Spirit Development Academy Launches to Support More Young Players

The GFA has launched the brand-new Spirit Development Academy, providing another exciting step in Guernsey’s player development pathway. More than 40 players made their way down to Victoria Park last night (September 17^th), for the first session.

The initiative is aimed at talented young players who narrowly missed out on squad selection for the GFA Aztech Academy, ensuring that even more of the island’s brightest prospects can benefit from enhanced coaching and structured development opportunities.

Sessions will mirror the high standards of the Aztech Academy environment, with a focus on technical growth, game understanding, and building the right habits for long-term success. By offering a dedicated programme for these players, the Spirit Development Academy ensures that talent is nurtured more widely, while keeping the door firmly open for future progression into Aztech Academy squads.

Seb Vance, who will be leading the Spirit Development Academy, said:

“I’m looking forward to what should hopefully be an exciting season for these boys. They’re in a unique position which others previously haven’t had. In the past, we’ve had serious selection headaches when it comes to the Aztech Academy, with the number of quality players being very high. This meant we were left with the predicament of whether to take more players and have a weakened focus in our sessions, or we’d have to sacrifice taking players in order to have the ideal squad size. However, this is no longer an issue as we can observe and train a larger cohort whilst maintaining the quality of our sessions. I can’t wait to see how this project evolves over the course of this season and hopefully the many to come”.

Backed by Spirit’s continued support of Guernsey football, this new development programme is a strong statement of intent — demonstrating a commitment to a wider pool of talent across the island.