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Football Academy: Coaching for the Future

"Technique: the foundation of soccer"

The football coach can motivate young players by explaining the fact that they are being taught the same skills used by some of the world’s greatest soccer legends. The younger children start to develop their football skills, the more satisfaction and enjoyment they will get from soccer training and playing. Here are some of the guiding principals we use at the Moorland School Soccer Academy, to help children reach their true potential.

Understanding
Using the great players as models not only motivates young players to practice but makes sense to them. It is best that players understand the purpose of the training given to them. The coach should involve everybody in discussions in order to find out how the youngsters feel and any ideas they may have. In this way, the youngsters will know where they are, and be come aware of their strong and their weak points, just as in school. As a result, they learn to judge their own development and compare it with that of their team-mates, which is important. This element of competition - to see who can learn the most skills within a group - is a positive Factor and a major contributor to their improving and sharpening new skills.

Enjoyment
In order to prevent youngsters opting for other sports, or losing interest too soon because of a lack of success with the ball, coaches should learn how to use the vital energy of the youngsters during club training sessions as well as the ‘home work” exercises. The practicing on-their-own is key to new improvement, but unless you are able to give them an interesting syllabus that they can follow by themselves and see improvement, they will not be motivated to continue practicing.
Obviously, not everyone can become a professional soccer player, but anyone can improve his or her enjoyment of the game and satisfaction from soccer play as a result of this training scheme. If six and seven-year-olds who are not members of a club are encouraged to go to one during a long holiday, you may find that they will spend seven to ten years with that practice club and be come valuable and committed players - but only if they see improvement and enjoyment.

Creative Development
The soccer world is in great need of players with ideas and creative potential. Up to now, only the greatest players have been truly creative - thanks mainly to a God-given talent. Football Academy can provide an excellent opportunity for youngsters in this respect. The more control they acquire, the more they will use their imagination and ingenuity in games - a determining factor in creative development. The movements and techniques with the ball can also be learned at a later age, although this will require more hours of training and it is more difficult to achieve as the years go by. The earlier a technique is learned, the more spontaneous will be its use in game situations. Players who begin soccer or try to learn techniques later on keep weighing the various possibilities, calculating the pros and cons of every situation, and so hold back.

Tactical Development
Top players have developed tactically by using their technical qualities to make the most of situations when they are in possession of the ball, in addition, they do all they can to help team-mates who are in possession. Players who surrender the ball and use kick-and-rush techniques will remain mediocre. Good control and learning the movements will give players the option of creating space individually or with team-mates. Space means more time and more options; moves made in the proximity of goal mean more goal chances. The more techniques players acquire the more possibilities they have of choosing the best solution from a tactical point of view.