An education programme to develop the snooker professionals of the future is launching at The Sheffield College.
The Stephen Harrison Snooker Academy will open in September 2024 and is aimed at talented players who have the potential to turn professional.
The college programme will launch in partnership with the Stephen Harrison Academy, Leeds Road, Attercliffe, which offers snooker coaching to young people.
Angela Foulkes CBE, Chief Executive and Principal, The Sheffield College, said: “We have a strong track record for supporting students competing at a high level in sport.
“We welcome the opportunity to champion future snooker talent whilst enabling players to achieve their educational potential.
"This is a really exciting programme for us to partner on given that Sheffield is home to the World Snooker Championships.”
Stephen Harrison MBE, a former professional snooker player, said: “I want to create champions in Sheffield. I am delighted to share my experience and knowledge with the next generation of snooker talent.
“This new initiative will provide gifted young people with the chance to go from amateur level to professional whilst completing their education at college. It would be great to get a champion playing at the Crucible one day.”
Applicants can find out more at an open session at 3.30pm on Wednesday, 29th May 2024, at the Stephen Harrison Academy, Leeds Road, Attercliffe, Sheffield. S9 3TY.
Alongside developing their snooker skills at the Stephen Harrison Academy in Attercliffe, students will study academic or technical qualifications at the college’s City Campus, Granville Road, or Hillsborough Campus, Livesey Street.
Louis Axcell, Curriculum Team Leader for Sport, The Sheffield College, explained: “This is the latest in a range of elite academies that we’re running and which provide upcoming sports talent with elite level coaching to help them excel in their sport.
“Importantly, we have the expertise to also help our students to focus on their studies and achieve their vocational or academic qualifications whilst continuing to train and compete at the highest level.”
The snooker stars of the future will benefit from the college’s accreditation to Sport England’s Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS). These benefits include flexible timetables to accommodate competition commitments, additional tuition support, kit and equipment, and workshops that support student athletes to achieve their potential.
Reece Matin, who has won the Sheffield Junior Championship, is one of the many young people who have been coached by Stephen Harrison over the last few years. Reece said: “If this course was available when I started, I would have been able to study at college and practice snooker at the same time.”
The college has supported students who have competed regionally, nationally or internationally in a wide range of sports in disciplines including athletics, basketball, boxing, football, kickboxing, ski racing and swimming.
This latest programme is part of the college’s wider Elite Sports Employer Skills Academy. To apply now for September 2024 and find out more, email admissions@sheffcol.ac.uk.
Pictured: Louis Axcell, Curriculum Team Leader for Sport at The Sheffield College, with snooker player Reece Matin and Stephen Harrison MBE. Photo credit: Mason Martin Photography.
