Nearpost Football: Grassroots

Showing posts with label Grassroots. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Grassroots. Show all posts

Friday, 20 April 2012

Han Berger: Can you help us - because we can help you.

We the grassroots of Australia would like to create more creative players but when we send them off to Rep teams and then watch them at National Championsips we're faced with this:

Massive pitches for U13 -

Han can you please inform me how this encourages players to overlap, to play through balls, for coaches to take a few risks, to encourage the smaller play - he or she of little legs on the massive pitch.

Points but no Technical Points -

Ditch the points. Aussie kids want to win - but if you or your FFA group awarded technical points for playing out, individual team technique, creative play, attacking play, 1 v 1s completed you'd start to educate every player and parent in the National Champs - where most of our elite players go and from these groups many will continue into Youth teams etc.

For the rest we'll learn the finer points of the game and what 13 year olds and more importantly their coaches need to focus on.

Come on Han we love yer - but it's killing me this "development."

And while you're at it ditch the 11 a side game for 11s and 12s and lets focus on the skill and the creative players. Just do it!

Victoria wins National Championships

Victoria won the U13 National Championships which was held in Canberra this week.

With the accent truly on creative football, touch and individual skilled meshed into a passing, movement game Victoria - perhaps with some of the smallest players - came and conquered all before them.

Few could match them. Heavy weights like NSW and Queensland lacked the touch and finesse of the mighty Victorians although both tried to match them - the flowing Victorians led it must be said by brave and inspirational coaches got the win in every game they played.

The pitch was massive. FFA clearly looking for U13 athletes in this Olympic year but the FFA technical group were not to be dissuaded from Han Berger's cry for more creative, more attacking players.

Congratulations Victoria - you impressed the Technical Group.

Sunday, 8 April 2012

Why West Sydney FC is great for Canberra - so why did Ivan Slavich step down

As FFA franchises continue to go under only an idiot would suggest West Sydney and the other nine are here to stay.

Sad but true.

And if one more little franchise falls than guess what - the FFA who don't want a nine team comp, neither do Fox, will have to go elsewhere.

In a country as small as ours, with as many failed teams and regions as ours their is only one more place the FFA can go.

Canberra.

Wollongong, Tasmania, and Geelong maybe someday, just not yet.

So if the FFA were really interested in the next level of the business plan, football expansion, grassroots connection, why wouldn't they sit down with Ivan Slavich and say hold on Ivan, don't move on just yet we want to work with you to make it happen. After all you've produced the best bid we've seen apart from a Clive Palmer cheque (that's not a bid btw) so why would we want you to step down now.

In fact they should be saying:

2015 post Asia Cup we want Canberra - all other things being equal.
Re-build and grow your community support over the next two years.
Increase and improve your revenue model.

Meet the targets - you're in, no if's no buts.

Unless of course a team like West Sydney goes belly up in which case we'll take you tomorrow, business plan or no plan.

And imagine if the Melbourne Derbies are replicated in Sydney over the next three or more years and imagine the game gets on a bit of a roll - not impossible.

In three years we'd be ready for another team or even two.

But that requires FFA vision and if the TV deal is good, or even if it isn't Ben Buckley and Frank Lowy will surely be on their last legs......

Connecting with the grassroots is always so much easier when their is a team in the region. Duh!

How do we know if West Sydney FC is a success?

Simple?

We just firstly see if they get up, secondly see if they survive and thirdly the FFA don't have to come crawling to Canberra for a team to replace them.

Sad we've have such poor measures of success in the new football.

Saturday, 31 March 2012

English catching the Aussies up...finally

You see it's not true what the anglophiles say the English have got great coaches and great football culture coming out of its ears.

And it's just beginning to spread and that's the point.

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Ange Postecoglou: the greatest Oz inspiration to Aussie Grassroots Coaches ever?

If you've ever watched the Brisbane Roar play - and most Aussie's don't have Fox Sports so will never have seen them - they play to instruction, tactic and a tempo rarely, some say never, seen in Australia.

There is many elements to their game but one is critical to Australian football development at all levels.

Ange has his team keeping possession, with quick movement and interchange of player and ball. And it all starts from the keeper, and often returns to the keeper.

And here's the rub:

All A-League teams know how the Roar will pass the ball out from their keeper and indeed Michael Theolokitos, while not as poor as Mark Bosnich was with his feet, Theo is no Lionel Messi is he?

But Ange continues to persist, nay insist football must be played this way.

And this in a brutal professional era where fans and owners are quick to criticise or sack the Coach if results and performances are suspect.

So if the leader of Australia's Champion Club can persist while other professional teams know and try and restrict their play-out from the back style what reason is there for your local U16, U14, U8 Coach to "inspire" their kids to punt it long and to never play back, ever?

Ange gives us some hope down here in club land.

We haven't had many Australians to inspire us in Coach land over the years and the parents down here take a while to understand what you are trying to do.

Yes they take a while.

So as grassroots, the mighty, unattached grassroots kick-off we salute you Ange and will use your name and your team's name ad nauseum.

Even if they've never seen you, or your team play, they'll know you exist and stand for something good in football - at least on my sideline.

Viva - and thank you.

Saturday, 3 March 2012

Belwest Foxes new website

There you go a new website for www.belwestsoccer.com by yours truly.

Simple and effective communication and layout - that's the aim, you be the judge.

Friday, 24 February 2012

Pathway for U13 ACT Girls

Girls in the ACT U13 are heading to play in the Australian National Championships in April.

National Coach Tom Sermanni and his Coaching team will be at the Championships to watch the future players and to pick the All-Star team.

These players will be noted and will have the first chance to impress the National Coach.

For ACT players we have a record of getting one player in the All-Star team in the past two years.

ACT U13 players will then be pushing for a place in the ACT Academy of Sport train-on squad and some may even be offered a Scholarship place come December this year - or again in the following year.

Realistically if a girl doesn't make ACTAS she will not go higher in football from Canberra.

So what should an Under 13 girl do this year in terms of her football team.

Most will play with the boys in the Open division. Not a wise choice in my view - but one players and parents seem to think is appropriate.

I'd argue the best way for players to gain access to ACTAS train-on agreement post-U13 National Champs is to have an individual plan.

Train with Capital Football
Play in a team where you dominate for the 16 week season, improve your touch and your confidence over and over.

How many girls will improve their touch playing in boys - 1 or 2 I'd argue. The rest will be shoved down the back or on the wing.

At 13 girls like boys are not complete.

Forget the physical and even the speed for the 16 week of the junior season and concentrate on getting a strong coach, a coach who builds a players confidence and knowledge and most of all technique.

Does anyone advise ACT Rep players what is best for an individual - they do in Swimming Rep teams - or are they just encouraged to do their own thing without any guidance from those that know.

I'm not hearing much from players coming out of Rep squads with anything approaching sane advice.

Players and parents should be informed exactly what the pathway, opportunities are for U13 girls and indeed advised individually on a course of action.

One size does not fit all. But is there a player who needs to work more on speed, aggression and game understanding, than technique.

I wouldn't think so - not if you're aiming for ACTAS>

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Skillaroos - not SSG's for all?

If you talk to some in clubland they follow and preach the FFA Small Sided Game mantra.

Nothing else.

Well those of us who work with kids know SSG's work in the working class areas of Brazil, although even I would maintain some of those kids could have technical correction to speedy along their SSG development, but they aren't the complete answer in clubland in Australia.

And the FFA recognise this.

It's interesting to see the FFA has introduced the Skillaroos.

All Skillaroo Coaches have been trained by Coerver Coaching Technical Guru Alfred Galustian.

And now the very best kids get this technical Skillaroo training on top of their Small sided Games.

The game is the teacher, and of course SSG's are way better than what we used to have. But any coach working in clubland with the 7 - 11 year olds will know that SSG's on their own will never correct or show the proper technique for side foot passing with both feet - for example.

And if it does it could take a long long time for the games to get the kid on track.

I know I've seen it and watched it.

Small technical individual correction is required. A kid quickly improves and then can return to play a higher level of SSG.

So any Coach out there who tells me SSGs are the be all and end all simply ain't got it have they.

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Where Han Berger and I disagree:

Love Han Berger - love his work and what he's doing for the game in Australia but there are a couple of areas where he and the FFA Technical Group need to improve and could improve our players, all our players more quickly.

The revolution is on - for some, but very slowly in some areas.

In Canberra for example in clubland we are a long long way behind what constitutes technical development.

Check out your club, any club - how many coaches of boys and girls from 7-12 would you be really really confident they were improving your players? It's not a big list is it?

No criticism of club or coaches - we're all volunteers and it's not an easy gig to turn up each winter night never mind knowing what you are doing and looking ahead and being able to realise and assist where players could head.....in a technical sense.

Disagreement number 1:

Han Bergers often cites the point of coaches structuring training too much at this
age. 5-10 years.

All quotes are from this months 442 Magazine - go and buy it it's great!

Just let these young kids play and discover
what they can and cannot do with a ball. The game ís the best teacher ot this age,the reason the Brazilians and Africans are technically so good: is not because of their 'system' but because they developed naturally."

Most players between 5-10 are only playing really when they are at training or playing a game in Australia. Sure some play at school in the yard - but many boys and girls come to clubland play their game and go home. Just "letting them play" improves nothing. Not in an African, Brazilian or an Aussie.

"Let them play" is great if you run outside after school and play, play in school and before school. Play on the weekends etc.

How many kids do you know in Australia who do that? And indeed there are many talented potential players who will never develop between 5-10 if they are not at least shown how to kick the ball - instep control doesnt come naturally to most kids - just come down to my club and watch the kids who we "just let play."

Once a week training - once a Saturday. For 16 weeks. Not enough is it Han?

Disagreement No. 2: Agree with Han - disagree with Capital Football on this one.

The next step between 10 - 13 ‘Skill Acquisition training becomes more structured and the emphasis is placed on developing a technical foundation. “This age is, in terms of physical und mental development ofc child, the ideal period to develop motor skills," explains Berger.

Take a look at what Han says and take a look at the Capital Football Elite program for boys and girls. Under 10 boys have a squad - under 10 girls don't. Why? We have a professional women's team in Canberra but no boys team. So if you can justify that to me I'll buy you lunch....mate!

No Elite Girls under 10 in Canberra? How does that fit with Han's recommendations?

Technical Development Disagreement Number 3:

up to seven years the game is played four v four then from eight and nine it's 7 v 7, ten and eleven is nine versus-nine an increasíngly large
playing field," Says Berger. "From there We switch to the big field. These so-called Small Sided Game formats are still not generally accepted everywhere in Australia, which I amazing because everywhere else in the world people udnerstand the rationale of this.

I think player technical development in clubland would be developed more quickly and further if:

Players played 7 v 7 at 10 and 11, 9 v 9 at 12 on smaller pitches.
Players at Under 12 PSSA, Under 13 National Championships and in all club games didn't play on massive Hawker pitches or massive pitches at your local club. Majura, my club, has moved to put all 12,13 14 and 15 year old games where possible on our smallest pitches next season. We're focusing on skill development.

We're ahead of Capital Football on this one - but they'll catch us up in time!

Why would a club throw the SSG philosophy out at 12 - especially in clubland where we have no pressure to win really do we?

Australian Technical Director talks of pitch sizes, all the coaching courses talk of changing the training area to suit the drills, so why does your local club and association and national body choose huge pitches for 12 and 13 year olds.

Is your local 12 year old boy or girl Brett Emerton? Do the huge spaces improve skill and technique?

Many kids might be playing a lot of football but the quality is important, not the quantity. We are convinced our programs deîiver the best quality."

Well I don't agree with this - many players are playing two Capital Football sessions, or three, Futsal, and Capital Futsal Nationals. that's five sessions minimum a week for our best of the best. Is it effective training, in every age group for the group or more importantly individual players?

I've seen a number of sessions and coaches over the years - some have been brilliant, absolutely first class - some Coaches have been on their mobile phones during sessions!

Are individual player skills and weaknesses really targeted and improved quickly in such a training model? Food for thought for 12/13 year olds? Not all players are at the same level when they enter these programs.

And finally Han and I agree:

I'm convinced the 1-4-3-3 formation offers some clear advantages. However, the
medía ran off with it and suggested I wanted everybody in Australia, from the lowest to the highest level, to play 1-4-3-3.

Got to agree with you there Han, Mike Cockerill and co often miss the point and finer details of football in my view - the system is a great teacher for kids, clubs and their coaches and gives everyone an insight into football tactics, roles etc. Once everyone knows the system and the roles who knows where the discussions along the sidelines at grassroots level might lead.

And finally Han can we have a curriculum?

Han and co talk of the national curriculum - it's more a national outline isn't it.

When I was teaching Economics the curriculum showed me what I needed to do at each age level, each month, each week.

So isn't it about time we, the grassroots gurus got to see what the curriculum, detailed curriculum is for each age group of should I just keep making it up.

And while you're at it can you give some technical guidance to our futsal grassroots coaches and associations - how much could that improve technique.

Han - it's not all about the boys, it's not all about the elite, and I'd encourage you to go further and adopt all of my points above and see Australian football take the next step...at all levels of the game.

Won't it be a great day when players can break into Australian teams and never have been through a State Association elite program? Imagine a player rocking up from a local club highly developed technically and able to fit into the playing system based on the knowledge he/she has been given by her club.

Maybe this should be a goal!

Thursday, 13 October 2011

Young players: How much did you grow and how does your club/association assist?

Food for thought:

In football we can simply learn from the best, but how do we and are we able to do it quickly enough in each town/city across Australia?

The way they are developed is fascinating, as Bergkamp explains. 'We don't just classify our players by age, we divide them into three 'wheels' depending on how much they have grown. There is one for players who haven't started growing, one for those who are growing and one for the players who have finished developing.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2047581/Dennis-Bergkamp-interview-Ajax--Arsenal-team-mate-Martin-Keown.html#ixzz1abSBz2en

Tuesday, 6 September 2011

Sally Pearson inspires Primary School Soccer

"It's been great. Just seeing Sally Pearson win her Gold Medal race at the World Championships has really inspired everyone involved in Primary School Soccer this week," said young Athletics Coach Tiny Passmore.

The Primary School Soccer Tournament is on in Canberra all week and despite all the talk of FFA's revolution of Small Sided Games the girls are playing on the biggest pitch at the recently and more appropriately renamed Hawker Junior Athletics Centre.

"It's fantastic," said a local football administrator, "it's another first for Canberra, combining the Athletics trials with the PSSA Soccer tournament. To have it at the Hawker Centre...well we couldn't ask for more."

Coach Passmore has his girls working well.

"In the first half we work on sprinting. Lots of short sprinting. The other kids are normally pretty keen so we find short sprints are the go.

"In the second half we look for the cross-country runners. The gaps appear on the field and the distance runners come into their own. The Hawker Athletics Centre is fantastic, nice and smooth, a great surface and lots of huge open spaces to run into."

What about Football Federation Australia's Small Sided Games focus?

"Oh who gives a stuff about that. That's for the young soccer kids aged 6-10. We're the older end of the Primary School and we're focused on Athletics through Soccer. Look at Sally Pearson she won without going near a ball - just running and jumping in a straight line.

"The Parents want it, and the players love running so we get them on Hawker and we can really assess their pace and ability to stay the distance.

"I mean take the game we just saw. The young girl upfront for South Australia, tiny isnt she, I think she's 11. She showed a fantastic Soccer skill to turn away and beat her defender at half-way but despite getting a 5 yard sprint in and leading towards goal - the real joy for me was seeing our defender just run her down. Our girl was bigger and we've taught them how to run in straight lines and the little girls skill counts for nothing. Fantastic. That's what we want to see. Pure athleticism running down these players over 40 or 50 metres."

His observations were correct.

"They were all looking tired in the second half - but the long distance runners came into their own. I took the sprinters off in the first half. And what's really good is that we get another game today on the same pitch. Just awesome. They'll be knackered but we'll see who can run now!

"We've got the Head honcho's from the National Athletics Board in the stand and they are getting a pretty good idea who the next Cathy Freeman or Sally Pearson will be. You really couldn't ask for more from a Primary School Soccer tournament."

"Every ground in Canberra is vacant all week - big grounds, little grounds, you name it but this is the stage the men play on so for 11 and 12 year old kids to get the chance to replicate that - how good is that!"

Note: All names, characters mentioned above are pure make-believe. No human or player was hurt in the telling or enacting of this blog.

Wednesday, 24 August 2011

How will AFL swat the latest football blowy?

Cashed up and paranoid AFL have another wee problem to solve.

Delighted when they assisted to sabotage the World Cup bid, ecstatic when the recent growth of professional football was halted; if A-League crowds and failing teams/owners is anything to go by; the all powerful AFL must have thought they'd thwarted football expansion.

Cashed up they switched to focus on Western Sydney - although they may yet need to assist, or get rid of a few other teams as their competition flounders under the weight of an increased number of teams, hence meaningless games and of course in some cases falling crowds.

Now there is Harry Kewell, and he's in Melbourne. in bloody Melbourne. Even the Herald Sun will feel they have to cover Harry and his groins! Suddenly Ben Cousins, Gary Ablett and co don't seem such big stars do they?

Now I know and you know that one ageing footballer doesn't solve many problems, if any, and when you are up against a huge juggernaut like the AFL Harry hardly matters...does it?

But the AFL swat everything that enters their sights, and where football is concerned the biggest fly has just landed in the middle of Andrew Demetriou's meat pie.

So how will they respond to this biggest of blow flies?

It's a tricky one. It's not a one-off game, Harry's here for three years. And he's still a Socceroo and has cross-code, cross-gender appeal.

Can't wait to see the response.

They must have thought they'd done enough when the World Cup Bid was lost and the A-League ran off to October. Almost ticked football off the list of problems to be "solved."

But of course our entry into Asia has meant that despite the A-League woes, the Socceroos are never too far from playing a meaningful game - and of course the nature of our game, the World Game, means however fleeting our financialsuccesses, we can always bring in a Kewell or even a David Beckham to give us a boost and much needed airspace.

We have deep and severe problems but if we can keep our clubs playing, increase crowds marginally and see TV viewing figures rise on the back of Kewell we could enter a period of slower and more sustainable growth - hopefully an increased TV deal.

This has to be the aim - once we have a sustainable product - bringing in the odd superstar to peak interest becomes more possible. What impact could that have on a growing fanbase?

Something no other code in Australia can do.

The AFL has won many battles in recent year, almost the war - but of course the love of the game, the numbers who play, and the global nature of the thing, despite all our problems, if we can just hang in there, sow a few pockets of growth, who knows how we might be able to fight back in years to come.

If the AFL are Gaddafiesque we are the Guerilllas - hitting and running - and eventually we can make some real noise and pain.

At least this latest blow fly will take a while to kill - and that will be fun to watch!

Saturday, 20 August 2011

Help: Any Junior Club pay their Coaches?

Great article from Ned Zelic on the World Game today.

Question to is - does any Club pay their Coaches at 7,8,9 10 age group.

If they did the club can set a standard of commitment of direction for all coaches - and this could make huge changes to all player development at your local club.

Solve this problem - maybe thru clever local sponsorship - and you're club has a legacy for their players and coaches for life.

Is their any club in Australia who has acheive this?

How do they fund it?

11 v 11 still rife for U7 in Australia! What is going on?

Seeing my club change some years ago to SSG and slowly seeing kids working with a ball you can see the impact the changes are and can have on Aussie football.

My club is no Barcelona - not in culture of skills, but we do play SSG's. I'd like to see 5 v 5 taken to at least U11s but that's clearly just me.

But when you read this link you'll see what is going on in Australia:

In the central coast and victoria.

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/forums/default.aspx?g=posts&t=53724

Unbelievable - full field - christ it's so depressing for the game, for our kids and the future of football.

Haven't these Federations and Clubs heard of SSG's.

Shows how much work is to be done jsut to get started on player development across Australia - and it's 2011!!!!!!!

Friday, 19 August 2011

Dutch Curriculum giving Aussie kids a gift for life.

Jan Versleijan and Han Berger have been slated by many over the last few weeks for their team performances at the various World Cups.

Versleijan as manager of the teams, and Berger for laying down the 1-4-3-3 revolution, with a little help from Rob Baan the former Dutch Technical Director.

But by god we needed them in Australia.

Have a look Australia.

I've been here 20 years and only now do you start to see football been played, prepared at the grassroots level in significant numbers. It's slow, real slow, but it's spreading.

Though compared to 20 years ago we're coming like a speed train.

In U7 Boys and Girls, Div 4 in Masters or wherever you watch or play, slowly but surely as you cast your eye across grassroots lands more and more players are given a ball each - the games at the junior ends are increasingly starting with a roll to feet.

To feet!

To feet!

In Australia who would have thought we'd all start playing with our feet?

This simple change is bringing a cultural change in Australia. And it came from the Technical Revolution, or the Dutch revolution.

We have a long long way to go - but until we change the mindset of football players parents and coaches, in Futsal and outdoor from the young age, we really ain't ever going to produce enough skilful players to push some real world stars out the other end.

This might be a concern for those that want to see a great national side.

Me? I'd like to see that, but I'd like to see more and more 7 year olds boys and girls starting to learn to play with both feet, taking players on, control and confidence to die for.

This doesn't come from the big boot at outdoor or keeper chuck at Futsal.

And it's still taking time to change the attitudes of parents, players and of course Coaches.

We've needed a system, a curriculum, to hang our hat on and now the only guys looking like numpties are the guys who haven't taken the time to learn the style of play, how it shapes the play of our players, and indeed assists the teaching of the game to our kids and parents.

After all few players play with one coach their whole life, and this alone is reason enough that we need to be singing from the same songsheet.

In Australian football, on the sidelines in clubland, we've lacked any mass development or understanding of football for so long.

So thank God for the Dutch Revolution and the 1-4-3-3. We may need to change an individual coach occasionally, but Han Berger is not the problem.

And those who don't like the 1-4-3-3 model simply don't understand game development for all our players and coaches, beyond their own little group of players - without a model, or curriculum how can players transfer to other teams and broadly play the same system - or indeed how do players learn roles and bring their own initiative or learning to their new team?

If Coaches are doing their own thing in U12 their players are disadvantaged. Players simply cannot enter Rep teams or U17s advanced enough to allow Coaches to build on this knowledge if they are coming from teams coached by people who simply think they know better!

But of course most such Coaches are concentrating on their own performance, their team results rather than individual player development.

Our players have the technical skills, the recent World Cup showed that, particularly at U20 level - so is it the Coach or individual player knowledge that is holding us back?

We need to keep the Dutch curriculum - the education of the masses has begun. It won't stop now.

And the more players that reach the age of 12 able to play football, the better the top top players will be.

For most of us at grassroots we'll never produce a Socceroo, but giving Aussie kids the gift of simply being able to take a ball, left and right, control and beat a player. That's a gift.

The national curriculum can take us to that goal and give every Aussie a gift for a life.

Wednesday, 17 August 2011

Fozzie on fire on the Twitter - FSNW Coaches under the pump!

Well everyone has an opinion and there is always a debate between those who've played professionally and those Coaches who haven't.

Do you need to play professionally to develop young players? I don't think so but then I didn't train professionally - I played in Canberra!!!!

But maybe our Coaches who are full-time, but haven't played professionally have lacked real guidance from the professional side of the game down the years.

Anyway enjoyed the Fozzie outbursts below on Twitter - he's well worth a follow unlike most of the rest of the world on there - have no idea if he's right or wrong.

Craig_Foster

You've had people in charge of elite talents in NSW who wouldn't know shape of ball. Now Spider, shared pitch with Kaka & Alex, 80+ caps

Craig Foster

How valuable for young keeper to come under guidance of spider with AC Milan experience. Priceless! Milan training principles, pro mentality

Craig Foster

The deadwood coaches who've been killing the game for years at FNSW are on way out, top quality former players being brought in. Bravo!!

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

Mariners setting the standard for Federation Rep teams - Great model

Mariners leading the way in Community/Professional Football.

Can't see Canberra ever get it's stuff together in this area - basically no A-League team - no franchise willing to move things forward.

Capital Football should not run Rep teams in a real football world - but for now they are the best we have and do the best they can. Great news however for footballers on the Central Coast.

Pity they booted their W-League team innit

Under the Central Coast Mariners brand the program will be the sole elite football Academy in the region, providing high-level training and playing opportunities to both male and female footballers.

Indeed, in its initial stages the Academy will consist of U-11 to U-18 male teams, and U-12 to senior female sides competing at the highest level permitted by Football New South Wales.

Mariners pen landmark agreement

Central Coast Mariners together with Central Coast Football (CCF) have today penned an historic agreement that will help bolster the Yellow and Navy’s Hyundai A-League playing stocks for generations to come.

In an Australian football first, the Heads of Agreement signed this morning ensure that from October 1 this year, CCF’s representative Youth League programs will be integrated into and form a key component of the Mariners ambitious Academy initiatives.

Under the Central Coast Mariners brand the program will be the sole elite football Academy in the region, providing high-level training and playing opportunities to both male and female footballers.

Indeed, in its initial stages the Academy will consist of U-11 to U-18 male teams, and U-12 to senior female sides competing at the highest level permitted by Football New South Wales.

Central Coast Mariners Chairman, Mr Peter Turnbull, today hailed the partnership as yet another significant milestone in the clubs progression.

“I congratulate the CCF Board on their vision and foresight in developing this initiative with us,” Turnbull said.

“This is another commitment by the Mariners in fostering and developing youth talent to provide youngsters with a clear pathway to develop their skills and hopefully achieve a career in the sport.

“With four players in the Qantas Young Socceroos squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, and the captain of the Qantas U-23s in our Hyundai A-League ranks, we are ideally placed to undertake this next era of youth development.

“In fact, we will be the only Hyundai A-League club that has its own representative Youth League teams for both males and females, and I believe this is further testament to our commitment to community involvement which we have made a conscious effort in further enhancing this year.”

Under the terms of the agreement, CCF will provide the budding Mariners with access to Pluim Park, Lisarow for all representative games. Additionally, access to Jubilee Oval, Long Jetty and Leagues Club Park, Gosford for all of the Academy’s training and playing requirements will be supplied.

In return, the agreement is underpinned by the Mariners guarantee that 80 per cent of all players in the representative programs will be Central Coast residents, ensuring that a transparent development pathway from the junior to the elite level of football in the region is created.

According to CCF Chairman, Mr Darren Sprod, the agreement is a mutually beneficial one.

“This agreement provides a clear pathway for the development of elite youth players on the Coast, which follows the national curriculum sponsored by both Football New South Wales and FFA,” Sprod said. “Elite players of the region will no longer be confused over which path to take.

“The agreement allows CCF to concentrate its resources on community football and our 23 member clubs, while ensuring we support the Mariners in developing the elite footballers of the future. CCF wants to ensure we give the youth of the Central Coast every opportunity to develop, and this agreement with the Mariners ensures we remain strategically aligned with the development of the regions elite footballers.”

Former Central Coast Mariners Hyundai A-League player and current Youth Development Co-ordinator, Damien Brown, said that as a local, he feels “privileged to be involved” in this agreement.

“I am excited for all the football families across the Central Coast that CCF and the Mariners have created a clear and recognisable pathway to the top,” Brown said.

“With the Central Coast Mariners Sporting Campus underway and now an elite football training and playing Academy in place, the future of Central Coast football is in its brightest state ever.”

Finally, Mariners NYL Head Coach, Tony Walmsley, said he welcomed the opportunity to directly influence the development of local players.

“In the true partnership that now exists, the Mariners and CCF will benefit from the dedicated focus and resources given to elite programs and club football respectively.”

The agreement is subject to relevant approvals from Football Federation Australia and Football New South Wales.

Ends

Sunday, 12 June 2011

We love Harry but - FFA: Harry or the kids? Nearpost solution is free.

I love to go to the beach and build a castle, a sand castle. But despite all the oohs and aahs from passers by I know that in the arvo someone will have come by and stamped on my creation.

Nothing permanent.

And such is football in Australia - it seems to me.

How many times have we heard Manchester United are coming, or in recent times Celtic, Juventus or Beckham. Now I think such "events" are great and assist the game but where's the substance - long-term.

And of course add in Robbie Fowler, Ian Rush, Dwight Yorke, George Best Juninho, Romario - yes we've had a heap - and still our clubs at the professional level are built on my sandcastle.

Clive Palmer has pumped in millions, so Con Constantine (lest we forget) Tony Sage (christ how much money can one guy waste on an ageing team - again) and many others.

No club has anything to show for it, no certainty of real tenure given the ongoing size of the losses.

We're in a pickle.

And now Bernie Mandic, Harry's Agent is feeding us juicy bits - Harry is interested.

Jesse Fink, is off to India, but before he goes he thinks Harry should come and save the league and the FFA should pay, nay Lowy or was that Mike Cockerill. Nind you they also thought Nicky Carle and Ricardo Porto should lead the Socceroos in 2010!

Harry would be great - with and for everyone. Even the anti-football media would want a piece for a while. But can we afford him?

Craig Foster wrote a great piece on the cost of football for kids - he's right with all the kids paying for our adult brethren, men in most cases, to play in front of two men and a dog. And some of that rego goes to the FFA.

Can Bernie Mandic really demand that his client gets more than $600,000 in which case the FFA (your kid) may stump up the money for Australia's alledged richest agent and Harry.

Key questions before we hand over the dosh.

When did the last Socceroos return and do something for the game - and not for his pay packet when euro dollars ran out.

Not Tony Popovic - My plane stopped in the middle east - not John Aloisi, couldn't get a club so will play once I get a million (shades of Harry???), not Craig Moore, Stan Lazaridis, Paul Agostino (who?) all earned more than they could have in Europe - only Jason Culina I'd argue has come back to assist the game and get a wage similar to what he would have got in Holland.

So when in crisis let's get Frank or the FFA to pay.

How is that going to be sustainable?

Hasn't this game learned anything?

We need to keep all clubs, connect and work much harder converting players and fans of football and other codes into A-League fans.

When we have a core 10,000 every week at all clubs - then we can go to level 3 - spend a bit or waste the credit card on Bernie Mandic and Harry.

Bernie got $2million from Harry's $5 million transfer to Liverpool so it was reported at the time - how much does Bernie want this time for negotiating the deal - $5 from each kid playing football in Australia?

What if Harry gets injured? We'll be a laughing stock - and Harry might.
What if Harry has no other clubs after him other than QPR - does Harry need us more than we need him?

Nearpost Solution
Why not offer Harry one dollar more than he can get from any club anywhere else in the world and see how much Harry and Bernie really want to do for Australia, the A-League and our kids.

After all Harry seems like a great bloke - possibly badly advised.

And how come he's only talking up the move now - could it be coz no-one wants an ageing 33 year old in their forward line in Europe.

Will the FFA stare em down or will the kids pay again?

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Capital Football too small: Should we join NSW?

Frustrations abound with Capital Football, Canberra football, to achieve competitive football post-15 for our boys.

A boy coming out of 4 or 5 training sessions a week can go and train twice a week at the best Canberra Premier League clubs. Waste of time isn't it if you really want to push on as a player.

Should Canberra football or even Capital Football join with Regional NSW? Or even simply fold into the new NSW Federation?

Let's hope the new Government review will have one paragraph on the future pathway for our boys. We haven't been able to provide any solutions as a community to date.

We have not been able to solve the problems of boys development under our current structures, maybe we need to restructure Canberra and NSW football to enable this to happen and truly grow the game in Canberra.

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