Sporting Excellence
Sport
The Bristol Academy of Sport is our response to demands from studentswho want to study and play sport at the same time.
The Academy of Sport enables students to pursue their sporting interests, whilst obtaining suitable academic qualifications from our wide range of further and higher education qualifications. They will choose an appropriate full-time course and in addition receive up to 16 hours of professional sports training per week. With this being our tenth year of linking both sport and study, we feel we are on the RIGHT TRACK.
In addition to our Academy teams, a number of Development squads are also in operation for all students at Filton College who enjoy sport as a recreational activity.
You can study any of Filton College’s full-time qualifications whilst spending up to 16 hours a week participating in one of the following academies:
- American Football
- Athletics
- Basketball (Male and Female)
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Fencing
- Football (Male and Female)
- Golf
- Netball
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
American Football
Visit the American Football Club
Filton Colleges outstanding Bristol Academy of Sport (Ofsted Inspection, Feb 2008) has seized the opportunity to be a trail-blazer, starting the first American Football Academy in the UK. The recruitment process starts now.
Athletics
The Athletics Academy is entering its second year at Filton College and has a fantastic new competition standard Grade A track and field facility at the WISE campus, opened in November 2010 by Kip Keino. This includes an 8-lane full championship floodlit stadium as well as the indoor sports and gym facilities within the WISE Campus.
Basketball
The Filton College Basketball academy is entering its 8th year and has become one of the most respected programmes in the UK, offering student-athletes the opportunity to combine academic studies with excellence in basketball within a professional sports environment.
Boxing
The aim of the Filton College Boxing Academy is to work in conjunction with the boxer’s own club(s) to ensure ongoing development whilst furthering knowledge and understanding of the sport, to increase participation in competition, and to assist boxers who wish to compete at the highest level.
Cricket
Kevin Hamblin, Principal at Filton College comments,“ since England’s successful Ashes win, interest in cricket has been revitalised. We have received a large volume of enquiries from students who wish to pursue this sport, both nationally and internationally”.
The Academy is linked with Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. The Academy has access to all Gloucestershire’s indoor facilities and students will regularly have contact with both academy and full squad members.
Fencing
The Fencing Academy at Filton College offers a unique opportunity for the students to develop their sport on a programme of training fully integrated into their academic timetable. The Fencing Academy offers young athletes the chance to fulfil their potential at cadet and junior Europoean and World level.
Female Football
Visit the Female Football Club
The Female Football Development Centre (the Female Academy) initiative was one of the UK’s first female academies that offered both football training and academic qualifications specifically for girls aged between 16-19 years old. As one of the elite colleges in the country with Charter Standard status, the Development Centre is the place to be for aspiring footballers in the women’s game.
Golf
Established since 2002, the Golf Academy is at the forefront of collegiate golf in the UK. Giving talented and dedicated young golfers the environment they need to develop the winning habit. The academy will accelerate their learning of the game, testing of their skills and the competition they need to reach the highest levels for their age group. We are one of the few colleges in the UK that have been endorsed by England Golf, which allow us to run the AASE scheme, giving those showing potential to reach national standard within 2 years the environment they need for success.
Male Football
The male Football Development Centre (F.D.C.) has been in existence for several years and currently plays in the English College Centre of Excellence League, British Colleges’ League and also the South West Counties’ League.
The F.D.C. recognises and encourages the talents of players whilst not compromising their overall education and welfare. The time devoted to technical development is maximised whilst ensuring competitive games are part of the overall development programme.
Netball
The Netball Academy provides girls aged 16-19 the opportunity to train in an excellent environment as well as further their education. The aim is to improve the technical operation of the players through enhanced awareness, to progress players knowledge and understanding of the game and to increase participation. As well as to develop players who wish to compete at the highest level and to encourage the skills of those who wish to coach, administer and referee the sport.
Read more about the Netball Academy
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Rugby
The Rugby Academy at Filton has established itself as one of the leading institutes in the country for schoolboy rugby. This is reflected by the amount of schoolboy internationals produced and the trophies that have been won. These include the National 15 a side tournament (St Josephs) and the British Colleges Cup.
Table Tennis
The Bristol Table Tennis Academy is headed by the former International Player and coach Kevin Satchell. Kevin is former junior and senior international player and has been a highly successful national team coach with both England and Scotland.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a traditional martial art which is now an official Olympic Sport and is practiced by 60 million people worldwide, making it one of the most, if not the most popular martial art in the world today. This new expansion of the Bristol Academy of Sport will further add to our portfolio of sports opportunities and will increase our recruitment to over 500 dedicated trainee elite sportspersons per year.
TEAMS
TEAMS is an initiative that was introduced in 2004, that has modelled itself upon Advanced Squads that are run at HE institutions. TEAMS will assist talented athletes in any sport to continue with their sporting careers without compromising their education. The scheme has been set up to support students recognised by their governing body as ‘elite’. This includes athletes who have been offered TASS (Talented Athlete scholarship Scheme) and World Class funding by SportsAid and UK Sport respectively.
