Academy welcomes new students’ batch
THE ASPIRE Academy welcomed 84 student athletes, its largest batch ever, to the six-year full scholarship programme starting with the 2017-18 academic year.
Senior academy officials including Director General Ivan Bravo, Education and Student Care Director Badr Al Hay, School Principal Jassim Al Jaber, Director of Sports and Strategy Marcus Egger, Aspire Health Centre Manager Dr Antonio Tramullas, Football Operations Manager Stephan Hildebrant and Sports Science Director Tim Cable welcomed the boys and their parents.
The enrolment of eight and nine-year-old boys followed three stages of talent-identification tests in schools and at the academy’s facilities.
At a panel discussion, current student and footballer Fahad Al Quseaimi spoke about his experiences at the academy while graduates Yousef Al Bader and Fahad Al Mughanni described how it helped smooth transition into their careers after graduating.
Aspire students are developed through an athlete portfolio management process, whereby coaches, educators, support staff and management personnel actively co-operate to create an integrated Long Term Athlete Development programme based on specific performance outcomes.
