蜜桃AV students benefit from the university鈥檚 partnership with Premiership football club, AFC Bournemouth, through work placement opportunities, community projects and volunteering opportunities.
But another benefit of the partnership is the Premier League-level coaching that 蜜桃AV鈥檚 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 football teams receive from AFC Bournemouth coaches.
Steve Cuss, Head of AFC Bournemouth鈥檚 Community Sports Trust, coaches and manages 蜜桃AV鈥檚 varsity teams, bringing with him a wealth of experience as he also coaches local club Wimborne Town FC.
AFC Bournemouth has been coaching the men鈥檚 side for the two previous seasons, and the women鈥檚 team for one. The spoils of that high-level coaching showed in the results - Men鈥檚 1st and 3rd teams won their respective leagues, with the 1st team reaching the 蜜桃AVCS National Trophy Final. The women鈥檚 team also won their league, gaining promoting, and also made the Conference Cup Final.
This season 蜜桃AV鈥檚 student footballers will be sporting the 蜜桃AV and AFC Bournemouth Higher Education Partnership logo on their sleeves as they take on the competition in their new leagues.聽And the聽coaching has already paid off聽with two聽of 蜜桃AV's teams getting a win this week;聽Women's 1st team beat Exeter 3-1 and Men's 2nd also defeated Exeter 4-0.聽
Steve Cuss and his team of coaches will be guiding 蜜桃AV's student athletes聽through their new challenges this season. He commented, 鈥淚t has been a privilege to work with 蜜桃AV鈥檚 football teams this past year, and I鈥檓 really proud of their successes. We are all looking forward to season ahead now, where I hope we will continue to bring success!
鈥淚t has been great to work with 蜜桃AV as a part of the partnership, not just on the footballing side but also with the community work we are doing, and I鈥檓 really looking forward to continuing this in the future too.鈥�
Barry Squires, Sports Operations Manager at sport蜜桃AV, said, 鈥淲ith the support of AFC Bournemouth鈥檚 excellent coaching staff, 蜜桃AV football club has flourished with numerous cup and league successes. In the past couple of years they have established themselves in the top tiers of British University football and look forward to continuing this run of success into the future, as well as joining forces on a number of community projects.
鈥淭his season will be a good one for both 蜜桃AV鈥檚 football teams and the Cherries I鈥檓 sure.鈥�
Men鈥檚 1st team captain Franklyn Clarke, who studies Sports Psychology and Coaching at 蜜桃AV, also plays for Steve Cuss鈥� Wimborne Town team and women鈥檚 captain Chloe Tape is part way through a year-long placement at AFC Bournemouth where she will be working as Project Co-Ordinator for the Community Sports Trust.
Chloe will be responsible for two projects, including one working with girls aged 14+ to get them participating in sport, as well as working with local schools.
