ALDERSHOT TOWN POST-16/UNDER 18 PATHWAY
Aldershot Town Academy offers pathways for those leaving school to play football, continue education, and/or pursue a professional football with us.
Academy Under 18s Boys Pathway
The Aldershot Town Academy under 18s Pathway is a singular squad of under 17 and under 18 players recruited to represent the club in the under 18 Isthmian League, under 19 National League, FA Youth Cup and Hampshire Youth Cup. Our primary recruitment for this pathway comes from our relationships with Football League and Premier League clubs, EFL assessment trials, as well as seeking to recruit the best players within the local area.
We seek to recruit into this pathway the highest level of player available to us, with a view to them having the realistic opportunity of progressing into our B Team and potentially earning a professional contract to play and represent Aldershot Town at First Team level.
Alongside a regular training and games programme, the boys will continue their studies in collaboration with the Knights Training Academy, engage in enrichment and life skills modules, as well as receive regular performance-related workshops and development programmes to assist in their ongoing progression.
The number of players recruited to this pathway is limited, therefore if you believe that you have to potential to be a future Shots First Team player, please contact academy@theshots.co.uk with your football cv/club player dossier, an outline of your playing background and any highlights/matches that you have available to you.
Girls Under 18s Pathway
Aldershot Town runs an under 18s girls side that acts as a stepping stone towards our Senior Women’s team and progression from our under 18s. Competing in the Junior Premier League Warriors League on Saturday’s, the team trains twice weekly whilst the girls on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Trials for our under 18s girls are held 6 times throughout the season. If you are interested in playing for our under 18s, please complete one of our online trial forms, which can be found on our trials page.
Merrist Wood College
Aldershot Town and Activate Learning are working in partnership to provide a full-time football and education programe based at Activate Learnings’ Merrist Wood campus in Worplesdon.
The programme offers boys who leaving school at 16 years the opportunity to study full time to achieve a BTEC in Sport qualification, alongside regular timetabled training from Aldershot Town Academy coaching staff and a weekly games programme.
Our aim is to enable young people to achieve their best both on the pitch and in the classroom, connecting the positive benefits of physical activity and the impact this has on learning, to maximise the potential in our students and ensure they are ready for the next stages of their career.
Only a very small percentage of those engaged in playing football will become professionals, so, as a club, we believe we have a wider social responsibility to make sure anyone connected with the Club, or interested in representing the Club, is given the opportunity to further their education, whilst being able to continue their enjoyment of playing football.
If you are in Year 11 and currently looking at your enrolment options for the next academic year, please complete the online form below. Merrist Wood College and Aldershot Town Football Club will be holding several open events throughout the coming year, and we will be in touch with information regarding those, and trial events that we are holding throughout the upcoming year.
Aldershot Town Academy: Post-16 Full-Time Programme Option Interest Form
