Brockham Badgers was formed over 30 years ago, in 1979, with a group of fifty boys from the village. (Click here to read about the earliest training sessions and how the club was formed.)
Since those early days at the end of the seventies, the club has established itself as one of the largest youth football organisations in Surrey. Today about 300 boys and girls play and train regularly from Under 6 to Under 18....many of them choosing to join at the youngest age group and progress over ten years to spend their entire youth football career with the Badgers.
We are a community club - not elitist. If you want to play and there's space in your age group - you're in! Not all our players can be Rooney or Kaka...but they can all have the opportunity to play regular football, enjoy exercise and fitness and to fulfil their potential - whatever that may be. Head of Football, Simon Coffey, talks about the club's philiospophy here.
UEFA 'B' qualified coach Nick Torpey has devised a training plan for all age groups and takes regular coaching sessions within the club, aiming to encourage participation and bring out the best in all the teams and all the boys and girls, whatever their standard. Nick offers advice to the parents who coach our teams on a regular basis and is also training a new generation of youth football coaches.
Under his tuition, some of our oldest boys reaching the end of their playing time with Brockham, have taken their FA coaching badges and taken on the responsibility for coaching some mini-soccer teams (U7s to U10s). It's a new opportunity for the graduating players - and has created a highly popular alternative to the Dad-coach for the younger boys and girls.
Brockham Badgers FC is all about creating sporting opportunity for young players. And once they are no longer able to play for the Badgers, we are working to ensure they have the chance to carry on enjoying football into adulthood.
We have a long-standing close relationship with a local senior side, Brockham Green, our recent affiliation with Dorking FC has opened up further possibilities including a new youth side for boys who reach the end of their Badgers playing days, and a number of our boys have been coached by Fulham and Cheslea's Academies.
We have also been working to support the development of Girls' football in Surrey - our Girls team is now in its fifth season of competitive matches in the Surrey County Girls League and our annual open tournament ensures girls' and boys' competition takes place side-by-side and on an equal footing.
But the club is about more than just football - it's become a part of the village community life. It serves a social function for players and parents alike. Besides the regular meeting on the touchline, there are annual social events - such as the Family and Friends Fun Day and the Spring Ball. And the Badgers provide support each year on the night of the Brockham Bonfire. Everyone associated with the club is invited to attend all these events. Details are published here on the website as they become available.
In 2006, Brockham Badgers embarked on its most ambitious project to date - establishing a large-scale annual tournament that would set a standard for quality of the event, it's organisation and facilities. Brockham 06 took place in June of that year, adopting a World Cup theme. Over 140 teams took part, with more than a thousand players, and it was extremely well received. So much so that the following year's event, Brockham 07, was swamped with applicants and had to be expanded to meet demand. Three more tournaments, in 2008, 2009 and 2010 have ensured the Brockham event is established as one of the biggest and most popular youth football tournaments in the south of England.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of so many parents who give up their time to help run the club. Without the volunteers, Brockham Badgers couldn't exist - and, as we continue to expand, we need more and more support. We are always looking for parents and others who would be prepared to get more involved to help maintain the club - either on an ongoing basis helping with administration or on a one-off basis assisting at events. If you're interested in giving a little bit back to Brockham Badgers, then please email here. |