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Academy Directors and Managers


Founder/Technical Director -  Yaf Marston
Originally from Jamaica, he played competitively as a youth in Jamaica and in the US. He went on to play collegiate level at St. Mary's College and played on a semi pro team. Yaf is focused on youth player development, believing that providing youths who have little to no financial resources to play and at risk youths with opportunities they would not normally have will result in life changing benefits. He pulls from his experiences from both playing at a high level and his 10+ years coaching multiple age groups. 

Coach Yaf has high aspirations for each and every player in the academy to be a well rounded individual. He sets the bar for eac
h player to attain good grades in school and be respectful to others. Coach Yaf utilizes the sport of football to explain key life lessons such as leadership, social skills, setting attainable goals, accountability, character development, emotional intelligence and role ownership. Coach Yaf believes that each player is more than just an athlete and by preparing them early with these key fundamentals both technically and mentally, they will be prepared to take on any life challenge and play at the next level(professional, pro academy, college or semi-professional) on any team who seeks quality players.

Coach Yaf has 
USSF licensed coach
Certified FA Talent ID Scout
Getafe CF Scout Agent 
Bachelors in Science in Computer Science 
Master in Technology Management


Academy Manager Keisha Marston
Keisha has played competitively in many leagues both indoor and outdoor and has won several team accolades.  Her competitive drive and great understanding of the game has helped many young players flourish in the Aspire International Football Academy (AIFA) program. She helps players in career development, life preparation and education assistance. She remains the key creative driving force behind AIFA and its operations.


Technical Football Development and Global Initiatives
 


Affiliated Technical DirectorCarl Griffiths
Coach Carl has had  20 years playing and at the top level, playing for teams such as Manchester City, Portsmouth and Luton Town. Carl is also a current academy coach at Chelsea FC. AIFA is excited to have Carl provide some of his vast experiences as a player and coach through out the years and assist AIFA specifically on global youth development initiatives.


Technical Football Development


Affiliated Technical Advisor Pedro Rodigues
Coach Pedro is one of AIFA's most culturally versatile advisers to our program.  He posses a UEFA "A" license and  his most recent projects is a head coach in China at Hainan Boying FC and head coach at  Figo Football Academy| Winning League for  the teams U5, U7, U9, U11, U13 and U15 in Bejing, China.  Pedro, also played professionally  in district and national championships, passing through several clubs in Portugal (FC Porto, Vilanovense FC, SC Salgueiros, among others).  As a football coach he has been a part of several projects in Portugal, in national an district championships, since the U10 to U19 and even at senior level, at clubs like Leixões SC, CF União de Lamas, Boavista, among others.  His languages include, Portuguese, English, Spanish and Chinese. Coach Pedro will be working with AIFA on various technical initiatives going forward to strengthen our program.

Coaches
AIFA has several licensed coaches that provide top notch training for the Academy. 

Global Education Development


Affiliated Technical Advisor Ross Jackson (Education)
Ross Jackson, the founder of Onside English is an enthusiastic and dedicated English teacher/coach who specializes in helping football and sports professionals reach a higher level of competence with their language skills.  He has worked with many professional coaches, players and clubs including Paris Saint-Germain(PSG).  Ross will be assisting AIFA in our education/tutoring department and will be key to helping our youths and coaches understand English through football.  Whether you are a coach or player, his methods will enhance all aspects of your English speaking skills with respect to Player Analysis, Game Analysis, Opposition Analysis, Strategy & Tactical Play, Training Preparation, Press Communications and Settling into an English speaking environment.

His proven methods are one of the most unique in the industry which is why Aspire International Football Academy has partnered with Onside Engish. 
Please check out Onside English on the webfacebook  or contact AIFA by ([email protected]) and we can get you in touch if you need these services. 


Academy Sport Health and Performance

Affiliated Technical Advisor George Kakavas
George Kakavas is an industry leading, sports performance specialist, Injury prevention expert and researcher based in Athens, Greece.  He is the CEO and founder at Fysiotek Spine & Sports Lab and delivers the most unique, precise scientific research results related to sports injuries and prevention techniques. His company's goal is to keep the player healthy and assist them to perform better. His work, offers any team an unparalleled opportunity to minimize the risk of injury and maximize the performance of the players and team alike.  His state of the art labs provide an invaluable insight into previously "invisible breakdown points" that can disrupt a team and a player"s season. His focus is to optimize the players field potential rather than them spending valuable time on post injury rehab. Aspire International Football Academy(AIFA) is excited to partner with George Kakavas for academy injury prevention advice and assist on on various sports performance initiatives globally. Please check out Fysiotek Spine & Sports Lab on  Facebook or contact AIFA by ([email protected]) and we can get you in touch if you need these services. 




Aspire International Football Academy (AIFA)

Rockville 
 Maryland 20850
Phone : 301-523-2343
Email : [email protected]
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