Home > Sports Academy
Sports Academy
Learning has moved online and all practical sessions are currently cancelled for the duration of the lockdown.

Kirklees College Sports Academy offers:
- A top class training programme
- A nationally recognised qualification
- The best local training facilities
- Coaching qualification in your chosen sport
- Links to professional and semi-professional clubs
- Coaching from high profile top quality coaches
- Ruby League
- Football (Men’s and Women’s)
Football Academy

We train 4 times a week and play one fixture a week. Strength and conditioning sessions provided for all players and video analysis of games. Play in the top AoC college league and benefit from coaching from UEFA A Licenced coach Kevin Donovan and EUFA B Licenced coach Luke Bailey.
Male/Female Football Training Timetable
Monday: 9am-10.30 at Leeds Road Sport Complex.
Tuesday: 9am-10.30am at Leeds Road Sport Complex.
Wednesday: Afternoon Fixtures.
Thursday: 11.15am-13.15pm – Strength and Conditioning and Video Analysis Session (First Team Only at KC Waterfront Gym)
Friday: 9am-10.30am at Leeds Road Sport Complex.
Rugby Academy

In partnership with Huddersfield Giants we train 4 times a week and play one fixture a week. Strength and analysis sessions for all players and video analysis of games. Students get the opportunity to train and play alongside giants academy players on the fringe of featuring in the super league and playing professional rugby.
Rugby Training Timetable
Monday: 2pm-4pm – The Zone, Huddersfield.
Tuesday: 2pm-4pm – The Zone, Huddersfield.
Wednesday: Afternoon Fixtures.
Thursday: 9am-10.30am – Strength and Conditioning at KC Waterfront Gym.
Friday: 2pm-4pm – The Zone, Huddersfield.
Sports Therapy Academy

An excellent opportunity to combine Sport studies with Sports injuries and Sports massage. We will develop skills to enable you to follow a career into sports therapy.
- Includes rehabilitation, sports massage and sports injuries.
- Delivered by specialist trained staff.
- Progression to Higher Education.
Fitness Academy

Want to work in the Fitness or Gym industry?
The NEW Fitness Academy Pathway offers a wider understanding of all aspects of sport, exercise, fitness and nutrition to provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to secure employment.
This course includes a Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification and crucial information on how to develop and implement personal fitness programmes.
- NEW for 2021.
- Gain an understanding of all aspects of sports, exercise, fitness and nutrition.
- Includes Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification.
- Learn how to develop and implement personal fitness programmes.
- Delivered by industry certified staff.
Waterfront Gym
Kirklees College has it’s own state-of-the-art gym and fitness studio at the Huddersfield Centre in the Waterfront Quarter which is free for all students to use. Strength, conditioning and fitness classes available with experienced staff and coaches including nutrition advice and speed training. Follow us on Instagram @kcwaterfrontgym to find out more.











Tom Haigh
Former Football Academy Student
The time I spent at Kirklees College’s Football Academy provided me with a good platform to continue my football career. This academy enabled me to form friendships whilst being coached at a high standard. The trips and away matches prepared me for the commitment needed to perform at a higher level. Currently, I play for Brighouse Town FC with over 200 appearances. Without the experiences I gained during my time at Kirklees College, I may not have been in the position I am today.
Football Academy 2020/2021 Season

Kevin Donovan: Now an UEFA A licence coach after retiring from a 17-year career as a professional footballer playing over 500 league games for Huddersfield Town, West Bromwich Albion, Grimsby Town and Barnsley.

Luke Bailey: Former Ossett Town, and Pontefract Colliery player, now a UEFA B licence coach and a very valuable experienced coach that has been with the college for over 10 years.
Our aim is to improve each individual that joins and help them become a better player by providing a safe and positive environment to play and train in. We help you understand the importance of working in a team whilst improving your own individual ability.
All sessions will be delivered by UEFA qualified coaches and will be relevant and realistic to the game. Sessions will be challenging for individuals, units and the team. Our aim is to challenge the players with as many game related experiences as possible. The players will be central to the sessions and the players will be given their chance to express their opinions and thoughts.
As a college, we work on our weaknesses and plan sessions to improve on past performances. At the end of games and through match analysis we gain feedback from our players on how they think the game went. As coaches we will do a post match review on areas we believe need to be addressed. Through this we will identify weaknesses in our performance and plan sessions to improve. We will also use analysis in the form of Key performance indicators in order to check the players understanding of previous sessions.
We will support our performances via match analysis. We will video all of our games that will allow us to look at our strengths and weaknesses as a team and as individuals. The players will be given the opportunity to analyse their individual performances on a weekly basis as part of their college studies.
3 training sessions per week held at Leeds Rd playing fields on the state of the art outdoor and indoor 3G pitches. Strength and conditioning sessions in our very own fantastically equipped gym with a fully qualified S&C coach. Individual programmes will be given to each student to follow outside of college hours. The students have access to the gym for free.
Along with the S&C sessions the students will be given nutritional advice along with injury prevention programmes.
New to this season will be a video analysis session. The time in the classroom will be for the students to watch video footage of games they have played in and then to discuss relevant points from what they have seen, hopefully to take onto the pitch to help them develop and improve. It will also be used to highlight positive things they have done during the games both individually and as a team.
The college will be running 3 teams again this year in the very competitive AOC college leagues. These matches all take place on Wednesday afternoons. Home matches take place at Leeds Rd playing fields on the 3G pitch. For away matches, transport is always provided to and from the game. These games give the players opportunity to play against like minded colleges with the chance to win promotion from their respective leagues.
This season we are looking to set up some games against Pro and Semi clubs, this will give the students a chance to play against the very best players at their age level.
We plan to take a group of students away to Spain to experience a once in a lifetime 2-week tour of Valencia. This really is a fantastic opportunity to train, play matches and also visit the iconic Mestalla stadium, home of Valencia FC. During this funded tour the students get chance to learn new skills including cooking, learning the language and also delivering coaching sessions to children in disability groups in Valencia. This really is an experience that our previous students have loved.
Students will have the opportunity to gain the very valuable Level 1 football coaching award. Once passed it can be used to find paid coaching opportunities with numerous coaching and sporting companies.
KC Football Academy Football Kit
Students are now able to purchase kit with a 25% discount if they purchase before Thursday 1 April 2021. Please use discount code ‘KC275’.
Kirklees College Football Academy Kit with an embroidered badge on all items.
Kirklees College Sports Therapy Kit with an embroidered badge on all items.
Kirklees College Fitness Academy Kit with an embroidered badge on all items.