Welfare Plans
Being Far From Home Is Hard Enough.
PitchPlay Welfare Plans make sure no student-athlete faces it alone.
Thousands of miles from home. A new country, a new school, a new team. The excitement of a football programme abroad is real and so are the pressures that come with it. PitchPlay Welfare Plans are built around one principle: every player deserves real, personal support from someone who genuinely knows their situation.
Every plan includes a named welfare officer. Not a call centre. Not a generic helpline. A real person, assigned to you before you arrive, who checks in regularly and is there when you need them most.
Choose the Right Plan for You
PitchPlay Welfare Plans draw on a team of specialists, each one experienced in working with young athletes at the highest level. The services below are available across our three plan tiers.
Three tiers of support that range from a strong foundation to a fully comprehensive, high-performance welfare package. All plans include a named welfare officer and access to PitchPlay's welfare team.
Our Welfare Services
Player Mentor
Having the right support around you can make all the difference. PitchPlay's welfare plans help players stay grounded, stay focused, and stay mentally strong.
Emmanuel Oyeleke - Player Mentor
Manny is a former professional footballer and current UEFA-qualified coach at Chelsea. He provides direct, one-to-one mentoring for PitchPlay players to share first-hand knowledge of what it takes to succeed at professional level, and offering practical guidance on everything from selection processes to managing life as a student-athlete in the UK.
Sport Psychology
Ady is an experienced sport psychologist currently working with Oxford United Football Club. He works one-to-one with PitchPlay players to build mental resilience, sharpen focus and develop the confidence needed to perform under pressure, in football and in the classroom.
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Managing stress and pressure in high-performance environments
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Building confidence and maintaining motivation
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Developing focus, resilience and effective goal-setting
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Improving decision-making under pressure
Behind every player is a person with emotions, doubts, and ambitions. My work at PitchPlay is about supporting all of that, not just the performance side.
Adrian Brawn - Sport Psychologist
Strength & Conditioning
Neil is a highly qualified strength and conditioning coach, formerly with Peterborough United Football Club. He builds personalised training programmes designed to complement each player's football schedule, preventing injury, building strength and ensuring players perform at their best throughout the season.
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Personalised training plans aligned with your football schedule
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Injury prevention strategies built on proven conditioning methods
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Ongoing progress tracking and programme adjustments
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Recovery and flexibility guidance including mobility and rest strategies
The physical demands on young athletes today are higher than ever. My job is to make sure they build their bodies safely and effectively
Neil Lattimore - Strength & Conditioning
Sport Counselling
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Rosie provides confidential one-to-one counselling for international student-athletes navigating the challenges of life abroad. Moving to a new country while keeping up with football and studies can bring stress, uncertainty and moments of self-doubt. Rosie's sessions offer a calm, private space to work through whatever you're experiencing.
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Confidential support for personal, academic and sporting challenges
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Guidance on adapting to life in the UK and managing independence
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Strategies to maintain balance between football, study and wellbeing
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Emotional resilience tools for setbacks on and off the pitch
Counselling isn't about fixing people, it's about helping them understand themselves and feel more in control. For student-athletes, that support can make all the difference."
Rosie Brown - Sport Counsellor
Scouting Reports
Gary is a UEFA-licensed coach and current scout for Burnley FC. He produces professional, objective scouting reports for PitchPlay players — the same standard of assessment used by professional clubs. Every player receives a written report, followed by a one-to-one debrief session to work through the findings and set clear development priorities.
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Objective, professional evaluation of match performance
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Clear strengths and development points tailored to individual goals
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Credibility that clubs recognise — produced by an active professional scout
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Support in planning your next steps, whether towards trials or further development
These give players clear, objective feedback that sharpens their strengths, exposes growth areas, and guides more purposeful development.
Gary Brown - Burnley FC Scout
Welfare Check-Ins
Regular, confidential calls with your welfare officer to check on your wellbeing, progress and any concerns on the pitch or off it. You're also added to a PitchPlay WhatsApp group for support between calls. Every conversation is confidential, with any shared information anonymised unless agreed with you.
Pathway Advice
The path in football can shift at any moment. Our pathway advice service supports players in shaping a clear future, whether they continue in football, explore study routes, or look beyond the sport. Every player have access to a personalised consultation, with follow-up guidance, whereby they receive realistic advice specific to the player and their own goals and aspirations.
Life Skills & Workshops
Group sessions led by PitchPlay specialists and guest speakers from across the football industry, including ex-professionals, coaches, scouts and match analysts. Topics cover time management, budgeting, independent living, communication, leadership and career planning.
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Practical life skills for independent living abroad
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Communication and leadership development
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Guest talks from industry professionals
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Personal growth and resilience-building