Barcelona's secret: Let the kids play

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The key to the success of Barcelona's youth academy is giving the young players a chance to play, according to coach Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola said Tuesday the youth setup in Barcelona is no better than at many other clubs, but the "difference is that here we give them playing time."

Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, the three nominees for the 2011 "Ballon d'Or" award for the world player of the year, are all graduates of Barca's La Masia academy.

Guardiola dedicated his team's 5-0 win over Real Madrid earlier this season to "15 to 20 years" of work dedicated to building "a style of play."

"It's due to the good fortune of having Xavi and Iniesta here from a very young age," he said.

Of Barcelona's three summer signings, David Villa, and Adriano, only the first is a regular starter, while the latter two, once key members of their former clubs, are mainly used as substitutes.

Adriano, who joined the club from Sevilla during the off season, said Barca's successful youth system makes it harder for new players arriving from other clubs to break into the team.

"Of course (it's tougher), there is always competition since there are people looking to raise their level," the Brazilian defender said.

Barcelona has always had homegrown players in its starting 11, but their numbers have increased since Guardiola, himself a product of the club's academy, took over as head coach at the beginning of the 2008-2009 season.

Guardiola had spent the previous season coaching , and he brought youngsters Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez with him when he took over the first team.

Now, both have won the World Cup with , as well as the Champions League and Spanish league titles with Barcelona.

Guardiola called Pedro "the best sidekick" to accompany Messi and Villa in Barcelona's attack.

The 23-year-old forward scored two goals in last weekend's 5-1 rout of and has 11 goals in all competitions this season.

"(Pedro) is perfect. He has all the virtues to complement the players that carry the weight of the game," his coach said.

VIDEOS OF Inietsa - XAVI - Messi

Article was taken from ctpost.com at the following link: http://www.ctpost.com/sports/article/Barcelona-s-secret-Let-the-kids-play-913236.php

Grooming talent the Ajax way

(FIFA.com) Friday 2 November 2007

Ajax have struggled to find their feet this term after academy graduates Ryan Babel and Wesley Sneijder (see video of Sneijder below the article) both moved on in the summer. But one of the few certainties in football is that the Amsterdam club will soon uncover exciting young gems to replace them with. Forever associated with the Johan Cruyff generation, Ajax's youth program is the stuff of folklore, basking in a mythic aura. It also remains highly effective, as FIFA.com discovered in this exclusive journey into the heart of 'total football'.

The first thing that stands out is the Amsterdam Arena itself, looming large in the distance. An elegant, modern stadium, it is above all imposing, bringing to mind the Greek ships mythological hero Ajax the Great leapt between during the Trojan War. And it does an excellent job of inspiring the young hopefuls at the academy to dream of reaching the top. Without exception, they all share fantasies of breaking into the first XI and following in the footsteps of those responsible for forging the Ajax academy legend over the last 30 years. Football is not just about personal success here: it is a question of philosophy, shared heritage and culture.

The photographs adorning the walls of the academy convey that approach extremely well. Decorating the offices, the bar, the corridors and the games room are images of the club's glorious past and the players who helped shape it: Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Marc Overmars, Danny Blind and Edwin van der Sar. All scaled the heights at Ajax and all began their careers there, making them the best possible advertisement for the club's youth system. Advertisement is the perfect word too, because the Ajax academy has become a brand name without equal in Europe.

Louis van Gaal's 1995 UEFA Champions League winners were particularly instrumental in that respect. With nine starters having graduated from the club's own ranks, they quickly had rival teams clamouring to study the Dutch outfit's methods. But, as academy director since summer 2007, Jan Olde Riekerink denies that Ajax are capable of working miracles. "[The academy] is not a passport to success," he says. "Individual talent is the key."

Whatever forces are at work, Netherlands coach Marco van Basten travelled to last year's FIFA World Cup™ with no fewer than nine players who learned the ropes at Ajax. Among them figured rising stars Sneijder, Babel and Hedwiges Maduro, with Maduro the only one still plying his trade on Arena Boulevard. "Our aim is to bring two players from the academy through to the first team each year," adds Riekerink, who also served as assistant coach at FC Porto and enjoyed a previous eight-year stint with Ajax between 1993 and 2001.

It is a little after 9am on an overcast September morning and the academy's seven training pitches - two of which are artificial - are completely deserted. The only sign of life comes from the grey metallic bunker in front of the entrance gate that serves as both an office and a changing room, where five lads are playing pool on the first floor as they wait to put on their boots. By mid-afternoon, however, the pitches become a real beehive of activity. Thanks to a budget of 4.5 million euros, Ajax have an impressive 240 youth players divided up into 14 different age-groups from seven to 19 years old. They can also boast no fewer than seven youth teams competing in national leagues, and the promising youngsters gain vital insights into the 'house style' from former club luminaries. "There are a lot of old players still involved with the club and that's a good thing," says Riekerink.

A philosophy in four letters
It is an especially good thing at Ajax, where the same philosophy has held sway since the mid-1960s. In formation terms, that translates into the attacking 4-3-3 system they evolved into 'total football', but the Ajax approach is much broader than that. It is a footballing ideology that can be summed up in four letters: T.I.P.S., an acronym for Technique, Insight, Personality and Speed that serves as the guiding principle for the academy's recruitment process. "Our scouting network is made up of 40 volunteers and four part-time employees," explains Riekerink. "We don't travel more than 60km outside of Amsterdam. We believe in our own culture and it's not in our way of thinking to go and find youngsters abroad." That said, the club have none the less spread their net to South Africa and the United States by founding the Ajax Cape Town and Ajax America satellite clubs. Steven Pienaar and Aaron Mokoena both made their way to the Dutch capital after showing up on the radar at these outposts.

"We have a creative football philosophy based on speed and technique. Sometimes we mix the age groups together in training. Individual quality is more important than any system. All the teams under the age of 12 play in a 3-4-3 formation and then they play 4-3-3, but it's flexible. If we have two outstanding strikers we can play in 4-4-2," continues Riekerink, illustrating his point by shifting magnetic figures around the whiteboard in his office.

"We have creative players in every position here and everything comes down to using the ball. There are lots of details that make us unique, such as closing opponents down, being able to play in various positions and moving with the ball. It's how we go about those things that makes the difference." With 22 trainers at his disposal, the former coach of Belgian side KAA Gent is not resting on his laurels either. Keen to take the club forward, he has another area of focus lined up for the near future: anticipation and reading the game, which will mean working on defensive and attacking moves. "It's going to take two years to put this program into place because all the coaches need to be talking the same language," he adds.

In the wake of the Bosman ruling, Ajax's academy has lost its role as the foremost provider of first-team players. The last ten years have also seen other Dutch clubs begin to catch up, but the capital outfit's methods remain unique and are still highly sought-after.

As proof, almost 2,000 young aspirants a year try their luck at the club's three 'talent days'. Only two or three ever make it to the top, with Edgar Davids a notable example, but the desire to receive instruction in the Ajax way is strong. "We don't want to produce robots," says Riederink. "We believe the family environment is important. Here, they eat, study and play, but their homes remain their homes. The youngest players train three times a week and the U-19s six times."

With that, he glances out of his window at the eldest trainees being put through their paces, as the Ajax factory line carries on preparing the next batch of champions.

Wesley Sneijder Highligh Video

The Golden Years of Youth Soccer Technical Training

Technical training should be the core of youth soccer development.

Unfortunately, especially in the US, we start “playing for the team” or trying to “achieve results” too early. Nothing like the coach of a 10 year old team pacing on the sidelines screaming at his players that they “stink and are playing like a bunch of losers”. (Yes, an actual quote I heard last year.) This coach had one problem. He wanted to win like we all do, but he placed that trait of human nature above the needs of his players.

These kids desperately needed general ball handling, dribbling and passing skills work, but you just know that the coach was spending all the practice time on conditioning, set plays and tactical work. I guess his next intended step was to coach with the “premiere leagues”.

Understanding that we are developing “future competitors” is the first step in youth development. The best training development clubs in the world strictly limit competitive matches and focus on the player’s overall development. It is pretty widely accepted that once a player hits the age of 16, it is hard to return and teach the skills.

There are two key factors in developing youth players.

First, is a love for the game. Street soccer, pick up games and non-adult structured soccer games help kids be creative and develop a love for the game. This environment unfortunately no longer exists in the US. We have to keep in mind that ending all “work sessions” with fun small sided games is critical to kids walking away from all practices thinking, “I want to come back next week.”

This also applies to older players. Just because a player is “advanced” you have to remember that they really are still just a “kid at heart”. 17 year olds love to “play” and have fun too.

Second, is constantly returning to repetitive exposure of all the core skills. Instead of running laps and conditioning for 20 minutes to begin our practices, we should have players touching the ball with basic skills. Dribbling, passing, moves, chesting, heading and all the skills they actually use in a game.

I can’t tell you the number of advancing soccer players I see that struggle to perform basic moves such as pull backs, cuts and feints. They learned them a long time ago, but never practice them. Start EVERY practice the same way. Core movement drills, repeating the basic and essential ball control skills. End every practice the same way; fun, small sided games where the coach is not controlling every move.

Our teachers (coaches) are often not players.

One critical point to training young soccer players is first making sure the “teacher” understands how to teach. When you combine recreational soccer in with the academy programs the number of coaches that never really played competitive soccer is very high. Some of our surveys had the number at 70%. (Dad got involved because his son decided to play and the club or program needed “volunteers”.) However, I will tell you that some of the best youth coaches I have met were not “great players”. They became great coaches because they focused on youth development and core technical training. Their focus was on “what is best for my players” and not “how do I become winning and successful coach”. It is critical that coaches not only learn how to be a better coach, but also how to teach each individual technical skill the RIGHT way. Forget about the “winning” and focus on the “development”.

Understand the difference between Immediate and Residual training.

Immediate training includes things that we can control rather quickly but often do not last a long time. For example, at any time a soccer player can get in condition. Working out for about 4 – 6 weeks will get us into playing shape. However, once that stops or the season ends, the conditioning level goes away and we have to return to build it back up.

Technical skills however, are slowly built and refined over several years. Once they are learned, they will continue to stay with us.

A great quote from former U.S. Men’s National Team captain Claudio Reyna, “It’s possible at any time during a player’s career to get into top physical shape or to try to win every game! But you can’t teach skills to an old player. Youth coaches should keep in mind that individual skills need to be nurtured at an early age. Players who haven’t mastered the fundamental skills become frustrated because the game gets too difficult for them as they move into higher levels.”
The golden years of soccer development (ages 8-14) only happen once. Focus these years on development and make sure your player(s) are being trained for the long term with skills, not conditioned for the short term to win.

Video below: Infinity Soccer players playing pick up soccer.


See full article here: http://www.socceru.com/winning_soccer.htm

Necessities for Being “in it” For the Long Term

by Dave Simeone
Soccer Development Strategies
National Staff Instructor – U.S. Soccer

Philosophy

The development of soccer talent is an on going process; it truly is
longitudinal. It is a process in which individuals’ progress gradually
from simple to the more complex experiences that the game provides.
The process of player development requires planning that has clarity
and based upon a modern technical development ideas. This plan and
direction needs to come from the technical people; coaches who are
educated, experienced and knowledgeable. Anything less than a
comprehensive and coordinated effort only means that player development
is left to chance rather than being maximized as a result of coaching,
programming, competition and well thought out planning.

This process can not be rushed. It is not positively affected by “if
this much is good then more must be better.” The process of player
development can be influenced by elements that are essential for
effective player development.

The Necessities

Training: The development of HABITS and a TRAINING MENTALITY.

To stimulate players to raise the level of response training needs to
balance demanding and challenging with motivating and interesting. Much
of a training mentality has to do with the development of concentration
and the responsibility within the players to coach themselves. While we
often hit the peak we’d like to in training --- the attitude and
intensity, we lack the ability to pick up in the next session where we
left off in the previous one. Transferring what’s been retained from
one session to the next is one indicator of learning. Even the simplest
aspects that are associated with mentality – punctuality, correct
equipment and attentiveness are huge in the whole process.

The additional aspect of training is to balance it with games. The
accepted ratio at U12 and older between competitive games and training
is 2:1 training to games. At U16 the ideal ratio is 3:1 training to
games. Too many games results in a poor mentality and attitude; “it’s
just another game”. The lack of training also creates the added
difficulty of fixing problems from competitive games. It is the basic
issue of QUALITY versus QUANTITY. There needs to be balance!

- Competitive Matches: Games of varying difficulty. Games that suffice for different priorities or purpose; Games that are player development opportunities (PDO) versus games that are result driven. Competition is important but games differ in importance of achieving a result versus player and team development. Ultimately competitive players must earn playing time in result oriented games. There’s also a necessary element of “fear free” playing time in games that are oriented towards player development versus a result. While the result is not the be all, end all, it allows for the necessary experience of “winning” or “losing” in games other those that are the most coveted to win in order to be successful in. There are those coaches who also believe that losing a “big game” while disappointing in the short run is beneficial in the long term of winning more important matches in the future.

- The “Political Pipeline” of administrators, politicians, coaches,referees and parents.

Parents are tremendous assets and necessary pieces of the youth sport
mosaic here in the United States. Parents can be tremendous during the
entire player development process or detractors. Parents can, and do
have, operated in what they believe to be the “best interests” of their
children. While parents can lend all the necessary financial support
and assistance they can’t do it for their youngsters. They can only
assume an ancillary role which is best described as supportive.
Sometimes the best and most realistic thing parents can allow
youngsters and teenagers to do is to learn to fail in order to decide
how important soccer, and learning to be an accomplished player is to
them. In the case of board members (club, league, state) they must
operate with the technical professionals in the mutual interest of the
players and the game. They must avoid being inclined to carry out the
aims of their own “technical plan” based on their presumptions and not
expertise. The coaches owe those in the positions of being “trustees”
explanations and the rationale for planning out technical and
competitive issues. The organization of recreational and competitive
playing environments need to come in line with the mainstream and
accepted rationale based upon what is tested , tried and definitely in
the best interest of players.

- Coaching: it is the one thing that interfaces MOST with the one product in the game; the players.
Coaching is responsible for more than 90 minutes of training or 90 minutes of game management.
In the youth game coaches are instrumental in communicating with parents;
articulating information in order to educate them. The club in concert
with the coaches is collectively responsible for the long term of
preparing players for collegiate opportunities. This includes working
towards academic requirements, matching players with institutions,
ensuring that players are working with guidance counselors at school
and networking with college coaches. In coaching older teams and
players this is an absolute necessity in the United States. There are
some older boys who are now by-passing college and transferring
directly into MLS. Dealing with this is also an important facet for the
coach and the club.

Coaching younger players under 12 years of age has become its own art
and science. Coaching these players involves putting experiences into
them that contribute to their development while investing in them for
the future.

There is no guarantee that every player will reach his or her potential.
Much happens outside of training and the club to distract
and deter individual players and their progress. But at least we must
give all of them the opportunity to “Become The Best They Can Be”.

Bobby Howe, former U.S. Soccer Director of Coaching remarked “Soccer is
as much art as science. The game should be played attractively as well
as effectively. Soccer is a game of skill, imagination, creativity, and
decision making. Coaching should not stifle, but enhance those
elements. Neither should politics or alternative interests.”

“There is no magic formula or short cut to successful player
development,” added Howe. “Coaching at youth levels is all about
working with players to improve performance, not about recruiting
players to build teams to win championships. Soccer is a player’s game
and players should be considered first when political, administrative,
and coaching decisions are being made”.

Good principles of business or enterprise are mainstays no matter what
continent or country. Good principles of player development are no
different. It’s a long term proposition in either case. Business and
enterprise is not a seasonal activity neither is soccer and player
development. It’s not a matter of convenience or chance in terms of
doing what will be best for achieving goals in the long term. It is a
matter of priorities, planning and design.