‘The facilities are fantastic… and the enthusiasm from the coaches makes my kids love coming. You can really see week-on-week improvement in their game.’ – Dominic, a Foxes Fives parent
‘This is going to sound like a cliché, but it is true nonetheless,’ says James Long, Director of Football at Foxes FC in Chiswick. ‘Our aim is to encourage a love of the game. We give children their first experience of structured coaching and competitive play and, in so doing, we hope to foster a lifelong passion. It’s a pleasure to do that.’
James Long
Foxes FC is part of the Little Foxes family, a multi-sports coaching club that teaches thousands of children each week in London. ‘In Chiswick we’re fortunate to be able to call the QH River Pitches our home ground. The facility has superb all-weather floodlit pitches and all of our football programmes – training sessions, league matches, Friday five-a-side league and school holiday camps – take place there.
‘Our Academy provides coaching for children from under-5 to under-18, with teams for boys and girls competing in youth leagues and tournaments. On Friday evenings we arrange Foxes Fives, our own Friday 5-a-side League. A group of friends can get together to make up a team and we organise the matches. It’s open to everyone, there are no trials and you don’t need to belong to the Academy – just come along and play and have fun!’
The key principle underpinning all Foxes FC coaching is that it must always be age-appropriate. ‘That simply means giving the children the right information at the right time,’ explains Tristan Mackay, the Head Coach. ‘It’s so important that they are not overwhelmed with expectation or too much detail. In particular, for the younger ages, it’s all about becoming comfortable with the ball and developing basic skills. There’s plenty of time for tactical nuances later.
‘Of course, much of what we do is also about building self-confidence and learning life lessons, such as leadership, respect and dealing with adversity. For us as coaches, it’s so rewarding to play even a small role in the children becoming good human beings.’
All the Foxes FC coaches are FA qualified and, most unusually for a grass roots club, some are also ex-professional players and some have UEFA A and B licences, the highest recognised coaching qualifications. The team also arranges regular Masterclasses which focus on specific skills, and the Foxes team invites guest coaches from local professional academies, such as QPR, Chelsea, and Fulham, to take those intensive sessions.
Tristan Mackay
‘There’s a real family feel to our club,’ says James. ‘Often coaches stay with the same team through the age grades and close bonds are formed; for example, I’ve known some of our under-16s since they were five. We encourage our coaches to talk to parents and explain what they are doing and why, our Holiday Camps are always incredibly popular and we put on regular social events, including an end of season trophy presentation evening.
‘As a full-time club, we’re able to refine every element of our programme so that the children are always engaged and motivated. We believe that we can help every player become the best they can be on and off the pitch.’
Foxes FC
QH River Pitches,
1 Quintin Lane
Chiswick W4 3UD
020 7376 0006
info@foxesfc.com
https://thelittlefoxesclub.com/foxes-fc
https://www.instagram.com/foxesfcofficial