Lauren and Reece James are a high-profile sibling pairing that shine for both club and country with numerous titles under their belts. Since academy football facilitated their journey to becoming professionals, they are now looking to pass on that education to a new generation of budding players by hosting a football tournament for youth academies.
This tournament will see 12 of the best academies in Europe compete on a weekend of highly advanced football this March at Chelsea’s Cobham Training Ground. Giving academies the chance to showcase their talent with teams across Europe, as opposed to local teams, can allow the young players to come up against different styles of play that they may not have come across before and provides them with a broader competitive perspective, thus enabling them to develop their skills further.
Last year, Chelsea’s academy hosted its first ever Reece James Cup, in which Chelsea’s U15 boys came out on top, going the whole tournament undefeated. This year, the event has been expanded and will now have both girl’s and boy’s teams competing alongside each other in a celebration of male and female talent, following in the footsteps of the James siblings. Adding this new dynamic to the tournament gives the girls participating access to qualified coaching and role models to encourage continued involvement and show them that women can succeed in sport. Furthermore, having this opportunity to develop their abilities will be instrumental in diversifying the pool of talent within women’s football.
As the tournament has grown since its debut, it has emerged as a platform that underscores the importance of youth development. Tournaments are a great way for young players to enhance technical skills whilst building the mental resilience that is needed to get through high-intensity, competitive matches. All players’ journeys in football start at youth level, so it is key that their experience at this stage is encouraging and memorable to create a lifelong positive relationship with the game.
Not only does the competition have an impact on the players, but the club as a whole. Since it was announced, it has had positive feedback across social media from Chelsea fans with one saying:
“So good to see girls’ academies be involved, love this club for being so inclusive.”
Another added:
“Class for girls’ development being recognised alongside the boys. Great work from Chelsea.”
This kind of response from fans sheds light on Chelsea Football Club’s ambition to move in a more inclusive direction.
Considering that their women’s team has had significant investment, combined with this expansion, it will show aspiring footballers that the club is moving with the times, as women’s football is growing rapidly. As Chelsea attract more players, that greatly benefits them as they will have a plethora of homegrown talent that they don’t have to search for.
Ultimately, the tournament is going to be beneficial for those involved, whether that is to develop skills or raise their profile. With the competition now in its second successful year, its future is promising and it may serve as a model for other clubs to emulate.
