Nottingham Forest Academy is delighted to be launching the Magic Hub Programme, an innovative concept geared towards inspiring young children to find a passion for football.
From the week commencing 24th February 2025, the Hubs will launch in six locations across Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, Mansfield, Lincoln, and will act as a bridge between grassroots football and an Academy environment.
A research based programme based on the latest pedagogy, the Magic Hubs Programme aims to ‘de-professionalise’ football for U7s, U8s and U9s, and will exist as a separate entity to Nottingham Forest. There will be a unique logo on the kit worn by the coaches and the sessions will be multi-sport, which underlines the commitment to providing a fun, playful, explorative platform for young children to foster a love for sport.
The children will be invited down to one session a week in line with the school term time calendar, with no trials and no early releases. With brand new cohorts for every term, the pressure to perform to try and join a football Academy will be alleviated, with the experience of elite coaches providing a unique experience for the children that places a heavy emphasis on fun, playful, engaging sessions.
The Club’s Head of Foundation Phase, Nathan Cantrill, said: “This is a new exciting project and an exciting programme that we're looking to bring to the children of Nottinghamshire and the surrounding areas. It's a non-professionalised experience with our Nottingham Forest coaching staff, providing the kids with a fun and enjoyable introduction to football. We don’t like the terminology ‘trial’, this is about creating a unique and memorable football experience."
Jody Caudwell, Head of Academy Coaching and Player Development, added: “We want the players to go through all the fundamentals of movement, improve their technical ability, but at the same time enjoy an experience with our Magic Hub coaches which will make them fall in love with the game for the future.”