World Ready

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At Ardingly College we believe in working towards being your very best. This ethos is outlined in our Elite Sports Programme. Talented students benefit from a personal programme supported by top coaching. Our exceptional sports students represent regional and national teams, whilst being encouraged to continue their focus on academic studies.

ELITE SPORTS PROGRAMMEStructured programmes are offered for elite boy footballers and girl hockey players. Trials are held and invitations are dependent on ability and attitude. The aim of the programme is to develop playing ability through additional training sessions with the highest calibre coaches. Players attend other sessions which are key to the development of their all-round physical and mental sporting ability.

THE FOUR PILLARS OF PERFORMANCEOur elite hockey and football programmes are structured around the four pillars of performance: physical, psychological, tactical and technical.

Regular individual fitness testing takes place in the Strength and Conditioning Centre and uses a variety of measures to assess performance. This data is used to develop personal training plans. Pupils are educated on the importance of nutrition and the direct effect it has on physical performance. Physical sessions take place to improve physique, such as yoga and pilates.

The difference between winning and losing can be psychological. This is addressed in training, through inviting motivational speakers to discuss mental preparation for a game. Students are enthused by our top class coaches, visiting professional athletes or those with a career in the profession, such as Paul McGuinness, the ex U18 manager at Manchester United.

Tactical and technical aspects of the game are mainly developed in practice. Being able to read and understand the game is critical: video analysis is used, and professional matches are watched, to understand and develop areas of the sport.

SPORTING STAFF ARE OF HIGH CALIBREFOOTBALL • Ross Millard, Head of Football. Ross played for Manchester United prior to injury and

then went on to work in their football academy.

• Duncan Jupp, Head of Senior Football. Duncan has played at the highest level in the UK Premier League.

• Ian Nicholls, Head of Junior Football. Ian is a high level FA coach who has been part of a premier league academy coaching team.

HOCKEY• Richard Lane, Head of Hockey. An ex-international, Richard plays for premier division

team, Holcombe. Richard’s coaching team comprises no less than 6 current or past internationals.

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING (S&C) • Matt Wren is the Strength and Conditioning coach; he holds a Masters in Strength and

Conditioning and can tailor programmes for individual training needs.

FACILITIES • The state-of-the-art Strength and Conditioning Centre opened in 2016 thanks to

the generous support of our parents and governors. They have enabled us to build a substantial Strength and Conditioning gym, with 50 pieces of equipment, separated into cardiovascular, free weights, fixed weights and testing areas.

• Students have the use of two dedicated sports halls, an indoor swimming pool and two astro-turf pitches. Numerous football pitches, netball and tennis courts are all on campus and accessible within a few minutes’ walk.

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TRAINING AND FIXTURES • Boys and girls have a main sport they play on a termly basis; training for main sport is held

during games lessons. In addition elite training and matches run through the Michaelmas and Lent terms.

Boys Girls

Michaelmas Term Football Hockey

Lent Term Hockey Netball

Trinity Term Cricket / Athletics / Tennis Tennis / Athletics / Football

• Fixtures take place on a Saturday. Our elite players usually represent the A team for their age group, so also represent the school at tournaments and cup matches.

• Elite players train at least one evening a week in their sport; however, we are very mindful of over-training and build in rest days to support their busy sporting schedule.

• They attend a weekly Strength and Conditioning session and receive a tailored programme to follow at their leisure in the gym.

• ‘Non-physical’ training sessions are held each week aimed at all-round sporting development and understanding.

Major sports are supported by pre-season training during school holidays. This sometimes incorporates residential trips held either in the UK or abroad, advanced levels of training and match opportunities.

SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMEMany of our elite boys and girls are football and hockey sports scholars. In addition, we have scholars from other sporting backgrounds such as cricket, athletics, netball and sailing. Students are assigned a mentor from the sports staff who helps to set goals, plan, log and monitor their training and performance. Most importantly scholars are helped to manage their sporting commitments alongside their academic studies. Our scheme brings together students, their sports coaches and parents to compile personalised training programmes that are executed during timetabled games and activity sessions. Keynote talks are held to improve performance, such as through psychological development or nutritional understanding. Sports scholarships can be supported by bursaries. Please enquire for more information.

SPORTS PROGRESSION PE at GCSE and A Level is very popular with our talented sports students. We also offer a BTEC in Sport and Exercise Science at A Level. A separate BTEC leaflet is available.

• University is the usual destination for our sporting elite. Students seek a reputable university, with sporting strength, allowing them to continue to play at a high standard. Some students study sports-related degrees, others choose a different academic path. A growing number of our sporting elite gain scholarships to American universities. Professional sporting careers are very competitive so we encourage our sports boys and girls to be realistic about their ambitions and keep their career options open.

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World Ready

Why not come and visit us:

Open Mornings take place every term or we can arrange a personal visit. Please contact the Registry team on 01444 893320

www.ardingly.com

RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR SPORTING ELITEBOYS’ FOOTBALL

• U18 National ISFA Champions • U18 Elgin Cup Champions • U15 National ISFA Cup• U16 and U15 County Cup winners

GIRLS’ HOCKEY

• U18 County Champions and National finalists• U14 County Champions • U18 St George’s 6s Winners • U16 County Champions • U16 and U18 Regional Quarter finalists • U16 Indoor Regional Semi finalists

BOYS’ HOCKEY

• U18 County Champions • U14 County Runners Up • U18 St George’s 6s Semi Finalists

INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATION

U16 National Girls’ FootballU18 National Girls’ HockeyU16 National Boys’ ISFA Football U18 National Boys’ ISFA Football

For further information on our Elite Sport Programme and Sport Scholarship Scheme please contact Director of Sport Ross.Millard@ardingly.com

@ArdinglySport