Education Through Soccer Association (ETSA ) scores with an exciting new partnership with Panathinaikos Soccer Schools South Africa (PSS).
PSS is a soccer school network with schools and programmes all over the world, from Greece, USA, Australia, Poland, Germany, Serbia, Egypt, Israel and Cyprus. The group works under the certification of Panathinaikos Football Club.
Costa Papadimos, representative of PSS said, “We would like to help as much as we can to open the doors to the bigger [soccer] stage for these young players.” PSS has developed a brand new kit for the players to wear. The group wishes to help through the core values of fair play that has been entrenched in the values of the club. Papadimos further said, “It is a unique place for children to learn and to form a working alliance with an international soccer club.”
Owner and founder of ETSA Lloyd Tuffney has partnered with PSS as a performance director in order to enrich a new centre of excellence in the western suburbs. “This is a very exciting partnership because the players can have a chance to play all over the world through PSS,” said Tuffney. ETSA has their own fields and centre which allow for a close interaction with each player. They work on a 4–3–3 formation basis, which is the most used to develop the chemistry of a team, according to Tuffney. Two of the many coaches at ETSA are former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates players– Paradise Moeketsi and Benedict Vilakazi, respectively. The club hosts around 200 players at the moment, often descending from improvised areas.
In the about two years they have been open, the practices are Mondays and Wednesdays for 6 to10-year olds with Tuesdays and Thursdays for 11 to 15-year olds. The club has four academy teams who practise four times a week for an hour and a half.
Details: ETSA, educationthroughsoccer@gmail.com or 082 454 9821.
