TESTIMONIALS - Top Flight Football Academy

Kevin Fallon – Director of Football

“Instilling a sense of discipline along with integrating the basic techniques, including passing, receiving, ball control, speed and agility are the foundations for success in the World Game. Morning sessions are a great way of achieving all these and provide the participants with both a technical and physical edge over their opponents. As I like to say to all my kids training in the morning, ‘The champs are training while the chumps are sleeping!’ With the morning sessions that Altan will be providing, youngsters passionate about football will have the opportunity to improve their game in leaps and bounds and help them realise their full potential.”

Kevin Fallon, (New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Football, 2008), Director of Football, Mount Albert Grammar School 1998-present)

Arch Jelley – Fitness Consultant and Athletic Coach

“Sunnybrae Normal School on the North Shore has produced a number of ex pupils who have gone on to represent New Zealand at Olympic and Commonwealth Games, including Nikki Jenkins a gold medalist in Auckland in 1990 and swimmers John Steel and Nick Sanders who represented New Zealand at the Olympic Games. Another pupil who showed brilliance and flair to match, was soccer player Altan Ramadan who is now in a position to pass on to the next generation, all the basic skills and attitudes necessary to develop one’s potential to the full.”

Arch Jelley, OBE, BA(HONS), DIP TCHG, ANZEI, Diploma International Amateur Athletic Federation – Retired Principal, Fitness Consultant and Athletic Coach

Harry Ngata – All White 1993-2001

“One-on-one training, or training within a small group, is of huge benefit to young players. The interaction between the young players and Altan, will facilitate attention to detail in the fundamentals of technique, that will thus serve to improve their game. The encouragement of a positive environment and discipline, instilled at an early age, will further increase motivation and participation for future development”

Martin and Judi Jelley

“We have had our son, aged 8, in Top Flight Football Academy for the last term and cannot believe the huge improvement we have seen in his skills and overall game. The transformation has been dramatic. And, he loves every minute of it. Altan has a special skill for passing on this knowledge and a passion that is highly infectious. We love the early morning sessions as they keep us all in a very good, “early to bed, early to rise” routine. The only disagreement we have with Altan is that he should be charging more for all the sessions he provides!”

Greg Campbell

“Altan has been coaching my 8 year old son Tennyson for about three months and I have seen huge improvements in every facet of his game. Tennyson has always been quite fast, but he struggled because he would have to stop to get the ball under control.

Since starting training with Altan he can now run at full speed with the ball at his feet, turn and swerve and even look around for support! I have noticed the group that train with Altan regularly are playing as just that: a group, whereas at the beginning of the season they were a collection of individuals. Altan demands respect, being tough but fair, but he also earns the respect he gets from the kids SHOWING them what to do instead of just telling them. I believe this makes a huge difference to kids of this age.

I will be more than happy for Tennyson to continue learning from Altan for as long as he is keen and I would highly recommend Altan’s programs to any parent looking to give their kids the skills, confidence and subsequent enjoyment in their football.”

Diana Diaz Campbell

“Altan came highly recommended and he has impressed me and my son. “Altan is cool. Academy is fun,” says my almost nine year old. What I’ve observed is Altan teaches by example. He teaches not only football skills but how to get along with people, attitude, and focus. These are things that are transferable to all areas of life. My son says, “People don’t just play soccer for a living but they play it because they are having fun!”

His skill set and confidence has grown; last season he hung back and dreamed of scoring a goal. Within a few months of training with Altan he is now working towards getting a hat trick!”

Richard Webster

Jeff Martin

“This has been a very beneficial term of training. You bring focus and intensity to the sessions, which we have not experienced before from the more ‘baby sitter’ type coaching which is normally offered. You are not only teaching the necessary ball skills, but knowledge of the game, and the physical nature of the training has been great for his fitness. We have been using this training to demonstrate to him that hard work and commitment gets results, and we are already seeing these results after just one term.”

“Thank heaps. We will be back next term.”
Jeff Martin

Maryanne Simpson

“What truly stands out is that you teach and lead by example; the values you portray are invaluable life skills for the kids in every aspect of their lives.

Your attitude is paramount, the unspoken power of what is expected of the kids on and off the field, a code of conduct.

As a coach your commitment 5 days a week now – rain or shine, always punctual with a decisive plan for each training session. Patience and understanding of the kids, your gift of knowing when to praise or when to demand more.

Complete fairness and consistency of your coaching style, your ability to build on each training session at a pace that is challenging but also rewarding for the kids. Your down to earth sense of humor, your occasional fall and your ability to laugh and have fun.

Your spirit of generosity, building a sense of belonging so that the kids have pride in being part of the Top Flight Football Academy.

Altan, the respect you receive has been truly earned.”

Maryanne Simpson