THE Hamilton and Alexandra College (THAC) football academy is growing, despite the COVID-19 affected 2020.

The academy is now a built-in subject as part of the Year 8 and 9 curriculum, building on the out of school hours program which started in 2019.

THAC’s Director of sport and outdoor education programmes, Leigh Alexander said the academy’s shift into the school curriculum was a big boost.

“This year is the first year it has been moved into the curriculum,” he said.

“Students in Year 8 and 9 can elect to be part of the academy and have timetable classes for that and it has been working well.”

The academy is selected through and application and selection process with 22 students in the 2021 academy, including two girls.