Matt brings a fountain of knowledge to the United Dragons and I know our players and coaches all benefit from his insight, tactical and technical expertise. We caught up with Matt during the week to get to know him on a deeper level. Please see Matt’s detailed answers below!
Read MoreAlthough Futsal is very much a game in its own right, there are also a number of benefits for football by encouraging young people to play Futsal as part of a balanced training programme to improve their overall technical development.
Read MoreWhilst we excitingly wait for our return back to the pitch, here is everything UD are offering from March 29th.
Read MoreFebruary has been a month filled with brand new online initiatives and activities for all our UD players to enjoy.
As we are fast approaching our return to football we feel this is a crucial time as any to prepare our players for the return of outdoor football.
With the immediate positive impression Lewis made both with the players and the UDFC staff, it is a pleasure to say that Lewis has developed into one our best lead coaches.
We caught up with Lewis earlier in the week to find out a little more about him..
In our effort to diversify some of our weekly online sessions, we are pleased to invite you on to our ‘UD Sport Wellbeing Fitness session with Coach Ryan on Thursday 25th Feb at 5pm-5:45pm.
Read MoreJanuary 2021, we focus on our Head Coach, Ben Richards. We caught up with Ben and asked him 10 questions.
Ben is one of our most experienced coaches and his professionalism coupled with his knowledge of the game makes him a real asset to the Dragons and a really interesting read.
Read MoreUD proudly partnered with Islington Boxing Club in March 2020 with a clear mission to bring more access to sport and to raise enough money to re-develop IBC’s new home
We are thoroughly excited of what UD x IBC have planned for you all.
Read MoreJanuary 2021, we focus on our Head Coach, Ben Richards. We caught up with Ben and asked him 10 questions.
Ben is one of our most experienced coaches and his professionalism coupled with his knowledge of the game makes him a real asset to the Dragons and a really interesting read.
Read MoreJanuary 2021 saw us packing up our UD online training schedule with activities each day in an effort to keep all our players active and engaged during these weeks in lockdown. We have a diverse range of sessions aside from football including Futsal, Fitness, ‘Skill of The Week’ and our UD Saturday Family Fitness session.
Read MoreAt United Dragons we have loved our Tuesday and Saturday Fitness classes. We feel that so much attention is often placed on children’s technical qualities that the physical side gets ignored. Health and exercise is such an important part of life that we have decided to pay it the attention it deserves. Every Tuesday we conduct a kids fitness class which is made up of bodyweight exercises designed to raise the heart rate, get a good sweat on and maintain a good level of fitness.
Read MoreWhen Fashion meets Football - United Dragons have partnered up with the iconic designer Katharine Hamnett on a bespoke clothing range celebrating our amazing partnership with our charity partners Alive and Kicking.
Read MoreOur charity partners, in which we wear their logo proudly, Alive and Kicking is the world’s only not-for-profit ball manufacturer. Their centres across sub-Saharan Africa create hundreds of ethical jobs for adults facing disadvantage. Profits from balls sales and additional fundraising give young people access to sport and health education through A+K ball donations and the delivery of effective sport based health programmes.
Read More“For a goalkeeper, there is no hiding place.” Brad Friedel, former premier league and USA goalkeeper.
“Goalkeeping is just different. Everyone says we’re crazy or something. But it’s more a case of us working under different pressure, thinking about the game differently.” Asmir Begovic, Former Premier League and Bosnian International goalkeeper.
Read More2020 hasn’t been what everyone expected, however rather than accepting defeat, we have had one of our most amazing years to date.
With 2020 coming to a close, we thought it would be important to reflect on the amazing progress that our UD players have made across a year filled with distractions and long periods of no football.
Welcome to our new UD Community newsletter, which focuses on what the parents of our club are up to and how you might be able to get involved! First up is Laurence and her app concept ONE-MENU!
Read MoreWho better to tell us their best UD moments than some of United Dragons’ finest young players! I am delighted to say we have interviewed three players; Gabriel, Sarah and Nikko. Read their stories below:
Read MoreIn youth football, players often get placed in positions based on their physical attributes – the speedy child more often than not is a winger or striker, the tall kid is a defender or goalkeeper, and so on. These generalisations can be very detrimental to the development of the player.
‘He is definitely a defender’ - ‘She is unquestionably our striker’ - How many times have we heard this in grassroots football?
Read MoreThroughout the league season, the United Dragons League Managers have been taking notes on each individual player after each game, focusing on strengths and areas of development.
We are constantly assessing each child and are frequently thinking about ways in which to accelerate the development of all players.
Every Saturday morning, I travel to Regents Park and I think to myself, how can I get the best out of the players in today’s match? What can I say to them that will have a positive effect on their performance? Often the answer isn’t in words, it’s in silence.
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