VISION

Vision is a simple global statement of what a club wants to achieve. Vision is sourced from the players, the supporters, the city, the County, the Country etc. Vision becomes the culture of the club. Vision has many sources but whatever the sources, identify the vision and everything else flows on from that.

Here is an example of a vision for a club.

BARCA ACADEMY– A SUCCESSFUL METHODOLOGY

The official BARÇA football academy is a school of life that nurtures young people through football. Its aim is to take the club’s style of play to the world, giving any boy or girl who identifies with our values and who wants to learn to play like BARÇA the opportunity to become a BARÇA player.

This football education programme was developed by combining both training and competition, based on BARÇA’s methodology. This is a methodology that aims to develop autonomous and creative players who represent the BARÇA values (humility, effort, ambition, respect, and teamwork), are capable of organising themselves as a group to play attractive football and are characterised by taking the initiative through possession of the ball.

At the BARÇA Academy, players have fun playing football, practicing moves set within the specific context of the game. They also have to find solutions to these situations by using their skills, working in coordination with their teammates and subsequently being able to act efficiently and efficaciously when playing competitive football, the BARÇA way. Players are guided by BARÇA coaches, who support them with decision making and ensure that the players themselves are always at the heart of their own learning process.

The club’s own, unique methodology is designed for sharing the BARÇA system with the world, exporting its style on an international scale through the BARÇA Academies in all five continents. Each of these BARÇA Academies is run by a Project Director trained at BARÇA, who receives specialist assistance from Barcelona and whose role is to implement this successful methodology, adapting it to the particularities of each region, and thereby making sure that our football becomes universal.

Here is another example: “Our goal as a club is to nurture quality persons and players.” This is simple and effective.

Every club will have a different approach to developing their vision because of culture, individuals, coaches, and administrators within the club but the goal is to develop young persons and at the same time improve the skill level of the players within a defined method of playing and to do so requires a well-defined and understood methodology.

There are many great clubs, academies, and coaches throughout the world, with different approaches and ideas, so why not study them and see what can we learn from them? Different countries have different approaches. Different clubs have different approaches. But the successful clubs & countries have a joined up policy; a vision as to how they wish to approach youth development, and this joined up approach applies across the board. Everyone is on board, and everyone sees the bigger picture.

What are the successful coaching and youth development principles elsewhere in the world that we can take advantage off? By way of an example, let’s look at the Ajax academy in Amsterdam.

THE AJAX YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

Continuity is particularly important in youth development. Everyone involved needs to be well informed and pulling in the same direction. At Ajax, there is great value placed on the opinion of the chief scout. In principle, an Ajax youth player is only a member for one year. An average of 30 of the 160 youth players drop out after one season. In this context, Ajax has to implement a tough selection procedure. This procedure takes account of numerous opinions, set out in reports.

Communication with parents is also important. An Ajax youth player is already a mini-star in his own environment, even though, in Ajax terms, he still has lot to learn. This means that parents must be kept well informed of what is happening, because otherwise the youngster may find himself listening to two different versions of the same story. It goes without saying that he will always lean toward the more favorable version, and this is usually bad for his development as a soccer player.

A comprehensive report of each young hopeful Ajax player is presented twice a year, in April and December. The report is discussed with both the player and his parents.

The soccer elements have been subdivided into a number of categories.

Ball control — dribbling, passing, beating an opponent, shooting, speed of action, attacking headers, scoring ability, crosses, speed on the ball.
1 v 1 — defending, defensive headers, sliding tackles, tackling, attacking the ball.
Combination skills — overview, positional play, adherence to assigned tasks.
Athletic personality — speed off the mark, speed from 0 to 10, from 10 to 30, and above 30 yards, mobility, strength in the tackle, stamina, running skills and jumping power
Charisma — leadership ability, match mentality, attitude towards others, teammates, coach, referee, etc., receptivity to coaching, ability to withstand pressure.
Other information — modest, cheeky, creative, plays in the service of others, character player, technical player, right footed, left footed , two footed.

ANALYSIS
The next step was to prepare a strengths and weaknesses analysis. At Ajax, a lot is done on intuition. This has led to a typical Ajax culture, with a high yield in terms of the number of young players who succeed in making the grade.

Ajax uses the acronym TIPS to describe the strong points of a young Ajax player.

T is for Technique. Ajax youth players must be in control of the ball.
I is for Insight and Intelligence. The ability to observe and think ahead.
P is for Personality. Must be able to communicate with others, provide leadership, be creative, show flair and daring, be receptive to his fellow players, and be able to work in a disciplined manner.
S is for Speed, which is essential for every Ajax player. Speed off the mark, mobility, and speed over long distances.

The Ajax scouts are always on the lookout for I, P and S, because these are very difficult to influence. Technique can always be improved. Ajax youth are technically gifted, soccer wise, interesting personalities, with good basic speed.

DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Every Ajax youth eleven has 16 players. There are 2 goalkeepers. Four right footed players are selected for positions 2, 6, and 7 (right back, right midfield, right wing forward), Four left footed players for positions 5, 8 and 11 (left back, left midfield, left forward), Three players for 3 and 4 (central defenders) and finally three players for 9 and 10 (striker and shadow striker). This applies from the Under 10 team up to the first eleven. During the players’ development, therefore, they play in the two or three positions within the team for which they have been selected.

When a 7 year old has passed the strict selection procedure and is allowed to wear his Ajax shirt at last, his first period will be devoted to learning the basic skills. He first needs to master various techniques if he is later to make the right choices in the various positions within the Ajax system. For this reason, the drills developed by Wiel Coerver are used extensively for the 8 to 10 and 10 to 12 age groups. According to the coaching staff, these drills help children not only to use their feet more skillfully, but also to improve their balance, speed up their rhythm, pull away to the right and left, and use every part of their feet. The 8 to 10 year olds learn the rudiments of the Ajax system in a fun way.

Recognizing genuine talent at such an early age is a difficult task even for expert Ajax scouts. Even in the 8 to 10 age group, Ajax takes note of how well a talented youngster runs. During the two week test period, each young candidate is assessed on six different activities by the coordination coach.

Another problem involved in selecting 8 to 10 year olds is the difference in mental development encountered in this age group. If you join Ajax, you have to be coachable and be able to understand instructions. The child’s environment is also considered. What sort of support is provided by the parents ? How does he behave? If adequate attention is paid to the initial selection, there will be no need to make any further subsequent adjustments further up the age range.

It is typical for the 8 to 10 age group that each child plays for himself rather than combining with the others. In addition, children move towards the ball and not away from it and are inclined to play the ball forward and not to the side or backwards.

Ajax starts at the beginning by formulating the requirements for the 8 to 12 age group. Then the 12 to 14, the 14 to 16, and the 16 to 20 age groups.

Ajax looks at eight different areas:

Technique
Tactics
Know how
Running and strength training
Personality formation
Coaching situations
Training &
Matches

Technique is most important for the 8 to 12 age group. They have to learn to control the ball with every part of both feet and in all directions. These are the objectives that the players must have achieved by the time they move up to the 12 to 14 age group. Technical demands in the first phase include combining ball control and speed in complicated situations where there is an element of resistance;

Ability to use both feet to side-foot and semi—side-foot the ball and kick it with the instep, both along the ground and through the air, over short distances.
Taking and cushioning the ball with all parts of the body.
Juggling the ball with every part of the body except the arms.
Passing accurately from a standing position and while on the move.
Accurately shooting on goal.
Working on various crosses.
Learning the basic heading technique, without resistance.
Developing and stimulating body swerves and feints.
Learning techniques for taking a ball past an opponent.
Learning to shield the ball.
The throw in.
Learning to take a penalty.

As far as tactics the following principles apply to the youngest group:

Running into space to receive the ball.
Positions in the length and breadth of the field.
Linking up, linking back.
Taking up positions to receive the ball.
Playing from your own position.
Taking over the position of another player.
Learning to play in another position.
Looking beyond the ball.
Deciding the moment of choice between passing and making an individual run.
Learning to shield the ball when dribbling and passing.
Covering on the inside.
Covering the most dangerous opponent.

In the field of soccer know-how, the first targets are:

Learning the rules of the game.
Learning to keep their boots in good condition.
Learning to recognize the Ajax system of play.
Learning to look after their bodies.
Acquiring knowledge of diet in the context of matches and training.
Learning knowledge of the rules of soccer and Ajax’s own specific culture.

Running and strength training involves:

Learning the principles of good running technique.
Coordinated running.
Learning to jump by taking off from one leg and from two legs.
Maintaining and improving suppleness.
Learning to use the body during duels.
Strength training by making use of the player’s own body weight.
Learning to avoid an opponent, sliding tackle or tackle.
Sprinting in all directions.
Learning to use a shoulder charge.

Personality formation — Ajax makes high demands on even the youngest players:

Learning a sporting attitude, in which respect for the opponent is central.
Learning to communicate with teammates, coaches, and team supporters.
Learning to be open to the opinions of others.
Accepting leadership.
Learning to accept the referee’ s decisions.
Learning to be critical of their own achievements.
Learning to analyze their own game.
Learning to conform to the Ajax rules.
Learning to listen to the coach.
Learning that soccer is a team sport.
Experiencing the rudiments of team building.
Learning to concentrate.
Learning to be responsible for equipment.
Learning to avoid injury.
Learning to listen to their bodies.

Twice each year, all the players are assessed on forty elements. These assessments result in one of three recommendations:

Stay
Doubtful
Go

Once the Ajax youth players have reached the age of 12, they enter the second stage of training in the 12 to 14 age group. This is the age at which many of the young players are faced with accelerated physical growth. This is also a significant age group because actual matches play a larger role. Boys of 13 and 14 already have more strength and speed and are able to move the ball over long distances. From the Under 14s upward, Ajax training sessions are geared towards competitive games.

Youngsters in the 12 to 14 age group have already undergone four years of Ajax training. In an enjoyable way, they have already learned a great deal about making choices during a game. The most stringent criteria are applied to the players in the second year of the Under 14 level.

Observation by the coaches, and the intuitive feeling that this player will fit the Ajax pattern, and that one will not, remain the most important criteria, but you must be able to support intuition with facts.

To compensate for the loss of street soccer in the busy city of Amsterdam, they have developed a soccer playground for the youngest Ajax players. Twice a week the 8 to 12 year olds can enjoy themselves there, playing soccer tennis, header volleyball, keeping the ball in the air, or small sided games. Ajax believes that young players cannot spend too much time with the ball.

As far as the Ajax board is concerned, the coach for the 8 to 10 year olds is just as important as the coach for the 16 to 18 year olds. In the Ajax philosophy, it is unthinkable that an Under 10 team coach should have the ambition to coach the Under 18 Team in a few years time, or that an older coach should feel he could “take it easy” by coaching the 8 to 10 year olds.

Every youth coach has a limited amount of freedom of action within the Ajax system. First of all, he must always think of the whole picture. The point of departure is the match, and the basis is the Ajax system of play, which runs like a thread through the entire club. At Ajax the youth coaches and players know from the start exactly how the finished structure should look: the desired system of play is totally familiar.

The Ajax philosophy is as follows: you can learn a brilliant book of coaching drills by heart, but the ability to act at the right moment, to make an accurate analysis and to show how things should be done, is much more important. That is the heart of the matter.

The constant will to improve – This is the principle of Ajax and the Ajax youth development scheme. At Ajax, it’s a competitive environment and here are some articles giving an insight to the academy:

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazine/06Soccer-t.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/09/sports/champions-league-ajax-madrid.html

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/13/football/ajax-youth-academy-spt-intl/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/18/sergino-dest-usa-ajax-soccer

Other clubs take different approaches dependent on their culture.

THE BARCELONA YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

At Barcelona in the famed La Masia academy, their youth development is based upon the 3 Ps of Barcelona Youth football.

POSSESSION

Very good control
Very good passes
Control passing drills
One and two touches

POSITIONING ON THE FIELD

Players stay in their own position.
Players taught about their body shape.
Players taught how to move their body
To learn to stay in the right position all the time

PRESSURE

High Pressing & press forward
5 second rule to recover the ball when they lose possession
Get the ball back as quick as possible

THE CROTIA FEDERATION YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES

Basic development of the stable formation of technical ability formed in stable conditions ENGRAM U8-U13
Application of this individual technique to the functional problem solving circumstances of the 1v1 2v2 in the ease conditions and this is closely related to the individual tactics. Once this has been taken care of not to break down not to affect the stability
Situational circumstances 2v2, 3v3 into the competitive arena

There are 3 stages of development as follows:

Isolated development of technique
Technique is then placed within the passive demands of the opposing team so as to make it functional and then
Technique is placed within the active demands of the opposing team so as to make it functional under a competitive situation

CONCLUSION

Every club and country have different coaching methodologies dependent on their particular circumstances so identify your club’s circumstances, create a vision and apply a methodology to the coaching of your underage players.

Would you send your children to school to be taught by an unqualified teacher? Would you use a plumber who is unqualified? The answer is no, so therefore insist that children are coached by knowledgeable coaches with a well-defined coaching and playing methodology that will create good habits?

Every successful club has a vision, a well-defined coaching and playing methodology a training structure and understands the importance of coaching the coaches.

Here is a reminder of the Ajax club expectations: