Aidan de Smidt is the driver of the fast-growing football academy that is making a huge mark in grooming local players and provides programmes that help nurture young talent.
Velocity Football Academy was established by De Smidt shortly after the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.
Born and raised in Joburg, he always loved football, and like any talented boy, he dreamed of making it as a pro. Earlier in his career, he joined the Randburg Football Club when he was four and later made it into the Orlando Pirates Academy – one of the biggest teams in South Africa.
Unfortunately, his career was cut short as he suffered from Crohn’s disease and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
“I’ve always loved football and I have been playing it since I was a child. I felt sick when I was 11, and I had to stop playing. When all was under control, I went back at playing when I was 16. At 18, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). I was out for a year, and that basically stopped me from playing football and my coaching career began.”
De Smidt started coaching in little schools for about three years. He said he found joy in the coaching world; he enjoyed polishing and teaching kids’ new skills.
“I just loved coaching and seeing how the kids grow and teaching them and helping them grow in the sport and supporting all the players.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, sports clubs were closed and he was offering private sessions to get extra cash. He said that he started with two players that quickly grew to 25.
“I also had the U-17 squad that wanted to play games, and after a while they asked me to start my own team and that is when Velocity was formed. We then looked for fields and started trials to search for players and we had a lot of kids interested in playing. We joined the league; we did well and never look back.”
The team was using the fields in North Riding in 2022, and in 2023, they lost the fields and were almost closed down. The team then relocated to Ferndale High School.
“We were close to shutting down; we were training in a park but luckily, we found fields just in time for the league. That was the biggest challenge we have faced.”
He added that they want to help as many players as possible in their academy with scholarships and send more players overseas for exposure.
De Smidt is also a licensed coach with a Confederation of African Football (CAF) C licence he completed in Egypt. He also completed a UEFA B licence in Namibia later in 2023.
“I am working on getting licences, because they help you become better as a coach, and they bring a new mindset and help you grow your career and improve your prospects.”
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