9 August 2021

Impact Football Academy nurturing future female football talent

Ambitious youngsters from in and around Hackney are benefitting from expert coaching at Impact Football Academy, a community focused, grassroots football club teaching boys and girls from ages 5 to 15.

Run by ex-Arsenal and Chelsea academy players, the Academy’s aim is to provide outstanding football development skills for children from all backgrounds and abilities, improving their work ethic and confidence in a team orientated environment.

Accredited to the FA Charter Standard, it has eight teams competing in both the Hackney Marshes Saturday Youth League and Echo Junior Football League. Training takes place in Hackney and Redbridge and the club welcomes players from across North-East London.

The group is now calling for new participants for its girls’ program, designed to get inner city girls playing sport. More than 50 girls aged 6-16 are already participating in free weekly training sessions, and its popularity shows no sign of slowing down.

As well as launching its girls-only training sessions in May 2021, the Academy has also successfully lobbied Hackney Council to improve their provision for a competitive girls’ league with a view to igniting more sport for girls in the borough.

The Academy’s head coach, Alfred Mugabo, also won the Mayor of Hackney 2021 Civic Award for all the work Impact are doing in the community. “The best way of taking care of tomorrow is taking care of the youth today,” he said.

Alongside its youth program, the Academy also has a women’s 18+ team which competes in the Super 5 League, and a men’s 18+ team competing in the Ballers League.

To learn more, join a session, or find out how you can support the teams, visit www.impactfootballacademy.co.uk.

 

Photo credit: Impact Football Academy / Instagram: @ImpactFootballAcademy

In photos: Impact Family girls and boys, coach Alfred with U12's