Hotshots – We are continuing our partnership with hotshots and have again assisted a number of schools within Dundee and the surrounding areas with their fundraising events, raising nearly over £10,000 through 8 different schools.
Health Days - The health days that we do with a number of schools have again been a very successful venture for the Community Team. For these days we work in partnership with the Dundee Active Schools team and which has built up a strong link between both parties. A health day consists of our community coaches delivering sessions to every class in the designated school free of charge and works parallel to the health weeks that the schools organise. These particular days led to our Community Team being awarded the Volunteer of the year award as a school to club link at the Dundee Active Schools Annual awards in 2012. Our Community team beat off competition from 4 other nominees who do outstanding volunteer work within Dundee Schools. Health days are usually done in primary schools although if secondary schools ask we try to accommodate them as best we can.
Dundee FC and Tayside Police Initiative – Over the Last 3 months Dundee FC have been delivering sessions in areas throughout Angus in partnership with Tayside Police. This programme assists the police in reducing crime related problems within particular troubled hotspots they have identified. These projects have been a real success thus far with over 200 children attending 8 sessions in Newtyle, whilst in Forfar, through 4 sessions, nearly 100 children have attended. The Police force has indicated a significant drop in crime related calls on these evenings. The sessions run on Monday and Thursday evenings in the above mentioned areas. Children from the ages of 5-16 years participate in these classes.
Pee Wee Dees – this is an area that we are looking to re-launch over the coming months. We are looking to set up classes for children between the ages of 3 and 5 to teach them basic social and football skills in a fun and safe environment.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
We are currently running 4 youth teams who are participating at the SFL initiative level. Our 4 teams are aged U 13’s, 14’s 15’s and U 17’s. Children who we see as potential for the first team will then be moved into full time or part time football within our under 20s squad. Our teams at Under 13s and 15s are both currently undefeated this season and the other two have won more games than they have lost. A number of our players from our 16/17 squad have been regulars on the bench for the under 20s as we see it as a good experience for these boys coming through in years to come. One of our under 16s has recently been included in a number of Scotland squads over the last 6 months, with a number of other players being watched with a view to following their teammate into the squad at their respective ages. Throughout every age group we have players we feel have the potential to progress on to better things and the coaches are dedicated to giving these young players the best chance possible.
We are currently running 4 youth teams who are participating at the SFL initiative level. Our 4 teams are aged U 13’s, 14’s 15’s and U 17’s. Children who we see as potential for the first team will then be moved into full time or part time football within our under 20s squad. Our teams at Under 13s and 15s are both currently undefeated this season and the other two have won more games than they have lost. A number of our players from our 16/17 squad have been regulars on the bench for the under 20s as we see it as a good experience for these boys coming through in years to come. One of our under 16s has recently been included in a number of Scotland squads over the last 6 months, with a number of other players being watched with a view to following their teammate into the squad at their respective ages. Throughout every age group we have players we feel have the potential to progress on to better things and the coaches are dedicated to giving these young players the best chance possible.
Within the system we now have 3/4 scouts out watching games in the Dundee Sunday boys between the ages of 10 and 17 in addition to the coaches who take the respective teams when the opportunity arises.
Players from the ages 11 to 19 are involved in a great partnership with Dundee University. They are assisting with a sports science programme via educational and practical workshops as well as providing fitness tests for all our signed players at three times throughout the season.
We have two of our current under 13s players who have been picked for the SFA Performance School at St John’s High School and are pushing for 7 or 8 to be selected in the next intake for the school next year.