The Coach Diary Football Blog

Category: Irish Grassroots Football

  • Aethan Yohannes – Story So Far AT AZ Alkmaar by Daniel his Dad…

    Aethan Yohannes – Story So Far AT AZ Alkmaar by Daniel his Dad…

    This is the story of Aethan Yohannes time so far at AZ ALMAAR by his Dad Daniel.
    >
    It has been five months since my son @ has joined AZ Alkmaar U15 youth academy in the Netherlands. My experience as a parent watching his development in a first class Academy is a humbling experience.
    Some have asked how he was doing….
    Here it goes.. STARTS HERE > 
    I have witnessed in close proximity about football in general outside of the US at an Amateur level and top pro academy level that could be useful to folks who may wonder how Academies work in Europe in relation to my experience through my son. Footballers here in the NL are considered an investment to the club at a young age. There are huge lines of footballers that are trying to break into the top level academies at a very young age but only the very best are invited to join after many months of scouting. Once a pro club extends a player to join though, the player is indeed an investment to the club and the club has made a full commitment to nurture their product by investing in the player upfront to be rewarded later.

    You are that less then 1% that has a potential to make it big so while the club teaches you the ropes, it’s up to you to take charge of your destiny because if you don’t seize it, there are a lot of other kids waiting in line to seize it. So clubs will provide all kinds of education possible to ensure kids are developing because they recognise that if groomed right, you have a potential to make the club a lot of money that will keep the resources necessary to continue developing quality footballers in the future. 

    My son coming out of a local amateur club in Amsterdam, , has really taken a leap to adapt to the level of intense training at Alkmaar club. School and Football consumes my son’s life today. I can literally say that he has no life except going to school, training, homework and sleeping. Free time is time to relax watching some games unless it is a holiday. However, your well being is one of the most important thing to AZ so they tailor your training schedule accordingly.
    “To try to get to the highest level in football at the youth level is not easy no matter how talented you may be. It takes a lot of hard work, determination and focus not to mention you are giving up a lot of things your friends might enjoy doing”
    What do I mean by that?
     As a new player in the program, Aethan trained 4 times/wk and a match in the weekend instead of training daily. Because of the intensity level, in order to avoid injury, the club has concluded a rest midweek for new players is important to stay healthy for the 1st 4-5 months. The level at this point is so high, it gives the new kids an opportunity to adapt to the program gradually so to avoid any injury resulting from fatigue or burnouts. Beside you are not useful injured as such the club protect their investments by resting your body.
    You are tested for different things (speed, agility, endurance, jump, etc.) Sporadically at least every month to record your progress. You can see your progress in your profile where everything about the player is stored in the Academy system. One of the key factors in the scouting process at AZ is making sure the players have the necessary means to get to training and back to their home or school without inconveniencing parents.

    As a parent if you have to drive 45min to one hour to take your kids to training during business hours, it causes stress to the family. A family with less to worry about transporting their kids can supplement in helping their kids in other ways at home and less stress to player. So, every day my son is picked up midday from school and dropped off at home. Players have to honour their time of pick up and drop off. It is the responsibility of the player to be on time because the club driver doesn’t wait for you after your grace minutes if u are not ready. 

    A couple of months back because of the lack of understanding the Dutch language my son misunderstood the training time change that took effect because of a holiday so when the pickup van came to pick him up at 6:20am in the morning, he was sleep. So the van left without him leaving him a message that woke him up. He rushed to wake his mother to take him to his training as I was out of town on a work assignment. He arrived 8min late to his training. His coach had him seat and watch the full training while his teammates train for two hours and was benched the next game against Ajax. Was I happy to learn of this. Hell no. Can I say anything about how harsh of a punishment I thought that was, hell no.

    In a pay to play system, there is a feeling you can complain or have some influence in the management of your kids LOL. There is a tough culture here. As a parent, you have to be disciplined and know your place and that is to be a parent and letting the Academy do the teaching. Lesson learned is if you want to get ahead, you better not be late to the party. You have to learn to be Independence and responsible quick or you will learn it the hard way. The system is here to teach you to become not only a footballer but also a man.

    After being benched a match against Ajax, believe me he got the message and instead he is at least 15min early for every pickup/ride. One thing for sure is he will never miss his ride to training again. To try to get to the highest level in football at the youth level is not easy no matter how talented you may be. It takes a lot of hard work, determination and focus not to mention you are giving up a lot of things your friends might enjoy doing.

    Mental Toughness: 

    Skills are key but without mental toughness, you are just a number. Discipline is one of the most important things you have to learn in a pro environment, no matter who you are. Periodic Top-sport class outside of training is a mandatory session players have to attend. You learn about mentality, character, discipline, work ethics and what to focus on to get ahead. You learn about what to eat and not to eat, – how much sleep you need and to listen to your body.
    If you seem to feel your hamstring is tight or your back seem stiff, you are to check in with the clubs physiotherapist for treatment immediately. You have to be fit to continue to train. If there seem to be a small problem, it has to be evaluated so it won’t have a lasting effect. Aethan has been making great strides to fit in to the program and he has adapted to understanding the Dutch way of living. The language while difficult, he has made great advances to being able to follow conversations with extra help at the club after training. He has blended well with his teammate. While being scouted as a midfielder playing position #6,#8 and #10, he has been playing striker and winger positions doing everything he has been asked to do and growing in the game.

    So far, he has participated in first class tournaments in Italy, Belgium, England and Germany since the start of the pre-season against top league academies of the respective countries and he has become an integral part of his team.

    He has had an amazing experience at the USMNT U15 call up in September 2018 in Chula Vesta, CA. Nothing beats being selected to wear your countries jersey and seeing the excitement of that experience on my son’s face was such a blessing put mildly.





    2018… has been an amazing year but most importantly my son’s mentality and commitment with all the challenges of adapting to a new country has given me hope that he is ready for the challenges ahead of him in 2019 and beyond. As to what the future holds, obviously what was a two years move to live in the NL for work and to experience life outside of the US for my family is more like to extend longer than we initially planned. Never had I thought my son (My daughter yes) will reach this level so quick jumping in from an amateur side to the pro academies and doing so well.
    My gratitude goes to all the clubs that had nurtured my boy: JOGASC/LMVSC/NPCSoccer/DCUnited/

    I know the road my son is in is not an easy road to climb. It is a very challenging road. Some kids burnout. Some don’t have the discipline to stay in it for the long haul. It is so important that kids have the right mindset and support system around them to keep focused. It’s a long road ahead for my son as he is turning 15 in a couple of months. God willing the path he started will bear fruit. However, as a father, I am mindful to continue encouraging and keeping him grounded and focused in all he does. School being just as important.
    I will have more updates in the future. For those of you who have asked about Aethan, I hope this give you some insight as to how he is adapting.
    Cheers!

    Soon I will share some amazing things that’s happening with my daughter who is 11 & playing as the only girl in the u13 Boys team in the 2nd division league. She is a big talent and will share about the invitation she has received from the Dutch Football Association soon.
    -FINISH
    A fascinating insight into how much, time, effort and sacrifice is required to try and make it as a professional football in Europe.
    You can check out Yohanne Channel The Yohannes Trio Football Channel as you will see they are both excellent footballers. However, they have a long journey ahead of them but it’s great to get an insight into their development at this stage and importance of family support.

    -end

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

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  • Positives and Negatives of League Of Ireland Under Age Format

    Positives and Negatives of League Of Ireland Under Age Format

    Lets take a look at the Positives and Negatives of the new League of Ireland Underage Age Setup:
    POSITIVES
    1.  Players can stay in Ireland during their formative years, play high level football, complete their education and potentially reach an even higher level in Ireland and/or abroad.
    2. Clubs have links to Universities which encourages players to stay and get educated.
    3. LOI will have to improve their standards and facilities.
    4. Will help grow LOI clubs and bring more families into the club.
    5. Creates a club for the whole community.
    6. More opportunities for players to make their first step into semi-professional football. It makes far more sense than the risk of going to UK as a 16 year old (Unless of course it’s a Premier League Club and to big to turn down)
    7. At LOI clubs you have former professional footballers around the young players. They will help teach these young players about the habits, the risks, the setbacks and rewards of being in the game.
    8. The standards should be better and expectations should be higher than Grassroots football.
    9. Knowledge of coaching the game will be of a higher level thus better for players at this level.
    10. Players can stay in their own areas and not have to travel to Dublin to play.
    11. Some players will be exposed to European football, something they won’t get in many of the clubs in the UK.
    12. The players maintain social development, connections with friends and family, education; these are all key factors that are generally left behind when a player moves abroad. Once parted from family and friends, no environment or set-up will be better for a player to develop socially in his/her formative years.
    13. If they are good enough they will get a contract, no matter what age they are.
     
    NEGATIVES
    1. Players in limbo at the end of the season with no idea if they will be asked back. Player welfare is still a massive issue.
    2. With no u14s, u16 & u18s we now have a yo-yo player pathway whereby players come and go and do not end up belonging anywhere. Players are moving to and from national and local leagues, which causes havoc for Clubs, Managers, Coaches Teams and Leagues.
    3. Needs a stepping stone from u19s to seniors (A suggestion is to allow some under 23s to play in u19s or start at u17s to u19s and u23s and scrap u13s and u15s).
    4. U13 LOI is putting too much pressure on kids to commit to one sport.
    5. The selection, rejection and pressure to succeed and not forgetting that some kids won’t even play.
    6. Higher costs to parents, coaches and clubs.
    7. Quality of life for coaches and parents will long travelling times which means hours away from family.
    8. A huge amount of hours put in by coaches with no monetary rewards.
    9. No real funding to clubs and estimated coast to clubs to field 3 under age teams (15s, 17s & 19s) is around €70,000.
    10. Win at all costs mentality.
    11. Game time is not guaranteed and players can go a number of games without kicking a ball.
    12. No TV coverage of the finals. The FAI should be showing the u17s and u19s finals live on tv. This is one way to grow the game.
    13. LOI under age players being overlooked for UK born players is sending mix messages.
    14. No national ethos or plan therefore the quality of coaches and development philosophy is varied.
    15. The FAI said, “we don’t want English clubs to finish our development” but let’s not leave it to LOI clubs to do it all. GR clubs have done a great job to u15s before kids went abroad. The problem we had was there was nothing for the kids that remained.
    16. If we want the best players to stay, then there needs to be better standards across the board in all areas.
    17. Players will leave to go to LOI if they’re good enough, so no need to be in line in grassroots. Changing everything to suit the 1% and disregarding the 99% is irresponsible to the development and enjoyment of thousands of kids. Grassroots being aligned with LOI does not make sense for the 99%. Grassroots is not played June, July August and LOI is, so it does not make sense to have both running side by side.

    Would love to hear your view.

    -end

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

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  • Seven Soccer Skills by Trevor McMullin

    Seven Soccer Skills by Trevor McMullin

    I recently got a copy of this book by former footballer Trevor McMullan, which takes a very simple approach to teach boys and girls the seven essential techniques of the football – whilst having fun along the way.

    A Footballs Guide For Parents, Coaches and Young Players: 

    The book has a section in each chapter dedicated to parents, coaches and young players and the book’s structure gives readers a clear understanding of their roles along the way.

    In 2017, FIFA made changes to the laws of football. Seven Soccer Skills incorporates these changes into the popular “You’re the Ref!” feature – a fun and challenging way to learn the laws of the game. Trevor had used his wealth of experience, both as a coach and as a player, to provide “a valuable resource of tips and helpful information for players, parents and coaches.

    Seven Soccer Skills supports the ethos of Let The kids Play which is also the Irish Football Association’s youth football strategy, which as we know strives to create a fun, safe and inclusive culture, thus inspiring a lifelong love of the game.

    About Trevor

    Trevor McMullan gained his first coaching qualification with the Irish FA at the age of 19. He continued to work his way up the coaching ladder, obtaining a UEFA Pro Licence in 2007. Throughout his 20-year playing career Trevor clocked up more than 750 games in the Irish League. He played with distinction for Ballymena United (three separate occasions), Larne, Glenavon, Coleraine, Crusaders, Linfield, Newry and Armagh City.

    Trevor mentioned that: “This book came about as a result of years of experience teaching young football players and coaches. Attempting to get parents, young players and coaches to understand each other’s role in the development of the young player always seemed a challenge.

    “The trigger came one day when watching a boys’ under-10 match in a local park. I heard a team manager tell a young player, who was about to take a throw-in, to ‘throw the ball down the line’. “

    I thought to myself ‘why can this young player not think and decide for himself and where, on display, are the skills associated with a throw-in that the young player and his team-mates should have been taught in training?’. This question started the process of writing this book, which took three years to complete.”

    What The Book Covers: 

    The first part of the book covers the characters, initial exercises, how to choose your first club, and football’s seven basic techniques and skills: passing, dribbling, shooting, controlling, heading, goalkeeping and tackling. The second part analyses these techniques using cartoons, pictures and diagrams – a vital source of insights and tips and a great way to capture the attention and imagination.

    The final part teaches young players how to be original at throw-ins and corner kicks, how to prepare for training and matches, how to get into tip-top shape, and how other games can improve their footballing talent.

    With glowing testimonials from Michael O’Neill, international football manager, and Keith Gillespie, former professional with Manchester United and Newcastle United, Seven Soccer Skills is the perfect reference for everyone involved in the development of young football players.

    I highly recommend this book for your child or husband or wife or even as a present for the teams coach.

    Seven Soccer Skills is available on Amazon UK. Northern Irish League clubs have also agreed to stock the book and it’s also a coaching resource with the Irish FA.

    For further information contact info@sevensoccerskills.com

    -end

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

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  • Football ‘tug of war’: When choosing means losing by Laura Finnegan

    Football ‘tug of war’: When choosing means losing by Laura Finnegan

    Another excellent piece by Laura:

    :A tweet from Carlow GAA made headlines last week when it outlined the ultimatum issued to the Carlow/Kilkenny u15 football (soccer!) players regarding the inflexibility towards playing both football codes. The purpose of this piece isn’t to analyse that decision but instead to focus the discussion on the implication of a similar action if it is replicated for the new u13 National League, players being asked to specialise in one football code at age 11/12. The league is starting so the focus of this piece isn’t to argue for/against it but to start a conversation about best practice when it does, with a particular focus on early specialisation:..

    To continue reading follow the link https://talentdevelopmentinirishfootball.com/2018/03/04/football-tug-of-war-when-choosing-means-losing/

     

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

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  • Talent is not always as it seems

    Talent is not always as it seems

    There is no such thing as an Elite 8 year old or a Professional 11 year old. It’s none existent. No body can tell what your 8 year old is going to do or even what sport they’ll end up in.
     
    Specializing them too early is a road to doom. In Ireland we tend to worship physical talent, we tend to rely on the big fella all too often. Physical talent is a poor indicator to long term success. Don’t be overwhelmed by the big 11 year or don’t get to excited by the dominant 11 year old. There is more to physical talent that will underpin their success longterm.
    @drmartintoms views on Youth Sport Specialisation – whilst it is complex
    These kids just do something remarkable well and better than others at that point in time. We’ve all heard and seen of these kids. They get selected to development academies from an early age and get tagged as talented but sometimes these early signs are bad indicators of future development.
     
    Ultimately some of the things that really determine success are; hard-work, commitment, resilience, technique, skill, over coming set-backs, passion, drive, enthusiasm, luck and nurture.
    I really like this Ladder of Potential from @BlaineMcKenna77 which shows the different levels of potential at different stages along the journey.

    If a kid is showing signs that he or she is somewhat better than the other children in their group. Teach them about the other areas, that will help them along the way to becoming a good person and successful athlete.

    Do you know who the little fella is with his teammates in the picture above?

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

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  • Children First & Child Protection: Is your club compliant?

    Children First & Child Protection: Is your club compliant?

     

    Almost every day there’s a new article in the Media regarding Tusla, and the Children First Act 2015. It is only a matter of time before all Sports and recreational Organisations come under the spotlight. If a Tusla inspector visited your Club today would you be Compliant? Have you got your housekeeping in order? Unfortunately the answer here is most likely no, as most clubs are unaware of what this means for them and their service.

    On the 11th of December 2017 new statutory obligations were added to the existing Children First Act 2015 (C.F.A.2015) the focus is now on the wider community to recognise, record and report concerns of child neglect and abuse. It is now the legal responsibility of all relevant service providers to prepare and implement a ‘child safeguarding statement’ which must be made available for inspection by Tusla, service users, and the public within 3 months. i.e. 11/3/18. Failure to draft this statement may lead to inclusion on the non- compliance register which is available to all service users and the general public.

    Tusla state that this Child safeguarding statement (CSGS) must be displayed in public within the club and on the clubs website. It is the responsibility of Club officials to ensure that all persons working/volunteering with the club must receive adequate and appropriate Child welfare and protection information and training so that they can recognise key indicators of abuse and neglect.

    Mandated persons working within the organisation or club must be identified under the C.F.A.2015 and also given appropriate training so that they know how to accurately record and report child protection concerns to Tusla. Mandated people include professionals such as GP’S, Nurses, midwives, all medical staff including physio’s, teachers, Gardaí, probation and welfare officers. It is a criminal offence for a mandated person not to report concerns of abuse or neglect.

    A Designated Liaison Person (DLP) must also be appointed with a deputy on hand when the DLP is unavailable. This DLP could replace the former Child welfare/liaison officer and should be known to all members of the club and their parents/guardians.

    For the purpose of this article I googled the websites of 8 well known Dublin soccer clubs and nowhere did I find any evidence of a CSGS, in fact all bar one have no policies displayed on their webpage at all. The one policy available was on team/player selection. While these websites are frequently updated with club news, fixtures and results, adverts ,club shops along with online payment options, The general information relating to the running and workings of the club is stale and outdated if in existence at all. Lists of managers and coaches but rarely a Child welfare officer mentioned, no history of Garda vetting or club policies. Likewise any club I have visited in the past 6 months as a spectator has failed in my search for a copy of their CSGS or DLP. Notice boards are however filled with newspaper cuttings of wins and other club news but again lacking in policies or contact information. On Occasion when I have raised policy issues etc with revelant people in charge, I have been greeted with a very old school attitude… ’Sure the club runs itself’ or ‘we use the FAI policies’. The FAI policies are pertaining to a far bigger organisation and therefore it is incumbent on each club to draft their own policies relating to the running of that club. Among these policies the important ones that should be on display and which Tusla will look for on inspection are the CSGS, Evidence of DLP, Health and safety, Fire safety, Adult/child ratios, Bullying statement and Garda Vetting.

    Garda Vetting is another grey area for many people. It is a criminal offence for any persons who work/volunteer or have access to children not to be vetted. The vetting bureau has a number of compliance officers who carry out unannounced visits to business and organisations to ensure the law is being followed. Non- compliance can carry fines of up to €10,000 and 5 years in prison. Personal/individual vetting is not available in this country at present therefore it is the responsibility of every club to ensure all staff in whatever capacity are vetted. This includes the café staff, the groundsperson, caretakers, cleaners, all personal within the club. If you are a coach, manager or volunteer make sure you are vetted, if you gives lifts to training or matches, if you are the parent who helps out occasionally, the parent who takes the team photos, whatever your role no matter how minimal my advice is ask to get vetted. E Vetting is a painless process with a 5/7 day clearance. The service is free but that piece of paper could be worth its weight in gold. For every club or organisation you are involved in, you must have vetting for each one. Vetting must be renewed every 3 years and while the club may inform you of the renewal it is advisable to keep a track of time yourself in case the admin is not up to date. Protecting children means protecting workers also, by eliminating

    risks and providing them with support will make for a healthier safer club for everyone.

    While I acknowledge and applaud all these men and women who give up their time and commitment to running our clubs and coaching our kids, it is the Duty of care of us all to ensure that the clubs environment is safe, positive and child centred. Vodafone Ireland the main sponsors of Irish rugby use a slogan which is simple, effective and inclusive #teamofus. We should all adopt this mantra so that our clubs become all-inclusive and we are all part of the bigger team. Change will happen if we want it too. I would encourage all parents/guardians next time you are in your club ask to see the ‘child safeguarding statement’ enquire who the Designated Liaison person is and inform your kids, Find out if the manager/coaches training your child are garda vetted. You pay the fees you are entitled to these answers to know your child’s needs are being meet in every way. If you are fobbed off, refer them to this article or to the Tusla website.

    Our goal as Parents, Educators and Trainers should be to raise children who don’t have to recover from their childhood, this in a small part may help atone for the previous decades of horrible abuse and brutalities inflicted on our forefathers.

    Tusla offer a free E-learning programme. ‘An introduction to children first’ it takes approximately 1.5 hrs to complete, once registered you do not need to complete in one sitting. A certificate is issued on completion. It is a valuable source of information and I would recommend anyone with any contact with children to take the time and inform yourself.

    START Children First E-Learning course NOW

    This article was written by Helen Kelly – Child Protection Expert

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

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  • Football ‘tug of war’: When choosing means losing.

    Football ‘tug of war’: When choosing means losing.

    A tweet from Carlow GAA made headlines last week when it outlined the ultimatum issued to the Carlow/Kilkenny u15 football (soccer!) players regarding the inflexibility towards playing both football codes. The purpose of this piece isn’t to analyse that decision but instead to focus the discussion on the implication of a similar action if it is replicated for the new u13 National League, players being asked to specialise in one football code at age 11/12. The league is starting so the focus of this piece isn’t to argue for/against it but to start a conversation about best practice when it does, with a particular focus on early specialisation.

    What are our youth footballers playing?

    Whether either organisation like it or not, we have a very limited pool of players from which to engage in our sports. A scarcity of resources (in this case, players) can often fuel a hoovering up of youth for the purpose of discouraging them to play other sports and/or a fear of losing out on players, with various codes attempting to do the same it can lead to a ‘race to the bottom’ [1] where organisations/clubs attempt to identify ‘talent’ at an increasingly earlier age.

    The irony is that we often admire cross-sport attributes at senior level, when Niall Quinn saved a penalty for Man City in 1991 we lauded his GAA background, people from Louth discuss Rob Kearney’s fielding skills in rugby as being honed during his days playing GAA for Cooley Kickhams. Yet there is often a culture of distrust between organisations and feelings of ‘ownership’ and exclusivity over players at under-age level.

    Follow link to author Laura Finnegan to continue reading the rest of her piece:  https://talentdevelopmentinirishfootball.com/2018/03/04/football-tug-of-war-when-choosing-means-losing/

     

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

    Email this page