You Can Do Sport gears up for a successful football season as coach and former England footballer Gary Charles who played for Westham and Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough, assists youths in achieving their goals

The folks at You Can Do Sport, working with the children at the Magnus Church of England Academy are gearing up for a successful season both on and off the football pitch.

The club will field two teams, the males will play in the AOC Sport East Midlands Men’s football Invitation One.

While the female team will compete in the under-19 CEFA South Women’s Division with Forest Academy girls, representing the Nottingham Forest Community Trust.

Players from the You Can Do Sport Academy (YCDS) said they were looking forward to their season.

“Our main goals for the season are to keep improving as a team and for the players to grow in confidence as well as ability individually,” said team coach and former England international footballer, Gary Charles.

The programme has had some recent success stories.

“One of our graduates from last year, Calum Lancaster has signed with Chesterfield United.

“He plays in midfield and is on a one-year scholar contract with them.

“Calum was one of our standout performers throughout his two years with us and I felt he deserved his opportunity at Chesterfield football club.

“We remain in contact and I’m pleased to say, he’s doing well there.”

Natalia Postlethwaite, the Academy’s director said that students often come back after graduating to keep in touch and help with the different programmes.

“Another student, goalkeeper Anthony Young, has gone to America to do a scholarship in Missouri,” said Charles.

“AJ is a very talented young keeper with lots of potential to achieve good things in the game if he continues to work hard.”

Both Charles and Postlethwaite are passionate about helping kids.

They proudly highlighted four students who have secured employment at Active4today after achieving their lifeguarding qualification.

Academics are also an important facet of the You Can Do Sport ethos with 65% of the students participating going on to study sporting endeavors at some of the top sports Universities in the country.

“Everyone deserves to benefit from a broad range of educational opportunities, regardless of their socio-economic background,” said YCDS director Natalia Postlethwaite.

“YCDS academy provides life-shaping opportunities for young people from the area, giving them a safe, caring, and stimulating educational environment.

“We create an environment in which they can belong, contribute and more importantly, thrive.

“By bringing together opportunities in sport, education, employment, and mental health, we are making a significant, positive impact on the lives of young people.

“We have had students join us, who quite honestly without this programme would have been on a rocky road to destruction.

“We have given them the opportunity, and the benefit of the doubt, and they have gone on to exceed all our hopes and expectation, excelling and graduating with Distinctions and even Distinction stars.

“It really is what makes the whole thing worthwhile, and the YCDS team gets an indescribable sense of satisfaction from seeing our youth succeed.”