8th July 2020
England Handball is to make changes to the performance pathway for the 2020-21 season. These changes aim to increase opportunities for more players to access the pathway, over a longer period of time in the best environment we can provide.
The existing regional academy programme which, for the past six years has predominantly worked with under-16 players, will be split into under-15 and under-17 programmes. The Regional Academy Development programme will be for under-15s. The Regional Academy Performance programme will be for under-17s.
Regional Academy Development | Regional Academy Performance | |
Age Group | Under-15 (school year 9 and 10) | Under-17 (school year 11 and 12) |
Target Audience | School teams and under-14 leagues | Under-16 leagues |
Benefits | Younger players able to access performance pathway, increasing their contact time and opportunities within Handball. | Age cap extended to allow access to performance pathway for under-17s outside of the Diploma in Sporting Excellence. |
From September 2020, subject to the Covid-19 situation, a full-time training opportunity will be available for players moving from school year 11 to 12 (further education) - in partnership with Loughborough College. England Handball will employ a dedicated, full-time coach to oversee the training and development of the athletes - who will also be enrolled on the Diploma in Sporting Excellence. The athletes will undertake formal academic qualifications in parallel to their Handball training programme.
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