We have a great opportunity to be part of a Webinar with Marvin Brown on Wednesday, 3rd February from 5pm to 6pm
Please click here for the link to the Webinar!
Marvin Brown – ex Bristol City and England U15-U18 player now Coaches at Bristol City Academy and runs his own very successful football coaching company (Total Pro Soccer) will be joining us for a Q&A about his life in professional sport and managing the pressure of success at a young age. He will be talking about his journey and what life is like for young hopefuls playing at Academy level and what it takes to stay in the sport and ‘make it’.
Although he will be talking from a football point of view, his insights and knowledge of developing young people and the balance of playing, school and life is an essential message for all of our young players. He will be talking about the aptitudes and skills on and off the field that academy’s look for and what it takes to stay in sport and make it to professional levels.
Here is a little about Marvin: Marvin Brown, who started playing for the club at the age of 8, was selected by the Premier League as one of the most promising Academy coaches in the country and re-joined City at the start of pre-season. Marvin has made 19 appearances for the club and is famously Bristol City’s youngest ever player; his debut came in September 1999’s League Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest at the age of 16 years and 71 days. After a successful few years with Tony Pulis’ City team and England caps from U15-U18 levels, Marvin moved on to Yeovil in 2004 and already had his eye on a future coaching career.
Working at the Academy, playing football to a high standard and coaching in the community led Marvin to found Total Pro Soccer, a development centre for young boys in the Bristol area. TPS soon formed a close link with City’s Academy and kept Marvin on the Bristol City radar;
“For me it’s always been about having an impact on young players – hopefully I’ve done that with TPS and can continue to do with our Bristol City players”.
"I don’t coach out of a textbook.” Says Marv “I can give the boys good life advice as well as share my playing experience"
Bristol City Academy coach Dave Horseman, Head of Coaching at the Academy, is delighted with Marvin’s appointment:
“It’s so great to have Marv back in this capacity; he’s got such a different perspective to add, has had elite experience at national and international level and – quite rightly – has quickly gained the utmost respect from the players and parents.”
Marvin - though clearly a talented footballer - credits education for his longevity in the game and hopes to pass that wisdom onto the young City players: “I think my main bits of advice would be to take every opportunity and don’t assume you’ve made it before you have; I was playing for England at U18 but that didn’t mean I could relax. I took my PE and business studies classes really seriously and knew I wanted to do something in sport when I was older – and just look at where I am now.”
I look forward to seeing you there on Wednesday 3rd February.
Matt Lloyd
Director of Sport