*Our New Player Intake Closes Soon, Act Fast If You'd Like To Apply*
A 1-1 Online Fitness & Mindset Transformation Programme For Footballers Aged 12-23, Who Are Aiming For Pro Club Or International Selection Within The Next 12 Months.
Fitter, Faster, Stronger Within 90 Days GUARANTEED, Or Your Money Back.
WITH A PERSONALISED PLAN TO MASTER YOUR PHYSICAL & MENTAL FITNESS ON THE PITCH, YOU TOO CAN UNLOCK PROGRESS JUST LIKE THIS...
THE SCIENCE-BACKED PROCESS YOU'LL FOLLOW
"HE HAS ATHLETICALLY JUMPED ALL OF THE PLAYERS AROUND HIM..."
MEET YOUR 1-1 COACHES
James Donnelly: Director & FSI Master Football S&C Coach

I studied BSc Sports Science at University before going on to qualify as an S&C coach and completing both a Diploma and Masters in Football Strength & Conditioning from the Football Science Institute.

As part of this I was within a specialist network of football conditioning coaches and taught directly by sports scientists and nutritionists working at some of the worlds biggest clubs - including Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG.

As a player, I spent 9 years at English professional club Wycombe Wanderers and represented England Schoolboys before suffering a (what I was told was) a career ending labral tear hip injury at age 19.

I refused to follow my doctors advice and give up on my dream, but at the time could I barely run for 5 minutes without crippling hip pain.

I spent the next 5 years training by myself, studying and experimenting with different training strategies until I finally cracked the code and began to see major progress with my injury.

Within 12 months of mastering my programme, I was able to make a miraculous return to competitive football at the age of 24, playing in Australia and facing the Hyundai A League Champions Brisbane Roar in my first comeback season as captain.

Given that I was told I would never play again and had nobody else to guide me, you can imagine the euphoric feeling I had when I was finally able to step back out on the pitch in that match.

In the space of 12 months, I had gone from unable to jog for 5 minutes...to playing 5 times per week, completely pain free, and getting paid for it - all thanks to what I had learnt through studying Sports Science and Football Specific Strength & Conditioning.

From my personal experience I realised how important it was to teach players from an early age about the critical role that strength and conditioning, nutrition and mindset has in enabling elite performance to become possible (and maintained for an entire career).

So in 2013, I began coaching players my methods 1-1, and due to the incredible progress they were making I built a team of coaches to help spread my message and impact players at a greater scale around the world.

In April 2016 we officially became known as Matchfit (players would always come up to me saying that they wanted my help to get "match fit", and so the name was born!)

We are based in England, UK but train players worldwide online.

To date over 50,000 players from all over the world have followed our programmes and guidance to become standout players in their team, overcome injury issues once and for all and in some cases even step up to pro and international level.

Our mission is to educate footballers about the importance of fitness, nutrition and developing mental resilience in order to reach the highest level.

Every year our goal is to help 100 players sign their first pro contract or get called up to their national team through our training programmes, we would love for you to be our next success story!
Yianni Kyriacou: Master S&C Coach & Player Mentor

Yianni has an MSc in Strength & Conditioning, is an Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach from the UKSCA and a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist from the NSCA. He has experience in providing conditioning support in pro football at Leyton Orient FC and academy football at QPR. 
Barney Wren: Sports Psychologist

Barney has a Masters in Sports Psychology and is a member of the British Psychological society. He also works with the youth academy at a top Premier League club, supporting players mental performance all the way up to first team level.  
Shaun Ward: Sports Nutritionist

Shaun has an MSc in Sports Nutrition, a BSc in Nutrition and has worked privately with several top-level footballers since completing his Masters. During his time as a Performance Nutritionist with Science in Sport (SIS), Shaun was closely linked with Manchester United -supplying players with personalised advice on supplements and complete nutrition plans. 
OUR TRAINING ADVICE IS TRUSTED BY TOP PRO'S FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ON SOCIAL MEDIA
ARE YOU READY TO EXPERIENCE PROGRESS ON THE PITCH LIKE THIS?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO APPLY?
If you would like to apply for our Elite Programme, please click below and schedule a call. 

On the call we'll discuss your specific goals and requirments, and provide a no-obligation quote for a training package which would best suit your needs.

We understand that everyone's football journey is unique and that budgets can vary. That's why we offer a variety of training package options to suit different budgets and needs.

Please note that due to the 1-1 nature of this programme we have limited spots available and our player intake may close at any time. Act fast and schedule your call to avoid mising out. 
This Elite Player Programme covers both in and off season, and players can start at any stage of the season. For players aged 12-23 of all positions.
SUMMARY OF WHAT'S INCLUDED:
  • A Fully Personalised Strength & Conditioning Programme built around YOUR body, goals & weekly schedule
  • ​​A Dedicated 1-1 Personal Mentor who will guide you & keep you accountable to your training & goals on a daily basis
  • ​An In-Depth Body & Movement Analysis to identify your current athletic strengths & areas for improvement
  • A Fitness Testing Report so that we have factual data about where you're currently at & what you need to focus on
  • ​Daily Tracking of your training workload & progress
  • ​Expert Mental Mastery & Nutrition Guidance & implementation
  • ​Fully Customised meal plan
  • ​24/7 1-1 Direct Messenger Access to our entire coaching team (details above)
FAQ's
When Are The Training Sessions?
Your training sessions will be outlined for you on the app each day for you to follow and will be moulded around your schedule. You will be guided by James in each pre-recorded exercise video which makes up your session. You will not be doing the session live on camera with a coach (this is logistically impossible and inefficient), however our coaches are available 24/7 via the app instant messenger.
How Much Time Will I Need To Train?
Example shedule during the season which can be tweaked week to week:

3 x 30-40 min gym-based sessions per week (can be done from home and of varying intensities)

1 x pitch based session per week (15 mins quality work)

1 x 10 min pre-match/training priming routine (can be done at home or in changing room)

1 x 20 min recovery routine (can be done at home)

A combined maximum of 3 hours per week will be required to see progress like all of the players above during the season. In the off season, this training dose will increase bespoke to your needs.
Do I Need Much Equipment?
To be even more efficient with your time, we recommend having some equipment at home so there are as few barriers as possible to you consistently completing your workouts each week. 

A standard gym will have everything you need, but if you want to be set up to train from home here is an ideal list (if you don't have any of these we can be very adaptable and mould your programme around what you do have):

1. A selection of weights - can be kettlebells, dumbbells, or a barbell with weight plates - if I had to pick one I would go with kettlebells
2. Selection of resistance bands
3. Swiss ball
4. Bosu or some form of stability cushion
5. TRX or suspension trainer
6. A bench
7. Pull up bar
8. Medicine ball
9. A set of cones (if you have hurdles and agility poles too then great)
Why Is This Better Than In-Person Sessions?
To experience lasting results from strength and conditioning training as a footballer, three things are vitally important (1) consistency (2) the timing of the sessions (3) tracking.

(1) Consistency

Professional players and clubs understand the importance of consistency in improving athletic performance and injury resilience, and will do some form of S&C based training (guided by specialist S&C coaches) almost every single day. 

For players below that level, normally (until now) the only option to try and match this quality of training, to prepare themselves for pro level football, would be to do multiple in-person sessions per week with a specialist coach, if they can find one in their local area. At anywhere from £100-£200 per session you can see how the cost quickly escalates to even complete 1 weeks worth of training, making this level of training impossible to access for many players who often need it the most. 

These costs are obviously not a barrier for players on top pro contracts, who have the cost of the training covered by the club and also have the means to pay for in-person sessions on an ongoing basis should they want to.

(2) Timing

Whether a player wants to develop their strength, speed, stamina, mobility (or all of these at the same time), the timing of the session is very important in relation to the outcome which is desired. If you do the wrong type of session at the wrong time, you could see limited progress, increase risk of injury and also decrease your performance level in a team training session or match. A footballer has many things to juggle during a typical week, so consistently training in an inefficient way can have huge implications on the pitch. This is not a problem for a footballer at a pro club, the club manages their entire schedule, have full context of their week and can implement the right type of session at the right time for maximum benefit.

If you do manage to find an affordable in-person coach, you are limited by that coaches availability. Let's say you want to work on your speed but they only have time slots available for you just after you've finished team training...your neuromuscular system will already be in a fatigued state, making attempting speed training a fruitless use of your time. This is just one example.

(3) Tracking

Tracking your workload is extremely important to ensure you are not over or under training and increasing your injury risk. Pro clubs will track every players workload, but seeing an in-person coach who has little context of what else you have done that week will be stabbing in the dark as to what workload is appropriate for you on that day, at that time.

Our online training solution solves all of these issues and gives you access to pro level coaching (and results!). Like the pro's you can be guided by specialist trainers every day, we can track your workload, have full context of your week, place sessions that you can perform at exactly the right time for maximum results and be flexible and adapt to weekly schedule changes. All at the same time as providing 24/7 1-1 support, saving you the time and energy of travelling to in-person sessions, protecting your precious recovery/down time and being a fraction of the cost! 

Heck, our players even get access to things as part of this package that pro players DON'T or would have to seek elsewhere, giving you the opportunity to actually get ahead and thrive against them when you attend trials.
Where Are You Located?
Our coaches are located throughout the UK however we run the programme fully online so we can train players any time, from any country.
Is It For Male & Female Players?
Yes absolutely, we have both male and female players currently enrolled on the programme. We cater for both youth and senior players (starting from age 12).
Will I Get Much Personal Attention?
Yes, from the moment a player enrolls they are connected with their personal coach who guides them through their induction, testing, analysis and report and checks in with them mutliple times per week, all within the app. From day 1 they are also connected with James and his entire coaching team via the app messenger for 24/7 1-1 support. That means every Matchfit Elite player has access to their own specialist strength & conditioning coach, sports psychologist and sports nutritionist. Players can also attend bi-weekly live zoom sessions for further support around the topic which is being covered.
How Can You Guarantee Results? 
Our training is based on science and the application of our combined expertise. We collect fitness data when we first start working with a player and then retest throughout the process, tracking everything along the way. This enables us to constantly monitor your progress and make any relevant changes which are specific to you. This combined with our track record of delivering results for thousands of players has lead to a system which is tried and tested and we can mould to any player with extreme confidence that they will make significant progress. 

We're so confident in our system that if you apply everything which we set out for you and you don't see satisfactory progress within just the first 90 days, we will provide a full hassle-free refund.
Is Ball Work Included?
We add the ball into our fitness based sessions where appropriate, but we focus on fitness and mindset, we do not focus on teaching ball mastery.
Is Nutrition & Mental Coaching Included?
Yes. Each player has access to our nutrition and mental mastery video courses that they make their way through at their own pace alongside their training programme. You also have 24/7 direct message support from our sports psychologist and sports nutritionist within the app to help you apply what is taught in the videos. Our nutritionist will also create a customised meal plan for you as part of your induction and you can also attend our monthly mental mastery live zoom sessions which are included.
Is It Easy To Follow?
Absolutely. Everything is clearly laid out for you to follow within the app and we will ensure you know how to use all of the app features as part of your induction.
Will I Risk Over-Training
No. With our unique system we can track both your physical and mental state and workload on a daily basis and identity if the training dose needs to change for whatever reason.
What If I Get Injured?
If you happen to get injured in a match you have 2 choices. We can give you training which enables you to keep training but without using the injured region, whilst you rehab your injury, or we can pause your training until your injury is rehabbed, extend your final date and then restart.
What If I Can't Do A Session?
Our team is here to remove stress not add more! Simply let your personal coach know and they will adjust your week with the best possible solution. We are not aiming for perfect, we are aiming for consistent adherence which requires flexibility.
Can I Track My Nutrition?
Yes, our app has the functionality to enable you to track everything you eat and drink.
How Is The Movement Screen Carried Out?
You will follow James on a pre-recorded video and perform the same simple movements whilst someone at home records you. You will then send this video to us via the app messenger for analysis.
How Is My Season Periodised?
Please watch the video "The Science Behind The Programme" above for details.
How Do I Get The App?
Once enrolled we will invite the player to download the app and create their training account, they can access this both on laptop and via the mobile app. This app is not available to the public and is accessible by invitation only.
What Makes You Different?
As a player I (James) spent 9 years at a professional club in England, trained with the 1st team, represented England Schoolboys at U18 level and also suffered a career ending injury which put me out for 4 years. 

Throughout those experiences I gained invaluable insights into what it takes to become one of the select few who gets signed as a professional footballer. I saw what qualities at a young age those players who made it to the very top possessed, players who went on to play in the Champions League, and represent their country at the European Championships and World Cup. 

I also saw why some incredible technically talented players failed to make the cut. The key things which always stood out where athleticism, physicality and mental strength. Technical ability is important sure, but once you reach a certain level every player is technically gifted, it's the athleticism and mindset which gives certain players the X Factor.

At university I was assigned my own personal strength and conditioning coach who helped me make phenomenal progress with my injury, this inspired me to specialise in football strength and conditioning helped me create a programme which got me back to playing competitive football against all the odds. 

14 years on I have learnt from the very best sports scientists in the world, and built a team of coaches with a combined 40+ years experience to help players like you compound their technical talent with elite physical and mental capabilities on the pitch, to give them the best possible chance of fulfilling their true potential. Many of the players we have helped have been able to step up to pro and international level.

However, for me the most unique and valuable thing I'm able to offer any player is empathy to a vast array of situations you may experience. I understand what it's like to attend pro and international trials, get released, make the cut, be told you can never play again, feel lost, go from extreme highs to crumbling lows, make miraculous comebacks and everything in between that you can expect on your journey to becoming one of the 1%. 

My hope is that you see Matchfit not just as your coach, but as a supportive community who will do everything to help you on your journey to the top.

Together we will not chase success, but rather help you gain the qualities which ATTRACT success, making the journey a whole lot more enjoyable :)
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