A TEAM of female footballers have scored themselves a spot on the shortlist for the Young Champions Awards.
The Barnsley Academy Female First Team are finalists in the Young Team of the Year (Sports) category at the awards.
They were nominated by coach Rikki Paylor, based at Barnsley College’s Honeywell campus.
The team has recently celebrated a season of silverware.
They have taken home the top spot in the Association of Colleges (AoC) Yorkshire and Humber League, the AoC National Cup and the Komm Mit International Copa Maresme football tournament in Catalonia, Spain.
The team is looking to replicate this again this season.
All the players are studying for qualifications from level two to level five. And the squad regularly trains together which allows the team to bond.
Coach Rikki said it was more than just their skill with a ball which helped the team stand out.
He said: “The attitude and professionalism of the team has been impressive. They have worked extremely hard throughout this season to progress and get better as individuals and as a squad.
“Obviously we love it when we win but the minimum requirement we ask is for a professional attitude and fantastic team spirit and they have it every time.
“The team is dedicated to football by training three days a week and they play their home games at Oakwell. They have been fantastic and a pleasure to coach.”
