Football

Led by UEFA B licensed coach, Pedro Bruno, we deliver an athlete-centred football programme for female and male players who are looking to combine their education with a route to playing professional sport upon graduation and giving them the chance to compete in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Premier South league. The University of Essex has a number of partnerships including TASS and Ipswich Town Football Club, where we are a Women's Superleague FA Academy delivery site, AFC Sudbury, and emerging links with Hashtag United, Billericay Town and West Ham United Women.

As part of the programme you will receive:

• Performance Coaching
• Strength and Conditioning Coaching
• Performance Analysis
• Use of the onsite Sports Therapy Clinic
• Access to on-site accommodation
• lifestyle advisor network
• Comprehensive workshop programme
• Complimentary Gym Membership
• 2 Team Training sessions

Alongside performance coaching, recipients of the Performance Sport Scholarship programme also receive additional support services package benefits such as free kit, use of facilities and access to a range of support services worth up to of £1,500 per year (details outlined below). Our Performance Sport Scholarship programme has three different tiers:

*Some exceptional athletes in receipt of a tier 1 scholarship may also receive additional financial support.

Under tier 1 of the Performance Sport Scholarship programme, we award a number of tuition fee discounts to students on University of Essex undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research courses.

Football fee discounts available for students commencing their studies at Essex in 2024-25 are:

Women's Football

Men's Football

The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) is a Sport England funded partnership between talented athletes, the University of Essex and national governing bodies of sport. We work together to bring the best out of our country’s most exciting young talent.

TASS helps athletes – aged 16-plus – to balance sport within the rest of their lives, be they in education, training or another form of personal development.

The TASS Dual Career Accreditation Scheme recognises an education institution’s commitment to dual career support for talented athletes who are in full time education. The Dual Career Accreditation Scheme acknowledges an enhanced level of academic flexibility and understanding within an institution, allowing talented athletes to balance their studies with a hectic sporting schedule.

Accolades include:

Our programme is linked with local colleges and football clubs to allow a pathway between academics and playing progressions to all our student-athletes. We are currently linked with the following clubs/college programmes:

• AFC Sudbury (www.afcsudbury.co.uk)
• Ipswich Town FC (www.itfc.co.uk)
• Hashtag United (hashtagunited.co.uk)
• FC Clacton (www.fcclacton.com)
• Philip Morant (pmsc.school)
• Shenfield football Academy (www.shenfield.essex.sch.uk/sport/football-academy)
• Barking Academy (www.dagenhampark.org.uk)
• US Sports Scholarships (www.ussportsscholarships.com)

There are various roles to obtain working experience amongst our performance teams such as performance analysis, coaching, Strength & Conditioning, match officiating and several opportunities for men and women alike.