The Nike Academy offers non-contract players unattached to professional clubs a chance to enter the professional game through world-class coaching and games against elite academies and professional reserve teams. Since the academy’s start in 2009, eight players in the UK have received professional contracts.
“The Chance” marks the next stage of Nike’s “Write the Future” campaign, where some of the world’s best players including Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney feature in a short film about iconic game moments where headlines are written from a single pass, or one strike can bring a nation eternal happiness, while bringing others to their knees.
Players can register for “The Chance” at nikefootball.com, where they can use digital assets to create custom campaign materials that build on the inspiration behind “Write the Future.” To support their bid, prospects can insert their image into a video that shows what their future might look like if they won “The Chance” complete with celebrity style pop culture moments. Entrants will also create a Facebook fan page to generate awareness and campaign support to get noticed.
The best 100 players from around the world are selected by Nike through Nike Elite Training events, the Nike City Cup, happening in 32 cities, as well as exposure through the digital platform. They will then be invited to a final trial in England, where they will compete for one of eight international places in the Nike Academy. These eight will have all their expenses paid to live in the UK for a year starting in July 2011 and be a full-time member of the Nike Academy.“Providing young players from around the world with the opportunity of elite coaching and state-of-the-art facilities to reach their full potential is a very powerful proposition,” said Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal FC, in launching “The Chance” from the Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto, which provides high performance training facilities and HIV / AIDS Life Skills for the local community. “I look forward to actively participating in the scouting and review of exciting young players as they compete in “The Chance.”
As members of the Nike Academy, players become full-time participants at a residential training centre in England with access to elite coaches, nutritionists, psychologists and fitness conditioners, along with world class facilities to perform at the highest level.
“Nike is passionate about giving footballers insider access to the best coaching and training in the world to improve their game and fulfill their potential,” said Trevor Edwards, VP of Global Brand & Category Management. ‘The Chance’ is a unique opportunity for players to prove themselves on the global stage, take their game to the next level and even get a shot at a professional contract.”
“The Nike Academy has a number of success stories with players that have entered the professional game, helped by the superb environment that has been created,” said Ged Roddy, Director of Youth at the Premier League. “The Chance is a great opportunity to identify talented young players to show their skills, get noticed and win a place at the academy.”For more information or to register for “The Chance,” visit nikefootball.com. Players can register from 6pm GMT today.
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Danny Jordan is not going to tell us whether to stop blowing Vuvuzela. That is not his job, his job is in the office with pen and paper. The Vuvuzela belongs to us who got out of school by the window. We are the very ones who eat pap and all cow feet, cow heat, goat head, chicken feet and all that great Aican Macaroni (chicken lungs) We have never shown any discimination or hate to those who have always been able to sit in the super suit where they have fork and knife. For years we have managed to make the XXX-Strong section a place of comfort albeit the rain, sun rays and the pulusion. Danny must be reminded that he has just got into soccer. I guess if we all go to the stadiums wearing ibeshu will still be distructing those not familiar with our Africanism.
Please Mr. Danny focus on all your suit and tie job. Help police arrest the thugs who are robbing our beloved visitors. Do not allow these teams to play psychology on our team. Even King Zwelithini has not said a word on this mattter as it is a closed book. The year we play in iceland will have to skate with them just as much as will be tripping and falling all over. We are not going to change Iceland just because we are from Africa. Iceland will remain Iceland regardless of whether we can cope with the enviroment or not.
Its also time to be thinking how we are going to mantain all these big stadiums built by FIFA after the World Cup and beyond. Tell me when our local teams will be on ESPN and many more global networks. That will be something instead of whining over a plastic.
Lets enjoy the games Sir, Vuvuzela is going nowhere and you know that. We have overcome many many things to be able to sit as we do in the stadiums. Least I remind you Sir of scenarios in the early years of our formations. I am very certain that many by the grave side would be glad to blow a Vuvu than the price they paid. That is why we want no hooligans in these games since understand where once we came from. Today we can drive to the stadiums, today we can carry our wallets to the games, today we can wear our best clothes to the games and today no gates will be closed if a certain team looses. That to me is a long way.
peace Bro Danny
Grootman
Its a great opportunity to those players who don't have sponsor with their sports and nike was searching for those who are talented players to join their team and im pretty sure that theres a lot of athlete that are willing to join the team.
Chris Rempel
Webmaster, ActuallyRank.com
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