Kids in Motion to launch Juve Academy next month

The Juventus Academy for young footballers will commence its operations in Malta next month at the National Hockey Complex in Corradino. It will be the first academy outside Italy under the tutelage of the Juventus Soccer School Project - a joint venture between the popular Turin club and giant sportsbrand Nike.

The main principle of the organisers is to enrol children, between the ages of six and 12, into a professionally-run football school and utilise the application of the game as a learning tool.

The Juventus Academy offers a training methodology that has been tried and tested with optimal results in 50 other similar organisations in Italy.

Juventus Soccer School Project are synonymous to high quality programmes that stimulate the development of children. They offer a non-competitive environment allowing participants, regardless of skill, to develop their true characters.

Streaming of players only happens at later stages in the development cycle and this is done around the age of 12.

It's probably the dream of most young children to become professional footballers. However, at the Juventus Academy every child is a winner as long as they are developing key aspects in life, such as communication and teamwork.

Training will be conducted twice a week at Corradino. Coaches will allow their players to test their wits against select nurseries at least once every 15 days.

"Our coaching staff are accredited by Juventus University," said Franco de Gabriele, director of Kids in Motion. He completed the first stage of the coaching course in Salice Terme this summer.

"We shall be provided with adequate tools directly from the Turin base to prepare youngsters. Moreover, five times a year expert coaches from Italy will be here to make sure that the progress being made is of the right standard," de Gabriele added.

"We will follow a high-quality training programme that is used by over 16,000 children all over Italy... now it is being expanded to all the corners of the world."

Kids in Motion recruits will participate in the Juventus Summer Camp, in Bardonecchia, in July 2005.

"This enables our players to undertake a useful training camp with others from Italian academies. Next year, we will also host an international summer camp as part of the Juventus Soccer School Project programme," de Gabriele said.

The Juventus Academy is offering 20-session terms, three times a year. The first one gets underway on October 4 and lasts until December 10. Enrolment has already started and will continue until September 24 for the first term.

Kids in Motion is an organisation that strives to develop youngsters through non-academic practices, be it football, drama or entertainment.

One may obtain more details by phoning 7999-5883 or 7944-5883 (info@kidsin motion.com.mt).