Aaron developing next generation of footballers in Cardiff City role

Aaron, from Llandudno Junction, completed his Level 3 Diploma in Sport (Performance & Excellence) at the Rhos-on-Sea campus in 2023.

Now in the second year of his BSc in Sports Performance Analysis at Cardiff Met University, he secured a coveted placement as the Bluebirds’ under-13s Lead Academy Analyst.

Aaron’s role involves poring over the footage of academy team games, collating data on everything from passes, possession and shots to defensive stats such as tackles and ball recoveries.

He then presents his findings to the young players to help them work on their game.

“Each game takes about four or five hours to go through,” he said. “The players are only 13 or 14 so you don’t want to overload them, but it’s the basic stats so they understand what the game looked like from the outside perspective.

“It’s very challenging - for example there are normally about 700 passes in every game. I have to count every single one of them, so sometimes I have to go back or slow down the footage because I can’t miss anything.”

Aaron beat tough competition to land the placement, which was open to students across the three year-groups of his degree course.

His interest in sports analysis was sparked at Coleg Llandrillo, where he enrolled after learning about the college’s football academy from sport lecturers Matthew Williams and Matthew Morris.

“They came to my football training to promote the fact that you could do the sport course alongside playing,” said Aaron, who was playing for Conwy Borough at the time.

“That turned a light on my head because I love playing football. I was about to take PE and two other subjects in school, but I thought I’d rather just focus on one topic.

“It gave me a brilliant opportunity to learn about different fields in sport, and obviously playing football alongside sold it to me.

“I got into analysis because of the football academy at college, because they use GPS vests to track our run distances. Self-reflecting on my own stats is probably the reason I’m doing analysis now - it gave me a whole new idea of what I could do in the future.”

Alongside his analysis role, Aaron is also involved in coaching at the Cardiff City academy. His coaching qualifications include the UEFA C Licence and the Professional Football Scouts Association Level 2 Talent Identification, as well as those he achieved at college, such as the FAW Football Leaders Award.

He is thankful for his time at college for laying the foundations of his coaching education.

“Everything I learned at college is still drip-feeding into the stuff I’m doing today,” Aaron said. “Like with the fitness programming topic we had with Sam Downey - everything I learned there I’m passing on to the 13, 14-year-olds at Cardiff City.

“Matthew Williams, who runs the academy, gave me a lot of advice about coaching. He’s got a lot of experience, he works with Wales regionals, so learning from him obviously helped as well. So it’s not only one thing that drip-feeds into what I’m doing today, it’s all of it.

“A lot of people around me supported me, especially getting into university. Sam Downey was absolutely brilliant - he gave me so much advice on what to expect, which helped me massively.”

Aaron hopes to stay with Cardiff City for next season, when his placement could become a paid role. He is planning to progress to study a Masters, and is also taking Spanish lessons to open up potential opportunities in Spain or South America.

Asked for his advice to anyone thinking of studying sport at Coleg Llandrillo, he said: “It’s a brilliant place to study because you learn loads of different topics.

“I got called ‘boring’ when I was at college - a lot of lads wanted to go to McDonald’s and places like that at lunchtime, and I was the boring one who just wanted to stay and get work done so I could focus on other stuff.

“I feel like if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today. It’s the obvious thing to say, to work hard, but you won’t get anywhere without it. That’s why I’m here today, because I’ve worked hard for myself.”

Amy Thomson, Coleg Llandrillo programme area manager for Sport and Public Services, said: “Aaron’s experiences and dedication truly highlight the potential of studying a sports course at Coleg Llandrillo.

“His commitment to analysis and coaching, paired with his drive and hard work, showcase how the skills and knowledge gained through such programmes can open doors to real-world opportunities in the sports industry.

“The support from the lecturers, combined with their real-world experience, plays a crucial role in helping students like Aaron achieve success.”

Do you have a keen interest in sport, exercise and fitness? Want to work in the sport and/or fitness industries? Grŵp Llandrillo Menai offers a range of courses from Level 1 to Degree level. Learn more here