From U6's, Foot and Ball Academy sessions maintain a principal focus on player development around the 1 v 1 duel. This is motivated by our CORE Philosophy, which follows a popularised philosophy utilised in elite parts of Europe (not our own):
“Improving the individual player, improves the overall team.” We strive to improve the technical, conceptual, and mental aspects of an individual player, irrespective of their level.
We help players understand they want to build a strong technical ‘toolbox,’ using each 'allowable' part of their body e.g., feet, thighs, chest, when playing football. These can be thought of as ‘tools’ to help the player control, as well as manipulate the ball. This incentivises them to develop as many ‘tools’ as possible, helping to problem solve during a game e.g. successfully passing a defender. For example, outside left foot, inside left foot, laces of the left foot, soul, or studs of the left foot. Alone, that is four tools from just one foot!
As a brand-new Academy, we take session structure and participation seriously. At a minimum, if the player absorbs nothing else they will learn that a session has three primary components. Below is a guideline for most** sessions for players U6's and above:
Imperative. The "warm up" is becoming a hot topic amongst medical professionals. A way of greatly reducing injury in the long-term. The warmup is designed to teach our young players to 'talk to their bodies.' Prepare them for what's coming (training). We focus on getting the players active and excited, ready to digest the core message of the session .
Duration: ~15 minutes
If there is time, this portion of the session is designed to improve the fast feet response of a player as well as their balance. Unopposed coordination work. This section does not last long but gets the heart rate up! It involves popular tools such as the agility ladder, fast feet through cones, and short sprints (less than 5 m).
Duration: ~5-10 minutes
Is the focus of the week: passing? Dribbling? Defending? Possession? Whatever it may be this segment of the session delivers an engaging, inclusive set of exercises designed to drive home the key message of that week’s focus.
Duration: ~15-20 minutes
If there is time we like to finish with small-sided games, ideally 1 v 1 duels with small goals. Our Academy rules include: no long shots or clearances allowed. Nor, any Goalkeepers. This concluding aspect of a session allows the players to express themselves and the ideas they have learnt or have been learning over previous sessions in a game-like environment. There are no scorelines kept. The purpose of the duel is to allow the player access to something resembling a real game, without the added pressure. The desired outcome is improvement where it matters most, playing!
Duration: always the remainder of a session!
**note: This session guideline is subject to variation, deviation and change if the coach deems it necessary.
Often overlooked by society, a sustainable mindset towards playing football is a crucial component of our philosophy at Foot and Ball Academy. That is:
“First and foremost, calmness and composure on the ball.” - Coach Nick
Too often kids’ games are overrun by an over enthusiastic crowd, creating a stressful environment, and thus a very subtle, game-related ‘panic’ from the young players.
“Panic is a young player’s first hurdle to overcome in football.” - Coach Nick
This very mild ‘panic’ typically expresses itself in subtle ways. Not obvious to the inexperienced. Examples include:
The primary approach we use to overcome this is a simple ideological substitution. We replace the concept of winning with that of improving. By doing this, we alter the players mental incentives when playing. With no leagues or ladders or tables, the player is freed up to focus on their personal player improvement.
**note: we regularly keep scorelines of activities, exercises, and little games throughout a session. Scores are not recorded or kept beyond that segment of the session. They are not celebrated at the end of it, either. Rather they are used as a gentle, subtle reminder that the goal of the game, long- term, is to score.
There is ongoing debate over the best approach to developing young players in Australia. One aspect of the debate that is often neglected is the importance of valuing time.
It is undeniable, one of the lures of the World’s game is its ‘tricky’ nature. The challenges of football can only be mastered by one who aims to play with confidence, calmness, and a healthy sense of freedom on the field. For that reason, lots of time is required to give young players every chance to improve themselves to a level they feel resembles that, with the aim of making the dynamism and challenges of the game more enjoyable later in life.
At Foot and Ball Academy, respecting the value of time is a foundation of our teaching philosophy. Too often, time is wasted, leading to bad habits. From arriving late to sessions, to the hasty introduction of in-game management e.g., kicking the ball out under “pressure.” For this reason, we not only stress the importance of punctually, but that every player always feels encouraged to make constructive mistakes during a session. i.e., taking risk over ‘safe play.’
“I would rather see a young player try something they just learnt, make a mistake with it, and concede a goal, versus panicking, then booting the ball away, whilst feeling that sense of strategic safety. It’s too young for any of that. Leave strategy for later in their life.” - Coach Nick