A Day to Remember: Girls Shine with Lucy Bronze and Academia and Football
At Academia and Football, we are proud to support the next generation of talented players through an elite blend of football and education. Recently, we hosted one of our most inspiring events yet: the Lucy Bronze Award Event Day.
This special day brought together ambitious young female footballers to showcase their skills, gain invaluable insights, and meet some of the biggest names in football.
The day was a true celebration of everything Academia and Football stands for — blending elite football development, outstanding educational pathways, and life-changing mentorship.
Our guests for the day included Lucy Bronze MBE, widely considered one of the greatest defenders in women’s football, Greg Thurstans, CEO of Academia and Football, and Matthew Rose, our COO and former QPR professional. Together, they inspired a new generation of girls who dream of combining education and elite football.
Throughout the event, the girls participated in skills showcases, tactical training, a competitive match, and Q&A sessions — truly experiencing what life at Academia and Football is all about.
Football and Education: The Core of Academia and Football
At Academia and Football, our philosophy is clear: football and education should go hand-in-hand.
We believe every young player deserves the opportunity to succeed on the pitch while achieving academic excellence off it.
Our full-time football programme offers:
UEFA A and B Licence coaching staff
Strength and conditioning tailored to elite footballers
Specialist academic support, including GCSE, A-Level, and vocational pathways
Access to football scholarships and university opportunities
Mental performance coaching
Recovery and rehabilitation support
Life skills workshops preparing players for success in any career
This integrated approach ensures that students who attend Academia and Football leave not only as better players, but also as confident, well-rounded young adults ready for the challenges of the future.
The Lucy Bronze Award Event Day captured this perfectly — a true embodiment of our mission to develop the whole person, not just the athlete.
Meet the Mentors: Lucy Bronze, Greg Thurstans, and Matthew Rose
Throughout the day, players had the unique opportunity to hear personal stories, advice, and encouragement from some of the most successful figures in football.
Greg Thurstans, our CEO, opened the event by welcoming players and parents:
"Today is about more than football. It's about learning, dreaming, and seeing that your ambitions in both sport and education are possible."
Matthew Rose, a former Premier League player with QPR, spoke about the mindset needed for success:
"Your attitude will take you further than your ability alone. Stay humble, stay hungry, and keep pushing."
Then, all eyes turned to Lucy Bronze. Her story resonated powerfully with the players. Lucy spoke openly about her journey — from grassroots football to Champions League victories, to representing England at World Cups and Euros. She shared:
"There were times I didn’t make teams, times I doubted myself. But I always came back stronger. Remember, talent gets you noticed. But work rate, resilience, and belief get you to the top."
Hearing these personal accounts made a huge impression. It reminded every young player that success is built on perseverance, hard work, and education.
High-Performance Training: Life Inside Academia and Football
Following the welcome speeches, the players took part in elite-level training sessions, structured exactly like a typical day at Academia and Football.
The sessions were designed to challenge and develop the girls' technical, tactical, physical, and mental abilities. Key highlights included:
Technical Mastery
Players rotated through intense technical stations focused on:
Close ball control and dribbling at speed
Precision passing under pressure
Movement off the ball
First-touch receiving in tight spaces
Finishing with both feet
Lucy Bronze participated in demonstrations, showing intricate movements and sharing tips on body positioning that she uses at the highest levels of the game.
Tactical Intelligence
Players then moved into small-sided games, working on:
Transition phases (attack to defence and vice-versa)
Positional rotations
Communication and leadership on the field
Pressing structures and building from the back
Academia and Football coaches paused games to offer live corrections and tactical feedback, creating a professional academy atmosphere.
Lucy herself often paused drills to highlight moments of creativity, smart decision-making, and teamwork, reinforcing the importance of 'football IQ.'
The Showcase Match: Talent on Display
In the afternoon, the event built toward a full showcase match.
Players were split into two teams to demonstrate everything they had learned.
The game was fast, technical, and played with fantastic spirit — a true reflection of the standards we set at Academia and Football.
Lucy Bronze, Matthew Rose, Greg Thurstans and the coaching staff watched intently from the sidelines, applauding moments of brilliance and teamwork.
Building Future Football Leaders
At Academia and Football, it’s not just about creating great players — it’s about developing future leaders.
Throughout the day, emphasis was placed on:
Communication and leadership on the pitch
Showing resilience when facing challenges
Encouraging teammates and staying positive
Setting personal goals and reflecting on performance
Lucy Bronze shared:
"You don’t have to be the loudest to be a leader. Leadership is about setting standards every single day. In training, in the classroom, in how you treat others."
This focus on leadership echoes our commitment at Academia and Football to nurturing the next generation of captains, scholars, and ambassadors for the game.
Words from Participants and Parents
The feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, showing just how impactful the day had been:
Amelia, 15, Defender:
"It was unbelievable to train with Lucy and the coaches. I learned so much today about my positioning and confidence. It’s made me believe I can achieve more."
Parent of a Year 9 Player:
"The attention to detail, the encouragement, the professional environment — it was incredible. Academia and Football is clearly on another level."
Sophia, 17, Striker:
"Lucy Bronze is my hero. Hearing her story made me realise that setbacks are just stepping stones. I’m more motivated than ever."
These reflections reaffirmed the success of the day and our wider mission at Academia and Football.
The Future: Girls' Football is Rising
The world of girls’ football is growing faster than ever, and Academia and Football is proud to be leading that charge.
Our commitment to girls’ football development includes:
Equal access to top-tier facilities and coaching
Regular matches against elite opposition
Football scholarships and career pathways in the UK and internationally
Mental resilience and leadership training
Pathways into coaching, analysis, and sports science
The success of the Lucy Bronze Award Event Day is proof that the appetite for excellence among young female players has never been greater — and we are here to support that journey every step of the way.
When Will the Lucy Bronze Award Winner Be Announced?
One of the most anticipated parts of the event is still to come — the announcement of the Lucy Bronze Award winner!
Our panel, including Lucy herself, will review performances and contributions both on and off the pitch before selecting a winner.
The Award recognises not just technical skill, but also:
Leadership
Teamwork
Positive attitude
Academic excellence
Stay tuned for the announcement in the coming weeks across our Academia and Football website and social media channels.
Join Academia and Football: Where Dreams Take Flight
If you’re inspired by the Lucy Bronze Award Event Day and want to take your football and education journey to the next level, now is the perfect time to get involved.
At Academia and Football, we offer:
Full-time elite football programmes
Outstanding education tailored to your needs
Opportunities to be scouted by top clubs and universities
Life-changing mentorship from current and former professionals
At Academia and Football, we are proud to have Lucy Bronze — one of the world’s greatest footballers — as our Scholarship Ambassador. Lucy’s presence in our programme is more than just inspirational; it represents a powerful message to young players across the country about what is possible when talent, hard work, and opportunity come together.
When players meet someone like Lucy Bronze at our events, it immediately broadens their horizons. Lucy’s journey — from grassroots football to winning major tournaments and representing England on the world stage — shows what can be achieved through resilience, discipline, and dedication. Having Lucy as our Scholarship Ambassador creates a direct link between the dreams our young players hold and the real-world success they can achieve. It gives them a tangible role model who proves that their aspirations are not only valid but entirely possible.
Events like our recent Lucy Bronze Award Event Day give players the rare opportunity to learn directly from an icon. But it goes deeper than technical football skills. Lucy’s values — leadership, education, perseverance, and humility — are at the heart of everything we do at Academia and Football. Her involvement encourages players to think not just about becoming better footballers, but also about becoming stronger individuals ready to succeed both on and off the pitch.
One of the most unique aspects of Academia and Football is our partnership with elite private schools. Through our full-time programme, players can access an exceptional academic education alongside elite football coaching. This includes tailored academic support, access to outstanding facilities, and, for many, the opportunity to experience boarding school life — helping students develop independence, self-confidence, and lifelong friendships.
Boarding within these prestigious schools also ensures that players are immersed in an environment that nurtures both athletic and academic excellence. Days are structured around training, classroom learning, and personal development, building vital skills like time management, leadership, and resilience — traits that Lucy Bronze herself champions.
By joining Academia and Football, players are opening doors to football opportunities at the highest levels and securing an education that prepares them for success beyond their playing careers. Whether they progress into professional football, university scholarships, or leadership roles in the wider sports industry, they are equipped with the tools they need to thrive.
Lucy Bronze’s involvement sends a clear message to players and parents: Football and education can and should go hand-in-hand. You don't have to choose between sporting dreams and academic success — at Academia and Football, you can have both.
We are proud to offer a programme where ambition is fuelled, talent is nurtured, and dreams are given the environment they need to grow. With Lucy Bronze leading the way, there has never been a more exciting time to be part of Academia and Football.
At Academia and Football, we are always looking for innovative ways to give our players the best possible platform for success. That’s why we are proud to collaborate with ai.io, the pioneers behind aiScout and the revolutionary ai.labs technology.
This partnership brings elite-level sports science and performance analysis directly to our players — providing a unique advantage that very few young athletes in the world have access to.
The ai.labs facilities are designed to measure and enhance a player’s ability using cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Through a series of data-driven drills, physical testing, and technical challenges, players receive detailed performance metrics on everything from agility, speed, reaction times, passing accuracy, and more.
The information gathered is not only incredibly accurate but also provides our coaching staff with real-time insights to personalise development programmes for each individual.
During events like our recent Lucy Bronze Award Event Day, players had the opportunity to step inside the ai.labs environment and experience firsthand how professional clubs and national teams are now identifying and developing talent. It was an exciting glimpse into the future of football scouting and player performance monitoring.
For young players attending Academia and Football, access to ai.labs isn't a one-off experience — it becomes part of their ongoing development journey. Regular testing means players can track their growth over time, set measurable goals, and see their hard work pay off through tangible data.
This empowers them to take greater ownership of their improvement, building key traits like accountability, resilience, and self-motivation — qualities that align perfectly with our education and football philosophy.
Moreover, outstanding data profiles from ai.labs can be shared securely with professional clubs and scouts across the aiScout platform, opening up exciting recruitment pathways for players seeking to move into academy football, national squads, or university scholarships.
In a world where football is becoming more data-driven by the day, giving our players the tools to shine both on the pitch and through analytical feedback gives them a massive competitive edge.
The collaboration with ai.io reinforces the core values of Academia and Football: combining elite football performance, outstanding education, and life-changing opportunities.
Just as we offer boarding within prestigious private schools, world-class coaching, and academic excellence, we are proud to offer access to world-leading technology that prepares players for the demands of modern football.
At Academia and Football, players aren’t just training for today's game — they are preparing for the football of tomorrow.
With inspirational mentors like Lucy Bronze, industry-leading partnerships like ai.io, and an unwavering commitment to holistic development, there is no better place for ambitious players to unlock their full potential.
The future of football is here — and it starts with Academia and Football.