Singapore, 27 January 2012 – The SAF Football Club (SAF FC) is partnering local private school, Asia Pacific School of Sports and Business (APSSB) to establish a full-time Diploma study and Football Training programme. Targeted at youths between the age of 16 and 18 years, this programme aims to provide local football talents an avenue to pursue a diploma/advance diploma education on Sports Management, while honing their football skills at the same time.
Leveraging on SAF FC’s existing Centre of Excellence (COE) football training programmes, which conducts training 3 times weekly, students will now train 5 times a week in the afternoon at Choa Chu Kang Stadium or nearby football pitches. They will attend classes in the morning conducted at APSSB’s campus located at Prince Edwards Road. In addition to the advantage of training and competing more regularly together as a team, students who performed well in both their academic studies and football training would have the opportunities to be attached to foreign football clubs in exchange programmes. Foreign clubs that have expressed interest in such an exchange arrangement include Oxford City Football Club as well as Wolverhampton Football Club in the UK.
Applicants have to be at least 16 years old and possess a GCE ‘N’ Level, ITE Nitec or equivalent qualifications. In addition, they have to pass an acceptance test conducted by SAF FC.
With the recent rejuvenation of interest in local football, it is believed that more youths aspire to play football professionally. However, like many practical minded Singaporeans, the priority of securing an academic qualification is still high in these youths and their parents’ minds. Another concern they have is the question of ‘What is my career path after football?’ Before this, there was no platform that offers diploma studies and football development programmes. Hence, this Diploma cum Football Training initiated by SAF FC and APSSB, is ideal to fill this vacuum. Equipped with an academic qualification in Sports Management, professional soccer players can easily transit to other sports related career paths, when their soccer playing careers end.
For a start, to ensure quality and high standards in both classroom studies and football training, SAF FC and APSSB aim to start the inaugural programme commencing on 5 March 2012, with a class of 25 students.
Interested personnel can contact SAF FC at 6892 5811 or visit website: www.safwarriors.com.sg or 6222 7057 (APSSB)