Player Pathway
Junior Stags 4 of 5

4. Player Pathway


The Player Pathway provides an environment that helps all junior players realise their potential, whether that means they are the best club player that they can be, seek a lifelong commitment to the game through coaching, or volunteering, or perhaps go on to represent England or Great Britain at junior or senior level.

The Player Pathway is made up of the following tiers:

Development Centres – provide a local entry point to the player pathway for U13s - U17s

Academy Centres – delivered in 49 counties, provide a high quality talent programme for identified players in U13 – U17 age groups.

Performance Centres – are based across the country providing frequent, high quality training with the best coaches for U15 and U17 players

Futures Cup – supports player development within a high-intensity and pressurised best v best tournament environment

Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) - programme provides additional training and sport-related education for U17 players selected from Performance Centres

National Age Group Squads (NAGS) – are selected at U16 and U18 age groups for girls and boys. NAGS provides the first taste of international competition for our young players

U21/Development Programme – is an elite training environment for players who aim to transition into the senior programme and become world-leading players

More details on the above can be found on the England Website, click here and click on the relevant section on the left hand side.