AS we strive to improve at Worcester City , we are beginning to build some important relationships in the community.

Training sessions have already been moved to the pitches and artificial surface at Pershore High School and now we are starting to work with the University of Worcester as well.

From this season, we have linked up with students to record our matches for analysis while we also have someone shadowing our sports therapy team. It’s good experience for them and also of benefit to us.

We have tried in the past to forge relationships but you have got to get students who are willing to put in their own time, however, we look after them and make them feel welcome.

Now we are starting to get some success, it is important we increase the professionalism at the club, but to improve on the pitch you must also improve off of it.

That has started with the games being recorded. Footage is then split up into sections so we can focus on specific areas. It allows us to look at things such as the amount of passes the players complete to the type of goals we concede.

It’s difficult when you only see something once from the touchline and the recording might change your viewpoint. Players can also see what assistant manager Matt Gardiner and I are talking about, so it helps on the coaching side.

Take Monday’s match against Oxford City for example. It was filmed for us and straight away downloaded to Matt’s laptop after the game so we were able to look at the footage in the dressing room and use it as part of our debrief.

It also gives us a chance to go over things before training sessions during the week and players like to see the clips because they all want to improve their game.

That is difficult to do when they’ve only got our view from the touchline to go by, but when they see it for themselves they realise what needs to be done.

I am really fortunate to have a top assistant like Matt because he is determined to put systems in place to improve and also has a lot of contacts within the game.

Away from the analysis, we also have a Malaysian student working with our sports therapist Lawson Mayor and his assistant Martin Obrey both at games and also training.

It’s great experience for him as he works towards his qualification and also another pair of hands for us so we all benefit.

The university have some talented students in many subjects and they want them to do well so I feel we can continue building these bonds with them and hopefully it can develop even further.