The Future of Youth Development in Irish Football

On Monday March 25th, 2013 in block F at Blanchardstown IT, I will be hosting a talk about the direction of youth football in Ireland.

The 4/5 main speakers will be talking about what they think is the future of Youth Development in Ireland and how we can learn from abroad.

Sponsored By Jako Sports – Leading the way in sportswear in Ireland

Mitch Whitty

Mitch is the current NDSL Technical Director and has been in this position since 2010. Mitch was also the former FAI Emerging Talent Head Coach for the Dublin area. Mitch is one of the most forward thinking coaches working in Ireland and is highly regarded amongst his pers. He also works in a fulltime capacity with Dublin City Council as a Sports Development Officer and in 2000 became the first ever football in the Community officer with DCC, a role he had until 2006. Mitch was also a:

Former Director of Coaching Shamrock Rovers FC.
2001 – 06 freelanced with Chelsea FC as their International Academy Head Coach. Worked with 5 International Teams in that period.
He holds an Irish and UK UEFA A License badge.
Runs the coaches club at the NDSL Academy

With 20 years coaching experiences at various levels, from Community Grassroots to Elite Development. Mitch has managed and coached in the League of Ireland, at Professional Academies, community clubs and with International Teams.

Austin Speight

Coached all over World for many national associations and professional clubs delivering coach education programs.He had a Professional club career in England from schoolboy to first team level and he worked with many young players who are now playing in Premier league and Internationally. He is currently the director of Coerver coaching.

Footballer at Stockport County, RAA La Louviere Belgium
Retired with injury at 25 and began coaching career.

‘Coerver Coaching is the best technical skills teaching method I have come across; even after 25 years it continues to evolve and excite’ Gerard Houllier

Coached at:

West Ham (92-95)
Stockport County (95-98)
Manchester City (98-99)
Blackburn Rovers (99-07)
Sponsored by Adidas (94-present)
Tutor English FA (02-Present)
Coaching Consultant to Uefa (09-present)
Director Coerver Coaching (07-present)

web: Coerver Coaching

Dermot Dalton

Dermot is a full time Youth Development Specialist and Coach Mentor dedicated to promoting the Horst Wein Optimal Youth Football Development Model, which is player-centred, age-appropriate and games-oriented whilst also emphasizing Game Intelligence – Football that starts in the head and finishes with the feet!

General Manager and Youth Development Specialist at The Beautiful Game
Youth Development Specialist at Bohemian FC
7 years coaching experience at Portmarnock AFC and Malahide United FC
Fully trained in the Horst Wein Youth Football Development Model and the
Game Intelligence Approach to Coaching

‘Young players need a game of their own to play, not the adult 11-a-side game or even 7v7 at the wrong age. Being forced into the wrong competition games for their age-group creates many problems for young players’. Horst Wein

web: Beautiful Game

Michael Lynam

After spending over twenty-five years working with children and young adults in the juvenile justice system Michael completed a M.Sc. in Child Protection & Welfare in Trinity College Dublin in 2001.

In 2002 he was appointed National Children’s Officer and Designated Person for Child Protection with the FAI and during his time there produced the Code of Ethics & Good Practice for Children’s soccer and best practice guidelines for both coaches and parents. He also worked closely with the underage representative teams developing best practice Health & Safety policies for travelling squads

Michael also developed support and welfare services to elite players both here and in the UK and is currently in the process of establishing a best practice/child protection consultancy, support service which he intends launching in the near future.

Michael has also coached at schoolboy level with St Malachy’s F.C. in the DDSL with successes in both the Pepsi and FAI youth cups. He also attended one of the first residential coaching courses conducted in Ireland by Billy Young and Noel O’Reilly in Butlins in the early 70s.

Print PDF about event here Future of Youth Development in Irish Football

Another Speaker profile will be updated shortly.

Stand by: Pat Walker, Seamus Kelly