Learn Play Achieve Limited, incorporating the LPA Academy, is a highly respected and thriving football coaching company operating in Surrey, Sussex and London.
Founded in 2009, (previously named Pro:Direct Soccer Academy), LPA provides an established, registered and successful skills teaching method for players from ages 4 to 18 years. We currently have over 40 coaches working across the 2 counties and coach thousands of players per week.
LPA Academy believes that a happy, safe and disciplined learning environment provides a great opportunity for children to strive to be the best they can be. Each child is treated equally and has the support from our management, coaching and support staff. Our Football Family is committed to setting the highest standard of development for your children, not only as footballers, but also as people.
LPA Academy recognises the need for all players to become skilled and confident technicians. We believe that focusing on individual player development creates happy and skillful players, who then have the desire to learn and sustain the love of the game, throughout their life’s journey. Based on that, our teams play an attractive brand of football, with the focus on game understanding and the four principles of play (Attacking, Transition to Defend, Defending and Transition to Attack).
Cofounder/Director has worked for over 16 years as a technical coach in the UK.
Paul has also worked in Asia and Europe delivering seminars, as well as working with academy standard players.
Paul has a playing career that spans 15 years playing for Crystal Palace and Brentford before moving to the semi-professional game representing Sutton Utd, Dulwich Hamlet and Staines Town.
Paul is an FA qualified coach who is hoping to take his A license in the near future. He holds Enhanced DBS certificates along with safeguarding and first aid qualifications.
Coaching philosophy
“Giving players the best opportunity to develop their technical skills and learn the game in a relaxed atmosphere whilst aiming to be the best they can be at whatever level.”
Co Founder & Managing Director
Karen brings over two decades of experience in football business management, soccer schools and academy operations. As Managing Director of Learn Play Achieve Ltd (UK & Global), she leads the strategic direction and commercial growth of the organisation.
Her vision has been instrumental in building LPA into a structured, professional football development organisation with clear pathways for players, coaches and now license partners.
She oversees all aspects of the business off the pitch, including strategy, operations, partnerships and growth, and also manages the day-to-day off-pitch running of LPA Surrey.
Karen’s passion lies in seeing young players of all abilities develop not only technically, but in confidence and character. She also takes great pride in building strong, lasting relationships with parents, helping make LPA a true football family.
Cofounder/Director, worked as a technical coach for over 14 years and is recognised as one of the leading technical coaches in the UK.
With over 20 years of coaching experience, I’ve dedicated my life to helping young players grow — not just as footballers, but as people. My journey started in a professional academy, but like many, I was released and had to take a different path. I went on to complete an engineering apprenticeship and played semi-professionally before injury cut my playing days short at 30. That’s when I made the decision to pour everything into coaching.
I set out to build something different — a technical, player-centred program that gives grassroots players access to the same standards, support, and insight found in the top academies across Europe. That’s how Learn Play Achieve was born.
Over the years, I’ve studied the training environments of clubs like Ajax, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Sporting Lisbon, Man United, Man City, and Spurs — and these experiences continue to shape the way I teach, mentor, and build programs. I’ve been lucky enough to deliver coaching clinics and seminars across the UK and Europe, working with players, parents, and coaches from all levels of the game.
My intentions through coaching are simple: to help players unlock their potential — technically, mentally, and emotionally — and become the best version of themselves, on and off the pitch.
Coaching philosophy
“Every player is different, they learn, grow and develop at different rates and it is important for a coach to recognise that and to find the right classes for those players to develop. It is important to create the individuals, with good skills and technique to beat players, create space and give them more time on the ball and be comfortable with the ball at their feet and then coach them about game play (tactics, positioning and formations). LEARN-PLAY-ACHIEVE.”