SADDLEWORTH 3Ds Under 9s enjoyed a training session with professional footballer Harry Bunn.
Bunn, who started at Manchester City, played Championship football at Huddersfield Town and is currently at National League North club Buxton, has set up HB Academy,
The session was a great opportunity for all the U9s to train together and for the coaches to observe and pick up some fresh ideas for their own future training sessions.
After an hour and a half of different training exercises with 45 very excited boys and girls, including a mini round robin tournament between the four teams, they were all exhausted but delighted with their experience.
The coaches, although they assisted, enjoyed a quieter training session to usual and benefited from some outside experience.
FORMER player John Lees is 3Ds’ new chairman having also coached at the club for the last seven years.
He began coaching in 2015 when his son Austin attended 3Ds academy with Mark Aston and like many parent volunteers agreed to start coaching a team at U7s.
Like all junior teams, they began their journey at five-a-side and progressed to seven and nine before this season moving to 11-a-side at Counthill Road.
John said: “With this new format, brings new challenges, dealing with teenage kids, new formations, home and away game.
“One noticeable change at 11-a-side from previous years is that we now have to put the nets up and take them down, fight with corner flags in the wind and unfortunately such is the current national shortage of referees, we sometimes have to source our officials.”
John added he would highly recommend anyone thinking about helping at junior football to get involved.
“It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I’m already considering my options when this team finishes life in youth football, whether it be taking them into senior football or maybe starting again at U7s,” he said.
For further information on Saddleworth 3Ds junior, adult and academy teams, contact the club at saddleworth3ds@btinternet.com
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