Olé Football Academy is excited to announce an official partnership with Central Otago club, Wanaka AFC.
Olé Football Academy (Olé) and Wanaka AFC have spent the last two years building a strong relationship. In January 2021, Olé ran a successful South Island Training Camp in Wanaka, with over 30 players from the region, as well as a Coach Education workshop well attended by local coaches. This was a first for the academy, who had previously never ventured to the South Island.
Wanaka AFC Technical Director Thomas van Hees and Senior Coach Blair Scoullar have been working closely with Olé, to learn, understand and apply training philosophies and methodologies. Both Blair and Thomas have spent time living on-site at Olé in Wellington, immersing themselves in the academy environment, and continue their learning remotely having regular contact with Olé.
With over 300 junior and youth players, and a strong contingent of senior teams, Wanaka AFC is a thriving club. Olé has recognised their vision to provide a sustainable development model for young players in the region, and are excited to support the club to adopt ‘The Olé Way,’ continuing to create quality opportunities in youth football.
Together, both organisations have been working towards establishing the Olé x Wanaka AFC Academy, which will launch with a pilot Winter Programme later in May. This will be led on the ground by former professional player, NZ U20, U23 and All White Blair Scoullar alongside former Dutch semi-professional player and current Wanaka AFC Technical Director, Thomas Van Hees.
Both Blair and Thomas bring a wealth of experience and knowledge and are excited to launch the pilot programme under the experienced guidance of Olé Technical Director Ben Sippola and CEO Blake Jones.
The two organisations will continue to nurture the partnership, with the aspiration to transition the pilot into a 2021/22 Summer Programme and beyond. There will be regular exchanges happening between Olé and Wanaka staff and players, and there are plenty of other exciting opportunities on the horizon to support the partnership to flourish.
Details of the 2021 pilot Winter Programme will be released shortly. Keep an eye out for more information and registration!
You can learn more about Wanaka AFC HERE.
