A trio of young aspiring football stars from the club’s Education Programme have been offered unconditional offers to study and train in the United States of America.
Thanks to a new partnership between the Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme and the Collegiate Soccer USA, students Harry Holland (17), Chris Lacorni (18) and Reece Clegg (18), have been offered four year scholarship programmes in USA colleges where they will develop their playing skills at the same time as completing professional study to achieve a college or University degree.
The scholars, who all studied on the BTEC Sport Level Three Extended Diploma course for two years at Sheffield Wednesday, will train daily in top class professional facilities, attend lectures and complete assignments, live on campus in dorm rooms and gain employability around the campus.
Collegiate Soccer USA, directed by former Sheffield Wednesday centre midfielder James O’Connor, is the country’s leading football scholarship consultants and work with student-athletes all over the world and will now be working closely with Sheffield Wednesday to recruit more talented students in the future.
Former Owl James O’Connor said: “I have been in the USA for four years since leaving Sheffield Wednesday and I have seen the tremendous opportunities for young people here in United States. I am delighted to see Collegiate Sports USA building a partnership with Sheffield Wednesday as it will allow us to help create some fantastic opportunities for the young people in Sheffield and the surrounding areas.
“Over the last couple of years Collegiate Sports USA have been able to source some outstanding scholarships for many former SWFC youth team players. Those boys have gone on to do extremely well in the U.S. and are thriving in their current environment."
John Williams, Operations and Coach Development manager at the Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the boys and it will be an unforgettable experience for them all. The quality of training and coaching in America is top class and it will provide them with excellent foundations for the future whether that means they go on to play football professionally or coaching.”
Reece Clegg, aged 17, who has been offered places at several colleges in America, said: “I can’t wait to go and get started now! The course at Sheffield Wednesday has been so good and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do this if it wasn’t for choosing to study here. The course has given me good ground work for the next stage in my education and I’m excited to see what will happen in the future.”
For more information on courses offered by the Sheffield Wednesday Education Programme contact education@swfc.co.uk or call 0114 3240 780.