The below is an article written by Deo Moleka (UFA Owner) on UFA’s leadership visit to Arsenal last year:
In September 2024, myself, Iggy, Renata, Velko and Jason headed to London for a directors trip during our fall break. This was the second year in a row that we organized a leadership trip with our partner Arsenal Football Development.
We kicked off the trip attending the Arsenal Women’s match against Manchester City Women in a packed Emirates Stadium. It was a great game and the atmosphere was amazing. The Gunners’ playing philosophy was on full display and it was very impressive to see.
On Monday, we headed to Arsenal’s famous academy Hale End, where we had:
- Access to Arsenal’s academy.
- A riveting pre-academy chat with the Mark (Pre-Academy Coordinator) and Andy (Pre-Academy Lead Coach) followed by a pre-academy session.
Being at Hale End is always special. While watching the U8 for the second time, you can’t help but observe the hard work of recruiting top U8 players, the focus on ball mastery, the natural work ethic, and the demand for intense training. We were blown away by the talent on show and it is hard to believe that these kids are only 7 and 8 years old.
On Tuesday, we went to Sobha Realty Training Centre which was mesmerizing. We met with Holly, the Arsenal Women Team Operations Manager, who gave us great insight about the women’s operations and also told us about the history of the women’s programme and how it has come a long way. It was very interesting to hear how the staff had grown and how the equipment and facilities has been upgraded massively.
It was also very exciting to hear from her regarding the ‘ONE Arsenal’ policy. How the club doesn’t talk about the men versus the women, but about just being all One Arsenal. This meant that she could rely on the men’s experience to deal with big operation items like the Champions League.
After meeting with Holly, we had a chat with Gary Lewin, Head of Medicine and Sports Science for the women’s team, another example of the commitment and investment Arsenal has shown to its women’s side. Gary came out of retirement to take on this position, showing his passion for women’s football where he is constantly enhancing the women’s programme.
While we were there, we were told that we could watch the women’s training for 10 minutes. It was a great surprise and was greatly appreciated by everyone.
In the evening, we headed to watch AWFC U21s train. We first sat in their pre-game analysis meeting, which was another first for us, then joined them on the field to watch the full training session … what a treat!
That Wednesday, we met the Arsenal Football Development (AFD) team at the office in the board room. This was a great chance for us to discuss the partnership and the experiences so far. There are many more exciting opportunities ahead.
Later, we met with the community team, which was a big ask from us. We wanted to understand how they reach out to the community and how they interact with youth. We got a visit of the building and watched kids train on the indoor field. The insight and behind the scenes access was incredible.
We then went to the stadium to watch Arsenal vs Bolton in the Carabao Cup. Before the game, we had a field-side experience where we got close to the players during warm up which was a once in a lifetime experience. We also were treated to a suite with full hospitality.
On Thursday, we watched Arsenal Women vs BK Haken in the Champions League. This was a must-win game against a good Swedish team. Arsenal secured an important win to continue their campaign.
On Friday September 27th, it was time to fly back across the pond. Having stopped by the Gunner’s store a couple times during the week, we brought back all kinds of gear for staff… that store is really addicting!
Everyone that we have interacted with at Arsenal shows a huge amount of humility. Whether that has been pre-academy, academy, AWFC staff or Arteta himself they all exhibit this important value that doesn’t go unnoticed.
It was a fantastic week and the access we were given was extremely special. We know that not many people get to experience what we did over the week so we just want to thank Arsenal for this once in a lifetime trip. Another great chapter in the exciting partnership between UFA and Arsenal Football Development and we are looking forward to 2025!
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