A Bermuda franchise of the world renowned Sells Goalkeeping Academy has been launched on the Island at Police Field.

Jay Smith, a former Bermuda and PHC goalkeeper, who is a NSCAA levels 1 and 2 qualified coach, will provide intensive coaching for goalkeepers aged from seven to adults.

Sessions are priced at $25 and $35 and at $200 for the full curriculum. Club packages are also being offered.

Traditionally Bermuda has produced excellent goalkeepers and have three — Freddy Hall, Dale Eve and Tahj Bell — seeking opportunities in the UK. The academy, which has academies across the UK as well as centres in Canada, Australia. Europe, the Caribbean and Asia will provide qualified coaching to the next generation of local goalkeepers.

“Teams and clubs at all levels have complications with training goalkeepers,” Smith said. “A lack of facilities, a lack of expertise and a lack of time are just some of the common complaints.

“Consequently, we have decided to try and help the budding young goalkeepers in the area with a new goalkeeping academy.

“Our aim is to develop confident, technical goalkeepers while teaching essential social skills such as good sportsmanship and respect, in addition to a good attitude to practice and play.

“The programme will focus on all aspects of goalkeeper training, covering technical, tactical, physical, and psychological qualities of the goalkeeper, enhanced and refined through specialised, challenging, and age appropriate training.”

Each goalkeeper who attends the Academy will get regular progress reports highlighting their strengths and weaknesses and targets for development.

Smith said that by limiting the places on the course, the Academy ensures that their participants will get the maximum benefit. Not only will the Academy develop goalkeepers, they can also film training sessions and games which is important in today’s recruitment process.

Smith obtained the franchise for the academy in late 2012 but had a challenge finding a suitable facility before Police Field became available.

“There were either charging way too much money or it was a field with limited resources or space,” said the former goalkeeper who, from his own experiences, sees a need for specialised goalkeeping training.

“Right now I have one goalkeeper and we do Monday and Wednesday nights. I enjoy doing it, it’s a passion of mine. There should be more consistency with our goalkeepers across the clubs, that’s the reason for the idea.

“At most we will have four or five goalkeepers in one session so that we can focus on their strengths and weaknesses.”

Smith pays a monthly fee for the franchise and said with the Academy’s contacts in England, opportunities will be available in the future to bring coaches to Bermuda as well as take young goalkeepers to England for camps.

“We’ve had the [goalkeeping] ability over the years, even more recently with people like Streaker [Dwayne Adams], Timmy [Figureido] and now Freddy [Hall], who had the ability to make it when they were in their prime, but did we provide them with enough to get out there.”

Launched in March 2010 by Andy Marshall, the former Norwich City goalkeeper, Sells Goalkeeping Academy has been developed and delivered by leading professional players and highly-qualified goalkeeper coaches with the backing of Sells, one of the world’s largest goalkeeper apparel companies.

Smith can be contacted at Jay.smith@sellsgoalkeepingacademy.co.uk

For more information on the Sells Goalkeeping Academy visit their website www.sellsgoalkeepingacademy.co.uk