We are delighted to announce the launch of a Women's Chester Academy in September 2025. The academy will play in the university league and against top-tier women's teams in the north west region of England. In addition, players will also have the opportunity to compete for Chester City Ladies and/or other clubs in higher tiers of the English women's game under the direction of our UDA staff. The initial squad will comprise students from around the USA.Our Women’s Recruitment Director, Brenton Dawson has been developing a pool of qualified women both on and off the field from across the USA over the last two years. For 2025, we already have 14 student-athletes committed to joining our program. These women visited the University of Chester last summer where they were able to meet the coaching staff and academic faculty, view facilities, and see the iconic city of Chester. John Dyke, UDA program Director who has previously worked with Manchester City and City Football Group in the USA, expressed his enthusiasm for the establishment of our women’s high-performance centre. He stated, “We already have an excellent player development curriculum, and the women will be fully integrated into our coaching staff, who also work with the men’s academy. We are actively seeking a suitable coach to join our team and further support the women’s program.”
He added, “We will offer high-performance showcase games against top-tier regional women's teams. Our strong community relationships will provide the women with opportunities to compete at the highest level possible, supported by our extensive connections.” As we embark on this new initiative, we look forward to expanding the Chester Women’s Academy and welcoming a talented group of student-athletes this fall.
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Position: Football Goalkeeper Coach
Location: UDA Chester University Department: UDA Football academy Type: Part-time/Contract Application Deadline: 2nd December 2024 About Us UDA is committed to fostering football excellence, academic and personal development through our football programs. Our football coaching team is dedicated to training talented athletes and enhancing their skills, and we are currently seeking a passionate and skilled Goalkeeper Coach in the Chester/Liverpool area to join our coaching staff. Job Description As the Football Goalkeeper Coach, you will play a vital role in developing our goalkeepers' skills and performance. You will work closely with the UDA Director and Head coach and other staff to implement training programs that focus on technique, strategy, and mental resilience. Key Responsibilities
Qualifications
Benefits
How to Apply Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and references to John Dyke [email protected] with the subject line Football Goalkeeper Coach Application. For more information about our athletics program, please visit udasoccer.com or udauoc.org/mens-program. Join us in shaping the future of our football program and inspiring the next generation of athletes! The UDA GCAFC development team lifted the Hellenic League Cup this weekend with a 3-2 win over Headington in Bristol. In an excellent team performance with many outstanding displays, Jaxon Hundt (South Bend, Indiana) scored the winning goal in the 88th minute. With a clever run, Hundt split the Headington defense on a through pass from Chris Patterson (Cibolo, Texas) and coolly slotted the ball past the advancing keeper. Hundt made his first-team debut last week for GCAFC's first team in their County Cup win and continued his scoring run in the Hellenic Cup final with two goals. After falling behind twice in the game, goals from Jaxon, assisted by Caleb Thomas (Bothell, Washington) and Shane Pierson (Albuquerque, New Mexico), brought the game level. Shane scored on the far post after a corner delivery from Michael Patterson (Cibolo, Texas). Jax’s first goal came from another well-timed run on a through pass from Caleb Thomas. UDA GCAFC controlled most of the second half with good passing and combinations. Dylan Reetz (San Antonio, Texas) made critical saves in the second half to keep the score level. Ty Lake (Reno, Nevada), who also made his first-team debut last week, provided some excellent defending; he was well supported in defense by Mikkiel Graham (Pikesville, Maryland), who offered good cover and support when needed. Michael Patterson not only assisted a goal, but also controlled the center of midfield with clever running and passing, keeping UDA GCAFC’s momentum moving forward with solid supporting performances from Alexis Marquex (Mercedes, Texas) and Caleb Thomas.
The team's victory was not just their own but a testament to the unwavering support of the UDA community. UDA students and university friends made the trip to Bristol, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the team. The final whistle was met with excited celebrations, a true reflection of the team culture, unity, and spirit the UDA GCAFC coaches and staff have built this past year. Ryan Davies, UDA Head Coach, said, “A great team performance, coming back from twice behind to win the cup, shows the growth and resilience of the players, especially with some first-year players on the squad. We will enjoy this for now but will work to push on the player's development as we look to next year.” UDA Football Director Dave Nichols said, “Everyone played their part today. All credit the players for their commitment, skill, discipline, and tactical awareness. This is a great achievement as we won the cup, with mainly first-year students coming to the UDA Academy. Credit to the coaching staff and the willingness of the players to take on board what the coaches have instilled in them. However, we now push on for next year and look to return when the new season arrives. I am excited to see where these players can play next year." Congratulations to UDA’s Head Coach, Ryan Davies, and UDA Football Director, Dave Nichols, and all the players and staff on a memorable end to the season. GCAFC Gains a UDA Student-AthleteJax Hundt, our University of Gloucester student-athlete, has signed to play soccer at the next level with Gloucester City AFC. Jax is a 19 year-old first-year studying sports business management from South Bend, IN. "Signing means that not only did I make it, but also that every coach who gave me a chance and every teammate who had faith in me made it all possible. It was the perfect combination of blessings from God, sacrifices from my family, and opportunities seized." Jaxson has been working hard with our coaching staff and deserves this opportunity to move on and up! We're so excited for Jax to be one of our first student-athletes to sign a pro contract.
"I am lucky enough to have a community in Indiana who love me and believe in me. I could not have anticipated Gloucester making me feel so welcomed and trusted. I want to thank UDA, especially Chris Hill, for making these connections possible. I have a lot of people who have helped me reach my goals and live my dreams, so I promise that I will always work hard." We know Jax has what it takes to shine at this next level, and as a UDA community, we can't wait to cheer him on! This winter break, Jax Hundt stayed on campus and spent his time training with the GCAFC First Team.
Jax has had the opportunity to train with the Firsts before, but this time he was able to spend even more time with the team and coaching staff. "Getting my initial chance to be a part of the First Team’s game subs was proof that hard work pays off! Before that I had had the privilege to practice with them a few times and then I had the honor to be a part of the team on game day versus Bristol City. The atmosphere and pace are exactly what I have been looking forward to. I respect their competitive nature because it reflects my own. I long for the physicality and aggressive level of their play." Jax isn't the only UDA student-athlete who has been able to train with the First Team. We've had several student-athletes who have all been invited to spend a few training sessions at the next level. Over winter break, Jax trained with the First Team during every practice. "I got to warm-up with them twice before their games and I even traveled to an away game with their captain Hanksy and Spencer. I always feel welcomed by the players and coaches. The way they prepare before the games is similar to a whole elite training session. I definitely feel like I belong and fit in as a part of the team and I am extremely excited for more opportunities to play with the first team and to get to have big moments with them!" Thank you Jax for sharing your winter break experience with us! This is just one example of the opportunities our student-athletes have when they take their university and soccer experience abroad. Reposted from the University of GloucestershireRead the University of Gloucestershire's article
An international football programme supported by University of Gloucestershire and headed up by former Football League coaches and players has achieved a landmark success. Ty Lake has become the first student from the UDA Soccer Academy, in partnership with US-based University Degrees Abroad (UDA), to make a first-team appearance for National League North club Gloucester City FC. The central defender made his debut for Gloucester City in a 4-1 win over Bristol Rovers in the quarter-finals of the Gloucestershire FA Challenge Cup, while other students from the programme, Shane Pierson and Jaxson Hundt, were among the substitutes and Mikkiel Graham was involved in the training squad. “Being called up to the first team was a great opportunity and experience all around,” said Ty. “I had the chance to get on the pitch and play for quality minutes, and it was surreal being in the environment and playing at that level.” The UDA Academy is an international player-scholar cohort of students from around the world, coached and supported by UDA for the duration of their degree at the University. It provides student athletes with access to internationally recognised university degree programmes, a developmental football experience and opportunity for multiple pathways into football within a fully integrated university experience. Designed to match top-level European development academies, it offers the opportunity to be trained by professional, UEFA licensed coaches and exposure to professional visiting coaches from the English leagues. Manesh Madhu, International Marketing and Student Recruitment Manager (Americas and Middle East) at the University, said: “In a very short space of time, nine students have been training with the Gloucester City first-team squad, which showcases the level of playing ability within the UDA Academy. “The UDA Academy offers an incredible opportunity for international scholars to gain qualifications from the University while also experiencing a professional football environment.” Mal Saville, UDA Program Director, said: “This opportunity allowed the players involved to witness first-hand what they need to do after graduation, to be able to continue playing, either in Europe, or back home, perhaps in the States. “UDA will continue to create opportunities for all our players, at various levels and wherever their individual optimal level is.” After an extensive search, we are pleased to announce that Ryan Davies who holds a B.Sc Sports Coaching from the University of South Wales is joining the UDA Academy at the University of Gloucestershire on December 1st. Mal Saville, Program Director at UDA Gloucester and John Dyke, Program Director at UDA Chester oversaw the process and helped select Ryan from a pool of exceptional candidates. Ryan joins us from Cardiff City Football Club where he held the position as Foundation Phase Academy Coach and Multi Sport Coach for the Community Foundation.
During his time at Cardiff, Ryan was the Talent Identification Scout, Head of Development Centre, and held various coaching positions. He also has experience working as the Head of Women's and Girls' Football at Merthyr Town Football Club, as well as the Women's First Team Manager. Outside of working closely with our Program Director, Ryan will work with all UDA students in the Academy. He will be primarily responsible for the UDA development team in the Hellenic league but will offer technical and functional sessions to all UDA students as needed. As a coach with a degree in sports coaching, Ryan will also oversee strength and conditioning, offer sports psychology, and diet and nutrition sessions. Welcome to UDA, Ryan! ➡️ Read more about Ryan's credentials. At UDA, we encourage our student-athletes to push their limits and apply their knowledge in the real world. This part summer, third-year student, Reed Johnson did just that.
Reed is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Software Engineering, and was offered a paid, full-time internship at Atlas Copco in Wales as a Mechatronics Engineer. While working on the Research and Development Controls Team developing software for high precision automotive robotics, he independently developed a new feature which will be released within the upcoming months to well-known clients such as Ford, Tesla, and many other automotive companies around the world. In addition to this major project, he was a part of the Atlas Copco’s Global Industrial Internship Program where he worked on a team with other interns from around the world on strategic topics for Atlas Copco. His team was tasked with designing solutions which would improve digital automation across the company’s work units and project managers. As a team, they traveled at the end of August to present their proposal to senior management at the corporate headquarters in Nacka, Sweden, right outside Stockholm. This was the conclusion of his amazing summer internship experience at Atlas Copco, after which his focus will shift back to training and finishing up his final year of study to complete his degree in Software Engineering. Reed notes that his internship has been an invaluable experience and has allowed him to connect with a fantastic company and with many great individuals, while having real world work experience and working on code for this Atlas Copco. We love hearing about these opportunities for our student-athletes as we want them to be set up for success after graduation. Congrats, Reed! Gloucester City Women have reached the Third Qualifying Round of the Women’s FA Cup for the first time, following a 2-0 win over Bath City Women – in front of a record crowd at the TigerTurf Stadium.
Goals from Kally Lloyd and Rakiya Morgan-King were enough to see Gloucester claim victory in a fairly scrappy cup tie, as an attendance of 187 looked on. The attendance is the third time this season that Gloucester City Women have broken their own record, having seen crowds of 142 and 150 in their two previous home matches. Alongside the crowd numbers, City have now beaten their best run in the Women’s FA Cup, which came in the 2021/22 season, when they were beaten at this stage by Ilminster Town. The hosts started fast, with Maggie Neall sending a free kick over the bar inside the first three minutes. Then on 11 minutes a corner was swung into the box and Kally Lloyd’s header looped up and landed over the line, despite a scramble of bodies trying to keep it out. The goal settled City down and it should have been made two soon after, but Meg Prout did everything right bar the finish after shrugging off a defender, before sliding an effort off the foot of the far post. Prout went close again just before half time, but skied her effort from Lloyd’s pull back. Beth Davies dribbled forward from midfield on the brink of the break, but her effort was deflected wide for a corner. It hadn’t been a typically efficient City performance, but they were ahead at the break. Paige Todd found herself in down the left moments after the restart, but flashed her effort across goal, before Lloyd found herself in a similar position on the right hand side, but had her effort blocked by the feet of Bath City keeper, Sadie Farley. Farley was called into action again just after the hour mark, as she palmed a header away as City went in search of their second. Todd skipped past her marker again moments later after cutting the ball across goal from the byline, substitute Kacie Anderson somehow turned the ball wide from about two yards. The longer the game stayed 1-0, the more nervy the TigerTurf Stadium became in the final quarter of an hour – especially after Bath began to push further forward. Tara Taylor tested Ashli Whitbury with a curling effort from the edge of the box. With five minutes left on the clock, Todd found space down the left again and crossed for Morgan-King, who produced a great first touch to create space to blast home past Farley. The victory earns Gloucester City Women a place in the hat for the Third Qualifying Round draw, with the next round on Sunday 22 October and takes their earnings for this season’s cup run to a guaranteed £5800 as it stands. Next up for Gloucester City Women is a tough test with the visit of Bitton Ladies to the TigerTurf Stadium, next weekend. Gloucester City Women: Whitbury, Golding, Neall, Davies, Lloyd, Todd, Slanina-Wertz, Fuks, Ross, Esplin, Prout Subs: Ambrey, Kantorowicz, Lewis, Morgan-King, Anderson, Simmons, Hancock Bath City Women: Farley, Wells, Bellotti, Gray, Harris, Taylor, Harvey, Key, Goater, Wright, Sabic Subs: Black, Jefferies C Martin Roofing Player of the Match – Ainsley Fuks (Gloucester City Women) At UDA, our commitment to student success goes beyond the pitch. To help our students develop personal and professional growth during their university experience and beyond, we developed the Dream Maker Program alongside the UDA SUCCESS Foundation. The Dream Maker Program is dedicated to fostering the personal and professional growth of our student-athletes, helping them collaborate with their universities’ career and employability resources so they can grow their employability opportunities post graduation. Developed and led by Dr. Scott Johnson, in alignment with the visionary goals set by UDA founder Dr. Brian Haley, this program aims to equip UDA students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in their chosen fields. The UDA Circle of SuccesS The Dream Maker Program is designed to provide UDA students with a holistic approach to personal and professional development. By offering mentorship, guidance, and resources, the program sets UDA students on a path to success. From their university studies to post-graduation, students benefit from the expertise and support provided by the program. Supporting Career DevelopmenT The Dream Maker Program collaborates closely with the Careers Offices and Employability Resources of universities our students attend. This collaboration offers our students ongoing individual student relationships, group conversations, presentations, support building a portfolio, application guidance, job search tools, and advice and insight from alumni and industry experts. With these resources, our students are prepared with the necessary tools to navigate the job market successfully. Meet Dr. Scott Johnson, CEO of the UDA SUCCESS Foundation Heading the Dream Maker Program is Dr. Scott Johnson. Holding a Ph.D. in management and marketing from Arizona State University, an MBA in international business from the University of San Francisco, and a BS in business administration-marketing from California State University, Fresno, Dr. Johnson brings a diverse range of knowledge to the program.
Having taught at the University of Greenwich in the UK, Dr. Johnson has a deep understanding of the European academic landscape. His experience in designing professional development and leadership courses, building external partnerships, and conducting assessment centers and team-building activities for students has equipped him with invaluable insights into employability. Dr. Johnson's extensive background as a marketing executive and his three-decade-long tenure as a professor, program director, and business school Dean have allowed him to advise hundreds of students on career preparation and oversee their internships. By leveraging each student's unique experiences and strengths, Dr. Johnson fosters their career readiness competencies through supportive feedback and networking opportunities. Our Dream Maker Program demonstrates our commitment to the comprehensive development of our student-athletes. Through close collaboration with universities, personalized mentorship, and access to industry insights, the program equips UDA students with the skills and knowledge necessary for success. Under the guidance of Dr. Scott Johnson, the Dream Maker Program has become a cornerstone of UDA's commitment to empowering its students both during their university journey and beyond. For more information about the Dream Maker Program, please reach out to Dr. Scott Johnson at [email protected]. |
AuthorHear from student-athletes at UDA Soccer Academies in the UK and USA. Archives
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