Our Sports Development Centres are for talented student-athletes aged 16 to 19 who have a passion for their sport and want the opportunity to combine a full-time education programme with high-quality coaching in one of our Development Centre teams.
Team sports build confidence, leadership, friendships, communication skills and a competitive edge that lasts long after the final whistle. Within our Sports Development Centres, you’ll have access high‑level coaching, mentoring and a dedicated physio team. And you’ll belong to a strong sporting network and develop the skills that shape future leaders. The experience you gain will project you into University teams or Senior grassroots pathways.
Our Sports Development Centres teams are competing at the highest level regionally and nationally within English Colleges and Association of Colleges competitions and leagues. Involvement with the Development Centre is organised during the College week, ensuring that you are still free to train and play for your own club outside of College time.
Men's and Women’s Football Development Centre, in partnership with York City Football Club
Men's and Women's Rugby Development Centre, in partnership with York Rugby League Football Club
Netball Development Centre
Our Netball Development Centre is for talented players who want the chance to play a strongly competitive standard of netball. Our team benefits from being coached by England Netball’s 2025 Teacher of the Year award winner Janine Gibbons.
Training and match schedule:
• Monday am – training
• Tuesday lunchtime – training
• Wednesday pm – matches and tournaments
You’ll compete in:
• The Association of Colleges League
• York & District School Tournament
• College Regional Tournament
• North Yorkshire Schools Tournaments
Our elite players have also trialled for England Colleges, showing where commitment and opportunity can take you.
Basketball Development Centre
Our Basketball Development Centre is for aspiring young athletes who wish to challenge themselves in a ‘club-feel’ environment led by Basketball England’s 2025/26 Player Development Coach of the Year winner Tyler Paton-Pottage.
We are open to all abilities (Beginners to Performance) as we aim to tailor them into our weekly schedule:
Mondays – 4:30-6pm (Team – Invite Only)
Tuesdays – 4:30-6pm (ALL)
Wednesdays – GAMEDAYs or Strength + Conditioning/Skill Development Workouts
Thursdays – 4:30-6pm (ALL)
Our team has seen significant growth over the last two seasons:
2024/25 Season:
- AoC Yorkshire + Humber Div 2 – Runners-Up
- AoC National Cup – Last 16 (1st Time Ever) losing to eventual finalists Oaklands Academy (London)
- AoC Regionals Championships – 3rd Place
2025/26 Season:
- AoC Yorkshire + Humber Div 2 – Champions (1st EVER Basketball title for York College)
- AoC National Cup – Last 16 (2nd Time) losing to eventual finalists Loughborough College
- AoC Regionals Championships – 3rd Place – Losing to eventual winners Sheffield
We provide holistic development for our student-athletes, as we provide not only the Basketball on-court, but we also host the North Yorkshire School finals, during which our students learn to become Game Officials. Our elite players have gone to play at very good Universities or now play their game in high-level Men’s teams.
Our Esports Development Centre is for Esports athletes who have a passion for their games and want the opportunity to combine a full-time education programme with high-quality coaching in one of our Development Centre teams*.
- Valorant
- Overwatch 2
- FC26
- League of Legends
- Rocket League
- Apex Legends
- Sim Racing
- Street Fighter
- Rainbow 6 Siege (18+)
- Counter Strike 2 (18+)
- plus more...
Our Esports teams are competing at the highest level nationally within the British Esports Student Championships as well as other tournaments and competitions. Involvement with the Development Centre is organised during the College week ensuring that students are still free to train and play for their own teams outside of College time.
*Teams may be subject to change.
Supporting the 'British Esports Federations' mission to promote, improve and inspire, we're joining the 'Women in Esports' initiative, a dedicated space to "build a more diverse and inclusive industry, combating the under representation of women and marginalised genders in esports".
Join our thriving Women in Esports team and showcase your skills in Valorant and Overwatch 2.
York College is recognised for its support of talented athletes as part of the TASS Dual Career Accreditation Scheme. This recognises our commitment to supporting talented athletes to balance their academic studies alongside their sporting commitments.
For more information, please ask our sport tutors at our Open Events or contact Stu Horsfield at shorsfield@yorkcollege.ac.uk. You can also ask about the scheme when you enrol at College.
How do education and the Development Centres combine?
Every student accepted onto our Sports Development Centre teams is required to undertake a full-time programme of educational study (Esports requires enrolment onto a full or part-time course of study). This is organised to fit in with regular training and coaching. Students may study across the full range of courses offered at the College, (subject to Vocational pathways' timetables and excluding Apprenticeships and T Levels) and results demonstrate success in both exams and coursework. Attendance and satisfactory progress on the educational programme is monitored regularly, and all the Development Centre members are expected to work equally hard on this aspect as well as their coaching and training. York College wants every player to attain academic success as well as sporting achievement.
What could it lead to?
Successful involvement in any of the Sport Development Centre programmes will provide opportunities to progress into:
- careers in professional/semi-professional sport (this is only for those who show exceptional development)
- coaching
- refereeing
- work in sport and recreation
- further and higher education
- overseas coaching and possible scholarships to higher education institutes
Esports career pathways include:
- working as a professional player, coach, shoutcaster or journalist
- roles within marketing, PR, media and event management
- careers within the digital industries
This area is open to all College students, offering them a chance to take part in a range of sports and fitness-based enrichment activities. Using both our students and staff we aim to develop a weekly schedule that would help contribute to improving the physical and mental wellness of our staff and students.
This includes access to The Athletic Suite (our on-site gym), using our personal training students to offer a free personal training service, along with creating exercise classes and a sports activities timetable.
just complete the section on the full-time application form.
