various age groups. While, our Elite group were once again crowned the National league’s ‘Champion of Champions’ for the second year in succession – what an accolade.

“But the icing on the cake for me, was that one of our recent academy graduates in young Sorba Thomas, has gone on to become an established member of our first team squad and he even came off the bench to participate in our recent Promotion Final at Wembley.

“When I look at things educationally, our students have enjoyed incredible course success this academic year of over 96%, and our retention rates across the board sit at over 94% – these are truly remarkable figures for our scholars, for me, for our community, for our club and for our amazing education partners at Barnet and Southgate College.”

Head PASE Coach Cameron Mawer added: “I am really, really happy, it has been a collective effort, that obviously started originally way back in 2002. But, I can recall how much hard work went into our first trial in February for this academic cohort, so to repeat this effort for 17 straight years is testament to our Chairman.

“All of the staff here genuinely work so hard to achieve a caring environment, and sporting and academic success, and these numbers and the boys who have enrolled are already doing really well.

“We again have an impressive set of scholars, coaches and teaching staff, but it’s obviously now about managing them and getting the best out of them for them. They will, as is our way, all get the exact same training whether they are number 675, or number one within our Academy.

“That I feel is our secret, we are completely inclusive, and they are all treated exactly the same way, if they show the correct attitude, discipline and desire, they will all get opportunities to excel.

“It has been a fantastic year and as a group of staff, we are really, really happy that the hard work has all been worthwhile – now we have to ensure we can somehow replicate our past success.”