A BASILDON school is going the extra mile to create the next generation of sporting stars thanks to its unique development programme.

Woodlands School started the Elite Player Development (EPD) programme last year to allow the school’s aspiring athletes to fulfil their potential. Covering football, rugby, basketball and netball, Woodlands has had a number of success stories with 81 pupils now registered to the programme.

Jon Bonnett, the school’s head of elite sport and development, said young footballer Tyrique Streaks-McQueen has recently joined Southend United, talented gymnasts Halle and Keenan Hilton are already competing in international and European competitions and sprinter Will Harland-Dornan has been invited to the Scottish national under-16 selection camp after impressing at a recent trial, as he bids to represent Scotland under-16s.

And Bonnett said the programme has been a roaring success.

“It has been really successful,” said Bonnett. “The programme brings the best out of those that take part and we want to give them the best possible chance of succeeding in their chosen sport.

“In all honesty, I didn’t expect it to be as big a hit as it has been. It has been very positive and the pupils are really responding to it.

“We want to give the pupils the best possible chance. We have football coaches from Chelsea and there is a lot of interaction between the coaches and students. It doesn’t interfere with their studies as the sessions are before and after school so I hope it continues to thrive.”

Athletes must complete three compulsory training sessions, led by specialist coaches, every week with each session focusing on a different aspect of their sport, including core skills, game awareness and fitness.

A strength and conditioning coach is also employed by the programme, with analysis of pupils’ performance also monitored by coaches.

Bonnett said the majority of the pupils played for a local team, and will be encouraged to attend county and national competitions, while being given the opportunity to earn coaching qualifications.

 

Young athletes coming from around country to join scheme

 

THE success of the Elite Player Development programme is spanning further than just south Essex, as the stars of tomorrow head to Woodlands in a bid to continue their progression.

One family moved from Suffolk to Basildon to join the performance programme, and they are reaping the rewards.

Gymnasts Keenan and Halle Hilton moved to the area after they were recommended the school by another of the Elite Player Development’s (EPD) starlets, and both have flourished.

Keenan, 16, is bidding to represent Ireland at the European Junior Gymnastics Championships, while 11-year-old Halle is a three time British champion and is one a number of talented youngsters hopeful of representing her country at the 2020 Olympics in Japan.

And dad Darren said he couldn’t praise the EPD programme enough, as the two gymnasts, who train at Dartford’s Europa Gym Centre, go from strength to strength.

“We heard about the programme through a girl who was part of rugby team at the school,” said Darren.

“It was a big decision at it was going to impact on Keenan and Halle’s training and development but I can’t praise it highly enough. Their progress has been excellent.

“We attended a meeting at Lilleshall (the home of British Gymnastics) to discuss it and it was always going to be a bit of a worry when it came to the move, but Woodlands ticks all the boxes.

“It is Halle’s first year of secondary school and it was important for her, and Keenan, that we made the right decision. Halle will be 16 in 2020 so will be eligible to compete in the Olympics. Halle trains up to 25 hours a week and I am so pleased the EPD is working so well.

“My wife Mags is Irish, and Keenan has an Irish passport so he is eligible to compete for them. We have some trials for the European Junior coming up and I am excited about both of their prospects.”