Excelsior Athletic Development Club

03/06/2026

Three of our girls last Tuesday at the Exeter Open. They're waiting to do their events. Aaron's over by the long jump pit, competing for the first time. So the girls are standing on the wrong side of the rail, cheering him on to help him jump further.
It worked: Aaron smashed his p.b. and jumped over 4 metres.

This is the thing about a small club: the loudest people at any of our competitions are usually each other. Nobody's paid to be there. They turn up because that's what you do when a teammate is competing.
The training on Mondays is athletic development — speed, agility, strength, power and coordintaion.
On Tuesdays it's athletics specific: sprints, jumps, hurdles and throws.
The bit underneath that, that doesn't fit on a syllabus, is learning to be the kid who shows up for someone else's PB.
Athletic Development, 11–16, Mondays 5pm in Willand. June places open.
Athletics, 11-16, Tuesdays, 5pm in Cullompton.
 [email protected]

02/06/2026

How do you tell a good youth coach from a bad one?
Not by U-11 trophies. Not by how many of their players got picked for the county side at 12.
By how many of their players are still healthy, improving and playing in their twenties.
That's the measure that matters — and it's the one we work to at Excelsior. We don't take shortcuts for junior success, nor exclude people because they aren't the oldest/biggest in their school year.

Athletic Development for 11–16 year olds, Mondays 5–6pm, Willand. June onwards.
Parent's guide on the research behind this — happy to send.

01/06/2026

Well done to our own Jack Marshall for winning the under-16s Managers' player of the year award. "He covers every blade of grass on the pitch," Stuart, the manager, said.
Jack's fitness and athleticism aren't due to luck or 'talent.' They are a result of his hard-work and dedication.
He's trained over 600 times at our club. His football fitness is a result of the speed, agility, power and strength training he does every week.
No jogging at our club: we are developing athletes.
If you are a teenage footballer (or rugby, hockey, basketball player) and want to thrive on the pitch, come along on a Monday evening in Willand and improve your athleticism.

Yesterday saw our 2025-26 end of season presentation.

It was held for the first time in many years in our refurbished clubhouse and the day went very well. Special thank you to Nick Westcott and Club President Neville Crocker for planning and making the day a success. Massive thanks also to the wonderful bar staff who did an amazing job all day. 👏👏

We also want to thank Brad Hewitt for spending a lot of his spare time maintaining the pitch in all weathers throughout the season. 👍

Once again, the committee thank all managers, coaches and helpers for their hard work for the last season. Without them there’s no football.

Our under 16’s stole the show after winning the league and cup double, congratulations to the players and of course manager Stuart Anderson and coaches Lee Woodman and Richard Dow. A brilliant way to finish their youth journey. 🏆🏆

Photos to follow…

Here’s the list of the award winners, congratulations to all winners:

Club Person: Awarded to the football committee

Nigel Howe Young Player of the Year: Charlie O’Laughlin

Under 16’s:

Managers Player: Alex Barnett & Jack Marshall
Players Player: Alex Barnett
Supporters Player: Oskar Dow
Top Goal Scorer: Jack Norrish

Under 18’s:

Managers Player: Owen Tulk
Coaches Player: Jacob Fever
Players Player: Jack Trevelyan
Supporters Player: Kamil Wojtowicz
Top Goal Scorer: Nat Bishop

Reserves:

Managers Player: Rhys Floyde & Ryan Morgan
Players Player: Rhys Floyde
Supporters Player: Ollie Elsworthy
Top Goal Scorer: Ollie Elsworthy

First Team:

Managers Player: Dan Cole & Connor Heard
Players Player: Cody Stansfield
Supporters Player: Cody Stansfield

The last word goes to Paul Mallinson. After 16 years, Mally has decided to take a break from managing, so has stepped away from the Reserves. After playing for Elmore back in the 90’s and returning when we started a 3rd team to help youth players’ transition into senior football, Mally was also coaching the 3rds and Ressies back in the 2010’s.
All this while coaching a youth side in which his sons played. After a few years at Bickleigh, he bought his side to Elmore two seasons ago, to play three leagues higher.

A real cub man, who’s always had the best interests of the club and most of all, his players at heart. A brilliant manger and coach, but most of all, a fantastic person. I’m sure anyone reading this who know Mally, would agree.

We wish Mally well and will *always* be welcome at Elmore, a true gentleman and Eagles legend.

31/05/2026

Well done to Adanna and Yasmin for winning gold and silver in the first women's group of the competition today.
Both competed at 53kg and got 4/6 lifts. Yasmin snatched 42kg, Adanna 48kg (p.b.).
Yasmin clean and je**ed 55kg (p.b.), Adanna 58kg (p.b.).
Totals 97kg(p.b.)/ 106kg (p.b.)
Thanks to Barry for driving and the photos. Well done to the 9 other competitors in the group. Thanks to all the officials and volunteers for the well-run competition.

28/05/2026

Six weeks of summer.
For a young athlete, it's the most valuable training window of the year — and the one most often wasted.
Football coaches rarely have time to teach the underpinning skills: skipping, hopping, throwing, catching, balancing, sprinting in different directions. The twelve fundamental movements any sport sits on top of.
That's what we do. Mondays 5–6pm in Willand, June onwards. 11–16 year olds. Six weeks of variety, in time for pre-season.
Trial session £6.60 — message us to book a spot, or ask for the parent's guide that explains the research behind it.

26/05/2026

Hot, but not bothered: five of our club athletes competed at the Exeter Open tonight in hurdles, long jump, 100m and 200m. All tried their best and cheered each other on.
Thanks to all the parents for their support (and Stanley Bear).
Back to training next week. Applying the lessons learned from today.

25/05/2026

96%.
That's the proportion of elite senior footballers in one recent study who had been de-selected at some point growing up. Dropped from a squad. Told they hadn't made it.
The pathway to senior football is winding, not straight. Side-entry at older ages is common — and being released as a kid is, statistically, the norm.
It's the off-season. If your child's been dropped this year, this is the moment to widen their athletic base rather than narrow it.
The boy pictured below has trained over 600 times at our club: the shapes he makes aren't an accident. They are the result of his varied training.
Athletic development sessions every Monday in Willand. 1700-1800.
(p.s if you want to read our parent's guide on long-term football success — DM or email for a copy.

23/05/2026

The world's best adult footballers are not the world's best 12-year-old footballers.
They are largely different people.
That's one finding from a 2025 study of 34,839 elite performers across sport, science, music and chess — and it changes how parents should think about the off-season.
We've put together a short parent's guide pulling together what the research actually says about long-term football success. DM us or email [email protected] and we'll send it over.