Three products of the Soccer Elite Academy have proven that hard work and dedication can lead to a career in football.

Soccer Elite have a proven track record of developing players from within Kent and three have shown the potential to go on and have successful careers within the game.

Bradley Comins started off as a centre half, but is now playing for the Crystal Palace Academy side as a goalkeeper and is SEFA’s first player to have signed for a professional club and is in his fourth season there.

Meanwhile, Mitch Dickenson has joined the Academy ranks of Gillingham Football Club after impressing with Kaiyne Woolery having joined Maidstone United in the summer of 2012 after impressing Stones boss Jay Saunders whilst playing for the Soccer Elite Academy.

A winger or striker by trade, Woolery has continued to train and study with Soccer Elite whilst pushing for a regular place in the Maidstone side, coming off the bench on Saturday as they beat Eastbourne Town 2-0.

The trio have shown the way to the rest of the Soccer Elite Academy as to what can be achieved by working hard with Comins telling KSN how he secured his deal with Crystal Palace:

“SEFA helped me with all the basics and the technical skills that gave me the platform and helped me prepare mentally.”

“They’ve got a good set up, good coaches and treat people well and give you everything you need to make it.”

“You’ve got work hard, keep at it and be confident and give it 100%. You have to give it your best shot as you never know who is watching you. I was playing for the SEFA Under 10’s and was playing against Palace, they saw me and I must have done something right as they picked me up.”

“I want to become a professional at Palace and see where it takes me from there.”

Meanwhile, Dickenson is working with the likes of Bryan Bull, Darren Hare and Mark Patterson at The Gills and feels he owes a lot to SEFA for giving him the break that led to the move:

“I’ve been there five years now and I want to be a professional footballer, go as far as I can and I need to keep working hard.”

“I think I’ve improved my decision making and I think that’s vital for a centre back and that’s down to what Soccer Elite helped me with at an early age.”

Dickenson went on to explain how he got picked up by The Gills:

“I was playing for Soccer Elite against them down at Canterbury and I got spotted fortunately. I was quite nervous before the game, but done well.”

“I just played my natural game though and I never really care about who is watching me.”

As for Woolery, he is already tasting what it is like to be playing mens football as he carves out a career at Maidstone United in the Ryman League Division One South.

The striker has already shown glimpses of why he was snapped up by Stones boss Jay Saunders and he puts a lot of what he has learnt down to the skills he was taught with Soccer Elite:

“I started off going to the Friday night Academy when it first opened about six years ago and ever since then I’ve kept coming.”

“They’ve taught me everything about football I really need to know and changing up the session plans each week, you learn something new. They’ve taught me not to be too cocky, be level headed and play the way you train.”

“It’s probably one of the best coaching set ups around in Kent.”

Woolery went on to add how it is important to listen to the coaches like Soccer Elite’s Tony Browne and Lee Spiller as it is possible to make a quick transition from non league to Premier League with Chris Smalling having played for Maidstone United, joined Fulham and now plays for Manchester United:

“You have to listen to what people tell you as it’s important.” said Woolery.

“It only takes one good season and someone can spot you and you can move up from there.”

So the template is there for all to see. Like the systems in places such as Spain and Holland. Get kids into football at a young age, get the right standard of coaching and anything’s possible.