<p>Meet Ryan, a young and ambitious footballer who’s already making waves.</p><p>At just 16, he scored his first goal for <a href="https://www.westonsmareafc.co.uk/">Weston-super-Mare AFC</a>, in their recent pre-season friendly against Tiverton Town.</p><p>Ryan's journey is a testament to his passion for football and his commitment to growing as both an athlete and a student.</p><p><strong>Ryan’s Football Journey</strong></p><p>Ryan's love for football started early—he's been playing "since I could walk," he says. His talent and drive saw him train twice a week and play up to two matches regularly. Before joining the Seagulls, Ryan played for the Bristol Rovers Academy, where he was offered an early scholarship. However, he made a bold decision to turn it down and join us at Weston College, saying, "I had a lot of Premier League interest but I left to develop in a men’s environment and study sports coaching."</p><p><strong>Making His Mark</strong></p><p>Ryan’s first goal in pre-season for the Seagulls was a moment of pride: "It felt really good to get off the mark for Weston." His early success is just a glimpse of what’s to come as he continues to develop his skills with the team.</p><p><strong>Balancing Football and Education</strong></p><p>While pursuing his football career, Ryan is also preparing for his future off the field. He's enrolled in a Sports Coaching course, which perfectly complements his athletic ambitions. "Studying sports coaching will keep me around football and within the sport," he says.</p><p><strong>World-Class Sports Facilities at Weston College</strong></p><p>Weston College offers exceptional sports facilities, giving students like Ryan the resources they need to excel in their studies and training. Ryan speaks highly of the facilities: "The facilities are good at the college and give loads of options for when to use them."</p><p>Ryan’s story is an inspiration for young athletes looking to take their skills to the next level while maintaining a strong academic foundation. Weston College provides the perfect environment for balancing education with sporting aspirations, offering a range of courses, support, and top-notch facilities for students keen on a career in sports.</p><p>If you're passionate about sport and want to take your game to the next level, you can study one of our sport courses. <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport… here to find out more.&nbsp;</a></p><p>Our Sport courses are part of the Sports Careers Excellence Hub; Weston College is committed to preparing learners for success in a rapidly evolving job market which is reflected in our offer via our bespoke Career Excellence Hubs, which form an integral part of all college programmes. In a world where professional networks and industry-specific skills are integral to landing employment, these hubs provide a unique solution to bridge the gap between education and industry demands.</p><p><em>Photo credit Mark Stainer/WsMAFC&nbsp;</em></p>

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<p>Weston College are delighted to announce that <a href="https://www.bristolsportfoundation.org/">Bristol Sport Foundation</a> are partnering with the</p>

<p>College’s Sports &amp; Fitness faculty to offer opportunities to students. Bristol Sport Foundation has a mission to use the power of sport to create active, healthy and happy communities in the greater Bristol area. The foundation works in communities to facilitate physical activity and delivers sports coaching to a range of people, including at after school clubs and holiday camps, with 3,878 children attending their holiday camps in July and August.</p>

<p>The College, which offers <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport… &amp; Fitness</a> courses including BTEC Fitness and Sports Exercise Science, Apprenticeships and Higher Technical Qualifications in Community Coaching, has award-winning <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/career-excellence-hubs">Career Excellence Hubs</a> for each faculty subject area across the College with several industry partnerships in place. The purpose of Career Excellence Hubs is for College subject areas to work closely with employers to deliver a curriculum designed by industry, inspiring students with a skills focused curriculum. The Sports &amp; Fitness Career Excellence Hub has key industry partnerships that highlight the breadth of careers available to students, offer work placements, develop the skills of learners beyond the qualification they are studying, supporting their progression to higher education and employment.</p>

<p>David Crew, Head of Business Growth &amp; Employer Partnerships commented “Bristol Sport Foundation are a committed employer partner of the College, providing guest lectures to sports students and various work experience opportunities alongside their coaches who deliver inspirational activity in the greater Bristol area. Weston College, through our Career Excellence Hubs, are building collaborative employer partnerships aligned to our curriculum areas, creating a high-quality learner experience at our College and learners ready to progress to employment and higher education when they complete their course. We’re looking forward to having Bristol Sport Foundation as part of our employer community.”</p>

<p>Hannah Davis-Coward, Partnerships and Workforce Manager at Bristol Sport Foundation commented “We are committed to creating active, healthy and happy communities through our work in the region. Partnerships are key to the foundation, as is developing the pipeline of skilled talent that we need in the future to deliver our mission. We’re delighted to be partnering with Weston College, a large forward-thinking further education college with an established sports faculty, and we look forward to supporting students to gain experiences of work.”</p>

<p>To view our sports courses <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/sport… here</a>. Employers looking to work with Weston College can email employers@weston.ac.uk.</p>