Development Squads

"As a club we are extremely proud of our new Children's Academy and the Development Squads within the programme. We believe that the Development Squads offer a unique opportunity within the professional game for children and young talented players to progress from playing grassroots and/or Boys Club football to potentially becoming an Academy player representing Stenhousemuir Football Club at Performance Level... a level where selected players can challenge themselves against the 'best' young players in the country."

The main aim of the Development Squad is offer 'select' players an additional training session per week which will focus solely on technical development and mastery of the ball. The sessions will be delivered by a Scottish FA Advanced Children's Licence (Level 5) coach who will ensure that all skill practices are tailored to meet the special requirements and characteristics of young football players below the age of 12 years.

The objective of this process will enable the club to select 20 players that will represent Stenhousemuir Football Club at Performance under 11's Level throughout the 2011/12 season. Players who are not eligible for under 11's next season will be given specific feedback regarding entry to performance level.

Performance Level at under 11's and 12's is a new initiative implemented by the Scottish FA aimed at providing a competitive playing environment for 'select' players from a handful of professional football clubs throughout Scotland. Some of the professional clubs included within Performance Level for the forthcoming 2011/12 season are Aberdeen, Celtic, Hearts, Hibernian and Rangers.