YOUTH SOCCER

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT
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Talles Magno has worked hard to get to

where he is now. He shot up physically after

joining Vasco in 2012 and has progressed

through the youth ranks to make his

first-team debut in June [Link] has quickly

become one of the most important players

for the first team, utterly unafraid to use

his skills and take on more experienced

opponents.

Talles Magno
Vasco da Gama
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CO M PA N Y A DDR E S S
1 Introduction 7
71 - 75 Shelton Street
West End
Covent Garden 2 Anthropometrical & Body Fat Assessment 8
London
WC2H 9JQ
United kingdom 3 Strength & Power 9
O NLINE
4 Speed & Agility 10
[Link]
businessteam@[Link]
5 Endurance Testing 11
All rights are reserved
by the ISSPF ltd of this 6 Strength Development in Youth Soccer 13
document. No reproduction
allowed.
7 LTAD Model Explained 14
8 Training Design and Application 16
9 LTAD : The End Game 17
10 Player Development 20
11 Long Term Development (age 7-11) 21
12 Long Term Development (age 12-16) 22
13 Stages of Learning 23
14 Velocity Based Training 25
15 VBT 8 Week Program 28
16 Youth to First Team 29
17 Certificate in LTAD 36
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“At a young age

winning is not the most
important thing. The
important thing is to
develop creative and
skilled players with good
confidence.”

Arsene Wenger
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QUESTION :

What is Athletic Development?

• Athletic development is the progression of individuals or

teams shown in a sporting or athletic scenario
• Developed through stimulation & delivery of high-quality &
continuous training over a period of time

What is a Long Term Athletic Development Model?

• It is the planned, systematic & progressive development of

individual & team sport athletes across their maturation
stages from youth to senior
• It’s also referred to as the long-term athletic development
or long-term player development (LTAD) model

Throughout the rest of this insight document you find answers

and approaches that you can use in the development of your
players and team.
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How Do You Develop The Next Generation

Sebastiano Esposito
Inter Milan
of Exciting New Players?

There’s a lot of hype surrounding this young player,

and rightfully so. After all, how many 17-year-olds
can say they’ve played against Barcelona and
Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

After becoming Inter’s youngest-ever UEFA

Champions League debutant in October 2019, he
also became the club’s second-youngest Serie A
scorer two months later, netting on his first league
start for the Nerazzurri.

The exciting forward has also been prolific at

international level. He may not have made his
senior debut just yet, but his record of 25 goals in
37 games for Italy’s youth teams suggests he’s got
a bright future ahead of him.

Esposito started his youth journey at the age of

9 with Brescia in 2011 moved to Inter Milan. It is
understood that Antonio Conte thinks very highly
of the youngster.

As part of Esposito’s development, he is out on loan

with Venezia in order to earn more regular playing
time and further his development.

If he can continue to bang in goals on a consistent

basis, it will only be a matter of time before Esposito
is challenging for a place in Inter’s starting lineup.
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Youth Soccer Athletic Development

Even though technical & tactical skills in soccer are vitally important to perform at a high-performance
level consistently, these qualities are totally dependent upon the player’s physical capacity to execute.
Association of physical testing and these tests association to players training output activity is a topic
of limited research, especially at the elite level, due to the time constraints of the competitive cycle.

In the ISSPF Certificate in Youth Soccer Athletic Development (LTAD) starts off discussing the links
between testing and training and youth soccer player development.

As a result of this discussion and opening the discussion further we here provide some examples
of youth player fitness tests specifically performed around elite & amateur clubs for soccer players
tracking. Of course, across each specific physical quality – there are a number of ways and tests that
can be used to attain a baseline marker for players to progress from.

In order to confirm and define key youth development stages – they will be defined as follows
throughout this report:

Youth – the period between childhood & adulthood;

Prepubescent – before the age at which a person begins puberty (approximately 11.5-13.5 years);
Adolescent – from the onset of puberty to end of pubertal growth (approximately 18 years)

We will highlight some of the key reasons for testing and monitoring from youth age groups through
to senior players.

Vision is a romantic thing. We have

got into ‘talent identification’ - I am
much more interested in passion -
finding people who are really excited
about doing something.
Lord Sebastian Coe
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ONE TO WATCH OUT FOR

La Masia de Can Planes, usually

shortened to La Masia is a term used
for FC Barcelona’s youth academy. The
academy includes more than 300 young
players. It has been a significant factor
in Barcelona’s European success, and
produced some world class players in
the early 2000s.

In 2010, La Masia became the first

youth academy to have trained all three
finalists for the Ballon d’Or in a single
year - Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi and
Xavi.

One of it’s latest proteges is Ansu Fati.

Anthropometrical & Body Fat Assessment

Body composition among soccer players is likely to change during the course of the competitive
season as a result of training and competition, habitual activity, and diet. Previous research has
suggested that body composition analyses are vital when determining success in elite sport (Clark
et al., 2008).

Casajús (2011) recently revealed notable fat mass reductions in line with an increase in fat free muscle
mass, without hardly any variation in body mass between in-season testing sessions. It is well-
reported that excess body fat affects & restricts the soccer player’s ability to move with increased
efficiency around the pitch with the extra weight inducing a fatigue response sooner than later.

Body fat can be measured in a variety of ways which are discussed in detail within both the ISSPF
Foundation Certificate in Soccer Nutrition & also within the testing protocols of the ISSPF Lecture
platform content. Generally, around youth teams level, body fat should not be deemed as too much
of an issue, due to kids putting on weight as part of their growth and maturation stages so this is part
of the process of them healthily developing & growing.

However, it is important as a coach that we understand the maturation process of our children as
they develop through the long-term athletic development (LTAD) stages.

“….Guardiola, who will not let overweight players train with the first team and has banned some foods,
said: One player arrived to training overweight….last season he was injured a lot and we want to avoid
that happening again…..the players must arrive to work on the pitch ready & fit…. their weight must be
in the right place to arrive & progress….”
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Strength & Power

In order to perform at high-level within professional elite soccer, it is important that players have
adequate lower body strength, linear sprint ability and the capacity to perform explosive, quick
change of direction (COD) movements.

When discussing the physical qualities of soccer players across many levels of play, a greater
rate of lower limb muscle strength and power is required to perform high speed, explosive
and decisive match actions (i.e. jumping, talking and sprinting).

For example, the quadriceps muscles are utilized concentrically when passing, kicking or jumping,
whereas, hamstring muscles are eccentrically used when performing decelerations and CODs but
work concentrically in sprint actions.

Specifically within soccer, recent literature has provided analysis concerning the strength and speed
characteristics of elite, sub-elite and recreational youth players.

Results have shown that the elite group presented significantly higher isometric strength, vertical
jump height and short-sprint performances
in comparison with sub-elite groups. This is
in-line with similar studies reporting greater CRISTIANO RONALDO
strength and strength ratios in elite soccer
players compared to sub-elite players. SAMPDORIA V JUVENTUS
18 DECEMBER 2019

Normally, strength & power tests are FULL TIME SCORE:

1-2
conducted in order to determine strength
levels & to monitor physical changes in
association with specific training programs.
HOW’S THAT FOR HANG TIME ?
Testing strength through functional, gym
HEIGHT OF HEADER:
specific movements & assessments (e.g. 8’ 5” - 2.56m
trap-bar deadlift, back squat, split squat,
TIME IN AIR:
groin-bar etc) is generally performed 1.19 SECONDS
cyclically throughout the preseason and in-
season phase in order to track both progress
and injury risk.

There are many methods used in order to

perform strength assessment & these will
be highlighted further.

Power development & assessment seems to be more commonly applied in a real-life sporting setting
compared with that of strength – generally due to the development of recent technologies to do so.
Countermovement vertical jump, in particular, can be considered one of the most featured tests used
within soccer clubs; its importance is construed from its prevalence during a game. The frequency
of jumping within training and actual match play makes testing for this component slightly easier to
sanction, compared with other non-sport specific strength testing.
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However, when performing a vertical jump test, and interpreting the test results, a number of factors
need to be taken into consideration regarding its reliability.

Speed & Agility

Results from a recent investigation into UEFA
Champions League level soccer players (testing
data vs training data) highlighted how speed
test results directly correlated with the number
of sprints & explosive distance capacity of the
individuals, which interestingly highlights the
fact that the most explosive players in a testing
scenario, reproduced this quality in the pitch
based training game content – which therefore
shows the benefit of testing and monitoring not
only as a way of helping to progress through
training, but also to assist in the motivation of
the players in their own development.

Acceleration, deceleration & agility are very

important physical qualities in soccer match-play. As a result, being able to use speed gates to test
5m – 10m & 20m sprint times in addition to maybe the 5-0-5 agility test could be of big benefit
across the youth development stages, to not only track their development – but also your training
interventions.

Speed or sprint tests are commonly conducted as part of a fitness test battery. The test can be
conducted over a range of distances, anywhere from short acceleration tests over 5 or 10 meters, up
to 60meter speed endurance tests. The time is recorded using a stopwatch or timing gates.

Sprint times over very short distances are usually recorded as split times during a sprint over a longer
distance. When doing a 40m sprint, you can use timing gates to get split times at 5, 10 and 20m to
assess acceleration speed. The fastest runner at college soccer level is as follows: 3.82 seconds for
a 30m sprint & 10 meters’ sprint in 1.61 seconds gives you an indication.

505 Agility Test

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Endurance Testing
Research surrounding the game has reported that approximately 90% of match-play is performed by
the aerobic system or metabolism (i.e. aerobic means ‘with air’ and refers to the body producing
energy with the use of oxygen. This typically involves any exercise that lasts longer than two
minutes in duration. Continuous ‘steady state’ exercise is performed aerobically).

One of the most important factors that influence exercise intensity is the player’s maximal oxygen
uptake (VO2MAX). Studies in this area have shown that increasing VO2MAX by 11% increased match
intensity players can continue to work at.

One such study by Helgerud et al. (2001) revealed significant improvements of aerobic fitness was
directly related to increased total distance covered (TDC) within competitive match-play in addition
to increased number of sprints, and ball possession involvement. Furthermore, Rebelo et al., (2014)
revealed that the Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test performance of soccer players was significantly
correlated to increased match high-speed running activity amongst elite youth soccer players
(Rebelo et al., 2014).

According to recent research in this area linking training outputs with physical developments, authors
have reported increased training-duration spent at the higher-intensity zone significantly correlated
to the increase in oxygen uptake (VO2) and lactate threshold at running speeds at 2 and 4
mmol.L-1 (Impellizzeri et al., 2005; Castagna et al., 2011).

   Marcelo Brozović (Internazionale) 137.3m


Matias Vecino (Internazionale) 137.0m

Marek Hamsik (Napoli) 136.2m

 Christian Eriksen (Tottenham) 135.5m


  James Milner (Liverpool) 135.0m

Maycon (Shakhtar) 134.8m

Miralem Pjanić (Juventus) 133.3m

Koke (Athletico Madrid) 133.1m

132.8m
Djibril Sow (Young Boys)

132.1m
Dele Alli (Tottenham)

Donny van de Beek (Ajax) 132.0m

The proportion of midfielders

among those players who covered Fred (Manchester Utd) 131.5m
the most ground on average in
2018/19 highlights the need for 130.0m
Fabián Ruiz (Napoli)
stamina and mobility among
footballers operating in that area of
129.7m
the pitch. It is testimony to the Dušan Tadić (Ajax)

enduring fitness levels of

Liverpool's James Milner that, at 129.7m
Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)
33, he features in the top five.

     

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As a result of these studies, it may therefore suggest that enhancing of players physical testing data
may directly relate to an increased training output.

As with most team sports, there are many components of fitness that are important for success in
soccer. Aerobic fitness is one of the most important attributes, closely followed by anaerobic fitness
(i.e. Anaerobic fitness means the capability of the body to work ‘without air’ & refers to the body
producing energy without oxygen.

This is typically exercise that is performed at a higher intensity movements such as high-running
speed, agility movements & repeated sprint actions).

Although most of the game is aerobic, the most decisive skills, such as the ability to jump high &
sprint fast in duels against opponents, are anaerobic.

Research in this area showed a strong correlation between maximal muscle strength, vertical jump
performance, & 10–30 m sprint times in well trained male elite soccer players (Wisloff et al.,). This
correlation has also been shown in younger, less well trained soccer players as well.

Aerobic fitness is a very important component of fitness for soccer. Players need to be able to maintain
a high intensity throughout the 90-minute game. The shuttle run (beep) test, or the 1km endurance
test are simple tests to conduct when testing a soccer team.

There are also soccer specific tests that try to mimic the intermittent nature of the sport, such as the
the Yo-Yo Intermittent Tests.

Multi Stage Fitness Test (Beep Test)

men women

excellent >13 >12

very good 11 - 13 10 - 12
good 9 - 11 8 - 10
average 7 -9 6-8
poor 5-7 4-6
very poor <5 <4

Multistage – Fitness Test (Beep Test)

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Strength development in youth soccer

Protection for performance LTAD

The participation of children & adolescents in various forms of strength training has been an area
of both interest & controversy for many years. Researchers & coaches have all provided an expert
input, & over the past few years several prestigious associations have developed key policies with a
positional stand to summarise key findings.

It is commonly stated that “children are not mini-adults”, & because of their immature physiological &
psychological state, they should be prescribed appropriate training programmes according to their
technical ability & stage of development.

Recent research has indicated that resistance training can elicit significant performance improvements
in muscular strength & endurance, transfer of power & power production, speed & agility, and many
more significant physical developments. Furthermore, it has also been suggested that there are
positive effects on improving psychological well-being, as well as & helping to reduce both injury
severity and incidence.

Strength training is now well-recognised as both a safe & effective training intervention for children in
their youth stages when appropriately designed, supervised & overseen by qualified personnel with
the needs, goals & abilities of each individual youth or developing athlete. Additionally, now there is a
compelling body of scientific literature that supports regular participation in youth resistance training
as a way of reinforcing positive fitness & sporting adaptations. Within ISSPF we have many world
leaders in this particular area who have contributed to the fantastic ISSPF Certificate in Youth Soccer
Athletic Development – and have established a 1st class youth training methodology for everyone to
develop their own knowledge with.

Miscommunication & in-correct information, regarding the negative effects of resistance training for
youth level athletes, has now been confirmed and as a result coaches, performance staff, parents &
young athletes can subsequently focus on optimising the training regimens in order to enhance &
accelerate athletic development.

Literature in this area has suggested that stronger youth athletes will be better prepared to learn
complex movements & sustain the demands of training & competitive match-play. As a result,
resistance or strength training provision should be based on an appropriate progression according
to training age, technical proficiency & current strength levels.

Long-term athletic soccer development

What is long-term athlete development?

Long-Term Athlete Development describes how to systematically develop sporting excellence

and increase active participation in local, regional, and national sport organizations. This resource
describes the long-term athlete development (LTAD) model, an approach to athlete-centered sport
that combines skill instruction with long-term planning and an understanding of human development.
By learning about LTAD, sport administrators and coaches will gain the knowledge and tools to
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enhance participation and improve performance and growth of athletes.

This work was discussed in detail by Istvan Bayli who has worked with several National Teams as
high performance advisor & director, and gained great success with his work through planning and
periodization for major sporting events & games. In recent times, further work and reports have taken
this basis and model to then make a little more sport specific but holding on to the key processes. It
is the planned, systematic & progressive development of individual athletes which is also known as
long-term player development (LTPD) model.

What should be performed at each individual stage of human development to give every child the
best chance of engaging in lifelong, health-enhancing athletic or sporting activity? What gives
the best chance for athletic success?

The long-term athlete development (LTAD) model proposes a focussed approach on what is best for
the sporting athlete or child throughout various stages in their development and maturing phases. It
is not focussed around their short-term gains & early success.

LTAD model explained

The LTAD model is based on the following framework. It assists in guiding the participation, training,
competition & recovery pathways in sport performance & physical activity. This is used from infancy
through all stages of maturation right through to adulthood. Active Start



      


 


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LTAD primarily focuses on the needs of participants & their individual stages of development. It
also provides reference for coaches, parents & sport scientists to be able to categorise the phases
of development. The model runs in such a way that it is capable of developing both participation &
performance-orientated pathways in conjunction with each other.

The model also provides recognition that individuals do go through different stages of growth &
maturation & it’s not always a linear pathway. This is due to the fact that, at any stage, a range of
physical, psychological, social & environmental factors can affect the ability to participate, train &
compete in physical activity.

Key factors affecting the long-term athlete development process

1. Physical literacy – developing the basics

2. Sport specialisation – develop the rounded athlete
3. Age
4. Trainability – motivation & dedication
5. Intellectual, emotional & moral development
6. Periodisation – cyclical strategy to peak at the right time (long term development)
7. Competition – progression and key performance indicators

To create optimal training & competition programmes, coaches & teachers need to be aware of the
sensitive periods in which training for different body systems have optimal effects. These different
body systems include stamina, strength, speed, skill & flexibility.

The Importance of Factors According to Age

           



   

   

 

  


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Training design & application in youth development

Youth development planning
What is a player development model? Is it important? A development model is quite simply a
pathway of steps in sequence to guide development over a period of time. In sports & in youth
soccer, the focus is player development, & planning for training in all stages of the player’s growth.
It can be seen as a road map developing youth soccer players over a long period of time – youth
development is exactly that! Development and for development you need time, patience but above
all, a strategy that doesn’t change week to week, month to month, year to year!

CONDUCTING A SESSION

CONTENT OF A
SESSION

- Focus
- Objectives
- Choice of Activities ADAPTATION OF
- Duration & Intensity
THE LAWS OF
THE GAME
- Occupation of the pitch
METHOD OF - Choice of zones
TRAINING THE PLAYER - Dimension of the pitches
- Formation of groups/teams
- Choice of distribution of
- Depending on focus &
equipment
objectives
- Depending on the players,
their level, their experience
- Training, education
- Types of games
Types of exercise ANIMATION OF
SESSION

METHODOLOGICAL INTERVENTION
PRINCIPLES MODE
- Presentation of objectives - Observation (70% of task)
- Clear & precise explanations - Stimulation, information
- Effective demonstration - Correction (constructive)
- Understanding the message - Evaluation
- Memorising, assimilation - Explanation, demonstration
- Execution of activity and execution
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The End Game (LTAD)

Based on the development of soccer players, if your end goal is to have skillful, creative, self-critical,
reflective & intelligent players in their peak years, then from the beginning of their development phase
and younger age groups we must work on these key elements through their developmental stage
& focus on developing the skills & tactical concepts best suited for that stage using the research
surrounding maturation stages – there are no short-cuts to ball mastery, game knowledge,
intelligence & overall soccer development!

Through the ISSPF Certificate in youth Soccer Athletic Development & working through the
educational process that it will provide each individual commit to developing themselves, we can
assure that every player we influence can improve and grow closer to their own potential ceiling.

Learning objectives

It is essential to establish objectives to be achieved in each of the stages, taking into account the
players’ age & size, psychological development, puberty, muscular & physical development, learning
speed & level of natural potential already achieved.

In the initial stage when children are being introduced to soccer (age 6-12), the young player’s love
of soccer is awakened & deepened through playing the game & he discovers the need to master a
certain number of techniques; he will also find his position on the pitch & understand the need to
interact with his team-mates to be able to beat the opponents. Coordination exercises, exercises to
develop agility & suppleness as well as games based on reactions & changes of direction are also
part of training for this age group.

In the period of consolidation (basic training, age 13-15), the focus should be on development &
education. Basic training forms a key step in the success of the overall training.

It is the golden age for the development of technical qualities & laying the technical- tactical &
psychological foundations. At this age, players work on basic technical skills, individual tactical
awareness & basic principles of the game, as well as starting to look at mental attitudes such as
concentration, self-confidence, perseverance, will, etc.

The focus is on learning, practising & transposing the technical skills mastered to real games.
Learning the principles of the game in order to improve players’ reading of the game, practising
collective technique on the ball & additional physical training devoted specifically to developing
aerobic capacity & speed, as well as exercises for suppleness, coordination & movement, complete
the training programme.

Scientific research has suggested that it takes approximately eight-to-twelve years of training for a
talented player or athlete to reach elite levels. This is known as the 10,000-hour rule, which equates
to around slightly more than three hours of practice daily for ten years (Ericsson et al., 1993; Ericsson
& Charness, 1994; bloom, 1985; Salema et al., 1998). Parents & coaches in many sports are still
concerned with the shorter-term performance & place an over emphasis on immediate results.
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“It takes 10 years of extensive training to excel in anything”

Herbert Simon – Nobel Laureate

All training programs developed within Celtic F.C Academy is based upon academic research. The
majority of the specific physical development programs implemented are developed in conjunction
to the Optimal Trainability framework suggested by Balyi et al., (2002).

Age Group Optimal Trainabilty : Key Soccer Components

ABC:

This physical development component concentrates on the agility, balance & coordination aspect
of the player. These specific components are developed through both general & specific sporting
sessions, to mimic game related movements used within the game.

These components are also developed through the use of mechanical aids such as ladders, hurdles
& poles. The emphasis within these types of sessions is to try & develop correct movement patterns
(e.g. foot placements, changing center of gravity, coordination). These types of sessions can be
implemented within the warm-up part of the sessions & should be developed through the age group
range 6-11 years.

Movement Patterning:

This phase of the physical development of the players is aimed at developing their movement patterns
through stimulating specific motor programs. These motor programs set the foundation for correct
body position in technical techniques as well as correct footwork & body positions for running
techniques. These principles again can be developed within the warm-up phase of the sessions.
Again, these sessions can be implemented within the age group range 6-11 years.

Ball Manipulation:

This phase involves a overlapping between technical & physical developments. This phase is concerned
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with the players developing correct movement patterns using specific movements mirrored through
game actions. The entire emphasis is placed upon the players conducting these exercises are fast as
possible to trigger the players fast twitch muscle fibers through coordination & technical movements.
These sessions should be developed through the 7-12 years.

Aerobic Development:

These types of sessions include the 4x4mins interval runs with the aim of developing the player’s
aerobic power (VO2max). As the players aerobic fitness improves, then the actual recovery period
between the 4min runs can be decreased. However, the recovery should always be a minimum of
3min.

By increasing the players VO2max levels, then the players are able to sustain a higher work rate
throughout the course of a game which in turn leads to a 24% increase in involvement with the ball,
100% increase in sprints & possible 1-2Km further covered within the game.

The correct age group for the development of this component should comply with the players going
through a growth spurt, as this is when the players maximally develop their aerobic power.

Flexibility:

This is one of the most overlooked fitness components within soccer. When conducting flexibility
training, the aim is to stretch for development & to increase the range of movement for the players. By
doing this, it allows the players the opportunity to develop their overall physical capabilities, through
developing their elastic power. Develop their flexibility also impacts on their ability to improve their
sprinting performance. Flexibility training can be implemented as a performance based activity as
well as an injury prevention exercise. These activities should try to be implemented prior to children’s
growth spurts, & continued through their careers.

Strength:

The players develop this fitness component through the Olympic lifting techniques. Players carry
out various Olympic lifts with the main emphasis placed upon technique & not ‘weight’. Through
developing these types of movements, it helps to develop coordination, flexibility & good posture
for weight training in the players later years. Technique work is developed from the age groups 12-
14 years. As the players get older & physically develop further, then the aim is switched to both
technique & increased weight.

Speed Development:

Player’s muscles are composed of two types of muscle fibers (Fast Twitch & Slow Twitch). The slow
twitch muscle fibers are needed & developed when the players are undergoing longer endurance
sessions (e.g. soccer matches) therefore these muscle fibers are continually being developed &
enhanced through the majority games & training sessions.

However, in order to develop the fast twitch muscle fibers, then coaches need to implement specific
speed sessions that will influence the player’s correct muscle fibers & trigger their nervous system.
Through implementing these sessions twice a week following ball manipulation warm-ups, then
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player’s will be given the chance to try & assist their speed development.

The age group 7-11 years is potentially the best age groups for the optimal speed development &
coordination through stimulating the nervous system via training & recruitment of fast twitch muscle
fibers. However, from U12 & above, specific speed development sessions allow to maintain, train &
further recruit those fast twitch muscle fibers. Speed sessions should be conducted twice a week
following a thorough ball-manipulation warm-up before the technical session to ensure that players
are fresh & are not in a fatigued state.

This can be implemented into training sessions through exposing the players to 3x5 maximal sprints
over a 5m distance. The emphasis is placed on adequate recovery between sprints, & ensuring that
each sprint is performed with maximal effort.

Player Development

Sessions to enable maximal player development from a physical point of view maybe structured as
follows:

WARM UP
Dynamic Flexibility
Core Skills PROGRESSION
Mobility Exercises
Ball Manipulation

SPEED
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRESSION Mechanics
Maximal Sprints
Soccer Specific Sprints
Plyometrics

COACHING
Dynamic Flexibility
Core Skills PROGRESSION
Mobility Exercises
Ball Manipulation

FLEX IBILI T Y
TR AINING
Groin Region
Hamstring Muscles
Lower Back Region
Thigh Muscles
Calf Muscles

This structure is a guide for coaches who are looking to gain maximum benefits from a technical,
tactical & a physical perspective. It allows a continuum to be adhered to for those who implement it,
& will then lead to a positive progressive structure within the academy from a player development
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point of view due to each player being assisted in maximizing their potential.

This will also help to standardise the physical preparation of the players & enable them to become
familiar with technical or physical coaching sessions, as well as exposing them all to ‘good practice’.

LONG TERM PHYSICAL & PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PLAYERS

7-11 YEARS AGE GROUP – FUNDAMENTAL STAGE – Key Development Areas

1. Techniques/Skills
2. Soccer Skills
3. Motor Control Development
• Balance
• Co-ordination
• Proprioception
• Reaction Time
• Transference of Body Weight
4. Movement Patterns
• Core Skills (Technical)
• Ball Manipulation (Technical/Physical)
• Running Technique/Mechanics
5. Turning Ability
6. Early Speed
• Stride Frequency
• Stride Length
• Anaerobic Power (Acceleration 0-5metres e.g. 3x5 sprints over 5m)
• Anaerobic Power (Max Velocity 20-30metres)
7. Flexibility
• Foundation
• Technique
• Body Weight Exercises (No assistance with stretch)

NOTES:

It should be noted that at this age range, young players can be significantly influenced into practicing
good habits. These good habits may include diet, warm-up, recovery, sleep & stretching as part of
their everyday lives. These are also habits which if integrated correctly, can help lead to a healthy
lifestyle away from soccer. It should also be noted that when working or influencing players of this
age range, the following components should be integrated into their learning:

• Use of Games: pairs, relay, group

• Enjoyment
• Variety
• Competition
• With others/self
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LONG TERM PHYSICAL & PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PLAYERS

12-16 YEARS AGE GROUP – FUNDAMENTAL STAGE – Key Development Areas

1. More Emphasis on technical work

2. Motor Skills – Less emphasis, these skills will be consolidated by training & playing. Eg. Balance/
co-ordination/patterning/weight transference
3. Aerobic Power (VO2max)
• Intensity of Training Sessions
• Intensity of Competitive Matches
• Additional aerobic work (e.g. 4x4min interval runs @ 90-95% HRM)
4. Aerobic Capacity – Ability to maintain high intensity levels throughout the session/match.
Influenced through small-sided conditioned training games (3v3/4v4 small-sided training games
@ 90% HRM).
5. Anaerobic Training
• Anaerobic Power (Strength x Speed, Vertical Jump Test)
• Anaerobic Capacity – Who can maintain sprint speed)
6. Strength & Power Training
• Weight Lifting - more complex techniques taught. Olympic style lifts for younger ages groups
(developing coordination, balance, techniques), with the weight increasing for older age groups
(Strength & Power development)
• Integration of squat work for >15-16yrs (85% 1RM 4x4 sets/reps)
• More complex training methods (Plyometric/Weights/Sprints)
• Greater horizontal movement (Plyometrics)
• Vertical movement e.g. Coming down from height bounding, upper body medicine ball work,
e.g. Chest pass/overhead throw (Plyometrics)
7. Flexibility/Stretching – Development Programme
• Developing the flexibility culture at the club
• Maintenance stretching (3x12 seconds on each stretch)
• Developmental stretching – players must hold stretch for 12 seconds before pushing slightly
further for another 12 seconds without coming out the stretch i.e. therefore holding the stretch
for 24 seconds (12s hold, 12s further)

LONG TERM PHYSICAL & PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PLAYERS

17-21+ YEARS AGE GROUP – FUNDAMENTAL STAGE – Key Development Areas

1. Emphasis on training, competition & technical work

2. Bias to functional technical work
3. Aerobic Training – High Level Work
• Aerobic Power
• VO2max (90-95% HRM 4-8mins)
• Multiple sprints (Short sprint capacity)
• High intensity running (4x4min 90-95%HRM, Functional Endurance)
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4. Anaerobic Training – High Level

• Anaerobic Power
• High level, maintenance sprint
• Anaerobic capacity
• Speed (Acceleration, maximal velocity) – 3x5 maximal sprints over 5m at least 2 sessions per
week prior to training sessions.
• Enhance ‘recovery’ from high tempo bouts
Complex Training – Integration of Plyometric/Weights/Maximal Sprints
• Working off 11” & 16” boxes
• Bounding
• Re-Bounding
• Linked to weight resistance
• Complex training – barbell, squat jumps
5. Strength & Power Training
• Weight Lifting (>85% 1RM: 4x4 sets x reps)
• Inclusive of hypertrophy training (70-75% 1RM: 4-5-6x10 sets x reps)
• Core stability
6. Flexibility Program
• Continuation of flexibility program
• Ensuring the flexibility culture of the club continues to be established

Each section within the program is progressed slightly based upon the age group of the players.
In some cases, players are progressed at different rates sue to their physical maturation levels. At
professional soccer academies, each age group is influenced by a different physiological component.
This is to try & allow for the maximal development of the player in conjunction to the ‘optimal
trainability windows’.

Stages of Learning

Primary School Secondary School Sixth Form University

Introductory Stage Basic Training Intermediate Training Advanced Training

(U12) (U16) (U19) (U21)

The Stages of Learning

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Introduction Basic Training Intermediate Training Advanced Training

age 6 - 12 age 13 - 15 age 16 - 18 age 19 - 21

Psychomotor Technique Tactics Specific

Development Emotional Emotional Individual
Enjoyment Development Development Development

Layering foundations for physical fitness Building athleticism and physique

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Stages of Development
21 High Performance
20 Adult Training Advanced
Training
19
18
Adolescence Fully Grown Performance Training
17 2nd Stage Intermediate
16 Training
15 Puberty
14 1st Stage Building on the
13 Foundations
2nd Growth Spurt Basic
12
Training
11
10 School Age
9 Golden Age For
Learning Forming the Foundations
8
7
6 Preschool Age
1st Growth Spurt
5
4 Introduction
3 Golden Age of
Early Childhood Discovery
Childhood
2 Children’s
1 Football

Biological Stages of Growth

Biological Stages of Growth
Ages 4 to 9 Ages 10 to 14 Ages 15 to 23
Childhood Puberty Adolescence
Mostly random technical More combinations on attack Positional application of ball
repetitions, psychologically and defense. Many decision skills. Intense fitness training
friendly and positive, simple making environments. now becomes a part of the
combinations and decision Psychologically positive with training routine. Much of the
making activities. Individual correction. Advanced focus of training is now on
basic skills with an empahsis on competitive skills against match group and team tactics. Fitness
keeping ball possession. A lot opponents. Tactically work on training with an emphasis on
of balance and coordination the roles of attack and defense speed, range of motion,
excercise. Free play - movement and the basic principles of play. strength and stamina.
education - trial and error - Exercises should focus on Emphasis now on ball mastery
discovery - experimentation. endurance, rhythmic movement, and the match application of
flexibiity and running ball skills.
mechanism. Application of
where it all fits into the game.

Matches Matches Matches

Matches of 3v3 to 6v6. No Matches of 8v8 to 11v11. Tryouts 11v11 matches with a strong
leagues or standings. No should not begin until U13 age emphasis on combination play.
tournaments, festivals instead. group. Less emphasis on the Matches should be used as a
Many fun and competitive match results and more learning opportunity to execute
games. Gain technical skills and emphasis on players’ new tactical concepts and team
game insight by playing in performances. formations. There must be a
simplified soccer situations. balance between competitive
matches and training games.
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Physical Capabilities in Young Players

Physical Capacities to be Developed in the Young Player

SPEED

COORDINATION

STRENGTH ENDURANCE
SPEED SPEED

SUPPLENESS

ENDURANCE
STRENGTH ENDURANCE
STRENGTH

Velocity based training (VBT) across Developmental Soccer

VBT in elite academy training setting

Velocity Based Training (VBT) is almost exactly what it sounds - a method of strength training
which relies upon the speed of the movement when lifting a specific load or weight.

Resistance or strength training is generally recognised as a very effective & specific methodology
utilised by coaches or performance staff when trying to improve sporting or athletic performance.
This is generally performed and justified based on the current research surrounding adaptations
occurring through muscle hypertrophy, maximal strength development as well as improvements in
the rate of force & power output of individuals. Specific adaptations that have been shown as a
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response to resistance training have been directly influenced by the loading magnitude, number of
sets & repetitions, rest duration, & exercise type according to literature in this area. Understanding
the optimal methodologies through combination of these training variables remains an area of huge
interest, and subsequently, it appears relative load, & training volume (sets x repetitions), are the two
most influential factors in determining the type & extent of resulting neuro-physiological adaptations.

Velocity Based Training (VBT) uses velocity as a biometric feedback tool to gauge your weight
training on a day-to-day basis. Based on the force-velocity diagram below (F-V curve) it is evident
that at each point in the F-V curve, is a specific training quality or training adaptation based on the
F-V relationship. Each of these adaptations or qualities trained corresponds to a particular velocity
or speed zone worked within. These values may vary slightly from one individual to the next, but in
general they provide a good framework for athletes, coaches, & performance staff to work from with
this being very well documented across the literature in this area.

FORCE (N)
Absolute Strength - (0.15 - 0.35 m/s)

Circa Max Strength - (0.35 - 0.45 m/s)

Accelrative Strength - (0.45 - 0.75 m/s)

Strength - Speed - (0.75 - 1.00 m/s)

Strength - Speed - (1.00 - 1.5 m/s)

Starting Strength
(>1.5m/s)

VELOCITY (M/S)
As a methodology, VBT has been described by many leading academics & practitioners in this area as
an approach to which the tracking of the athlete or players speed of movement through the exercise
is more important vs. the load or weight lifted.
RIGIDITY ELASTICITY
Think about the different types of young & senior
soccer players or athletes most performance coaches or
technical coaches work with!! They will all be individually
developed but can be placed anywhere along the
continuum between ‘stiff & rigid’ or ‘less stiff & high- - Increased - Increased
Total Force Contractile
elasticity’.
Output Velocity

The strong and stiff may carry more muscle mass, produce - Increased - Faster Rate
high force but not be the faster of the individuals, whereas Resiliency via of Force
the less muscular one maybe more mobile, explosive & Thicker Development
Tissues
quick.
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The ‘fast-twitch’ player or athlete who moves with greater speed and explosiveness may not be as
strong or maybe inhibited in their athletic potential due to not developing their individual strength
levels.

RIGIDTY ELASTICITY

More Stiff Less Stiff

These types of athletes or soccer players may sit on opposite ends of the athletic spectrum but there
is a there’s a cost associated with this. Those individuals with greater muscle mass or thicker tissues
are less elastic as a result of large strength training volumes over a period of time maybe, causing
tissues to adapt, breakdown & become even thicker which then loses further elasticity.

The loss of elasticity creates a more rigid or stiff tissue & athlete making it harder to stretch much like
a really thick rubber band. The tissue becomes good at “push” (strength) activities, but not so much
at the “snap” or recoil movements, which are required for the strength/speed actions.
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An applied example of Velocity Based Training

The Programming Example: 8 weeks’ duration - VBT work done 2x per week with a speed and
movement efficiency session performed in addition.

Weeks 1-3: Safety Squat Bar (SSB) Squats

✔ Mean velocity range: 0.65-0.7 m/s

✔ Sets/Reps: 4x4

Weeks 4-5: SSB Squats

✔ Mean velocity range: 0.6-0.65 m/s

✔ Sets/Reps: 4x3

Weeks 6-7: SSB Squats

✔ Mean velocity range: 0.55-0.6 m/s

✔ Sets/Reps: 5x2

Week 8: SSB Squats

✔ Mean velocity range: 0.5-0.55 m/s

✔ Sets/Reps: 5x2

Additional work done in this 8 weeks’ structure included:

✔ Upper-body session to maintain high movement velocity abilities throughout the force
production training block
✔ Trap Bar Deadlift patterning (loads well under 50% 1 repetition max) to improve technique
while training in a lift he was already competent in.
✔ 2x3x 40m sprints once a week to give a low dose of max speed work to maintain velocity
capabilities & injury reduction of hamstrings
✔ Low volume of reduced intensity plyometrics for velocity maintenance & elasticity
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FORCE : VELOCITY - Strength for jump & sprint in soccer

1.
Force and what it means in isolation and sport specific types
What are we trying to achieve
and what are we able to measure?
From single muscle to single join to a player’s force output in
jumping or sprinting (tests) and during the game

2.
Is the player strong?

It depends on the movement velocity

Comprehensive and specific (jump and/or sprint) player strength

3.
assessment should cover the full spectrum of Force and Velocity.
What can be measured can be managed...

How can we measure this in practice?

Utilise technology where possible, smartphones and tablet apps

4.
Data collection and analytics

A long term view is essential

Consistency in assessment and monitoring players F-V profiles
over the season to provide more bespoke training programs to
minimise injury and improve rehabilitation.

Youth to 1st team: bridging the gap

Psychological considerations

We have all known players & even coaches who excel within the youth age groups but for some
reason when exposed to the higher pressured environments and make the transitional step up into
professional ranks, they never quite seem to be able to make the step up or adapt, performances fail
them and then they fall out of love and out of the club! Irrespective of the physical step up in intensity,
demand, technical & tactical requirements of the next step, the psychological processes involved are
regularly underreported leaving people underprepared to excel.

WHY DO TALENTED ACADEMY ATHLETES OFTEN FAIL TO SUCCESSFULLY MAKE THE

TRANSITION INTO FIRST TEAMS?

Prior to this transitional change and progression in people’s careers, according to research in this
key area of long-term player development, players have not only reported high motivation to be
successful & succeed, but have also reported feeling of anxiousness about the transition to the
senior or professional ranks. Post-transitional phase for these players, it was again reported through
investigations that they felt more confident about their ability to succeed in the professional level
amongst their peers. Again, it was reported that they maintained high levels of motivation to succeed,
however during this period, it was noted that family, friends, coaches, & teammates provided emotional
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& tangible support throughout the transition, but were also seen as sources of stress for players/
athletes at this stage of the transition.

Portuguese giants and arguably one of the best clubs in the world for producing elite youth soccer
players, SL Benfica, found this phase was overcome and hugely developed through the introduction
of a ‘buddy system’ where the youth players coming through the ranks would ‘buddy-up’ with players
in the older age groups or professional ranks to aid not only their technical and tactical development,
but also their psychological progression and maturity within the system.

This is a system that has also been justified through research into the area of transitional phases from
youth to senior sporting success.

Reportedly, numerous nations have recently focussed more on the transformation of young talented
athletes into world-class performers across sports such as soccer, rugby union & league, cricket,
athletics & American football. Each specific organisation has taken both verbal & visible steps in
order to increase the number of home-grown academy players transitioning into, & competing in
their first team squads especially within the soccer world (i.e. CF Barcelona, SL Benfica, Manchester
United FC, Celtic FC, BVB Dortmund, AS Monaco).

These strategies have aimed to increase the capacity of their teams to compete both domestically &
internationally, based on the assumption that having more home-grown players regularly competing
in elite leagues will result in a higher calibre of home-grown players being developed with the
affinity of the club, development of more saleable assets on the pitch for both a sustained increased
performance on the pitch and income generation in the future.

However, successfully transferring talented athletes from academies into first teams has not been
easy within soccer. Generally, a weak talent-conversion rate has been suggested that a certain
academy structure does not function to the best level possible and is missing a key area in order to
optimally prepare players for the rigours of senior soccer.

This has led to a rethink & various elite sporting organisations and governing bodies to invest into
new academy structures, with a holistical approach aimed to better prepare their talented junior
athletes for senior sporting success.

To understand why this transition may be difficult, it is important to frame these ‘step-ups’ or
‘transitions’ within the larger context of covered through research or academic study.

On an academic level, according to research in this area, the academy-to-first-team transition can be
similar to that such as the developmental-to-perfection/mastery analytical model.

It has been indicated that a sporting-career transitional phase such as the one we are discussing can
be described as... .the occurrence of one or more specific events which bring about a change
in both the individual’s assumptions about themselves & their social environment.

What makes the academy-to-first-team transition so problematic & daunting, is that young soccer
players or athletes have to handle transitions across in more than one key area of their individual life.
Wylleman & Lavallee’s developmental perspective on transitions such as the youth-to-senior-step-
up suggest that players’ or athletes may experience up to four transitions simultaneously:
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31

1. Athletic transition incurring the training load, competition demands

2. Individual (psychological) factors effecting the change
3. Psychosocial elements
4. Academic or vocational changes as now it becomes more serious & in most cases primary
work related

Wylleman & Lavallee discuss in further detail how the athletic transition, moving from the academy
to the first team may be mentally & physically tiring due to the increased intensity of the first-team
playing schedule.

Developing and progression from adolescence into young adulthood in an elite sporting environment
generally impacts upon the development of each individual’s psychological identity which then
causes a variety of psychosocial concerns that may arise from developing new social relationships
in the first-team environment. This is quite a shift for the young athlete as losing the psychological
support provided by pre-existing social relationships is normal with the step up than follows. From
an academic or vocational perspective, demands are elevated as a result of moving from youth into
becoming an elite athlete or soccer player.

PERFORMANCE ABILITY
Physiological and physical qualities

- Psychomotor skills
- Co-ordination skills
- Technical- Tactical Qualities
- Tactical skills
- Mental and cognitive skills

SOCIAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
PERSONALITY FACTORS
- Team spirit, identification with club
- Personality (tye of player, type of
selflessness and cooperation
person)
- Relationship between parents, training
- Reasons for playing
centre and players
- Developing the mentaility of a profes-
- Coach - player relationship
sional
- Relationships between players
- Social attitudes
-Hobbies, cultural interests and social
- Sense of responsibility
life
- Team spirit
- Personal preparation
-Spirit of fair play
- Sporting culture
- Healthy lifestyle
- Mental balance
- Balance of private life and sporting life
- Resisiting cheating
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With a growing focus on the successful transition of elite English team-sport athletes into
first-team regulars, the lack of empirical research into the difficulties experienced, & the
coping strategies utilized by these specific athletes is concerning.

Analysis of current trends has shown us the importance of psychological strength as a key quality in
a soccer player. The difference between great players & average players can often be seen in their
mastery of the mental aspect & dealing with adversity.

Working on this aspect has therefore become one of the key pillars for development within the game
alongside the technical, tactical and physical pillar in the long-term athletic development training
sequence. The development of individual’s psychological strength, especially across youth players
should be looked at similarly to that of systematic & logical training program & must be integrated
into the planning & organisation of their LTAD plan.

The objective of psychological development is to achieve the ideal performance state or develop an
“individual energetic mental state”
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Within the ISSPF Certificate in Youth Soccer Athletic Development (LTAD) these concerns and issues
are not only highlighted, but actually addressed through the fantastic work of Dr. Tanja Ecken who
brings to the course not only excellent academic insights but really applied actions and experience
from working across elite youth & senior German soccer players within the elite level Bundesliga
competition.

Sharing her knowledge of developing players and enhancing psychological tools to maximise this
area is a fantastic concept and must have for all coaches, performance practitioners & individuals
involved within the development of players or athletes.

This content is further exposed within the ISSPF Certificate in Soccer Psychology & Mental Skills
Training courses which ranges across Foundation, Intermediate & Advanced levels.
 34

Global Faculty of Professors, Specialists and Technicians specialising

WHO WE ARE: in the development of individaul human and collective team potential
in the soccer environment.

Provide cutting edge, insightful lectures & courses through a state of

WHAT WE DO: the art online learning platform.

Keeping up to date in the fast paced, constantly adapting soccer

HOW WE CAN HELP science and performance environment is difficult to do if you work
full time at an elite club or if you’re looking to catch that break leaving
YOU: college or university and secure your dream job.

Our extensive world wide network of Professionals & Academics are

at your disposal to enhance your knowldge and competency enabling
you to become a more valued and trusted advisor in your team set up.

GLOBAL FACULTY SPANNING ALL FIFA CONFEDERATIONS

 35

Certificate in Youth Soccer Athletic Development

Course Summary

Within this specific, bespoke course you will be given the opportunity to attain an accredited ‘Certificate in Youth Soc-
cer Athletic Development (LTAD)’ and enhance your knowledge in this area, whilst further providing an understanding
of how these enhancements can benefit you and your role within your own unique sporting environment.

All coaches of all levels of the game want and need their best players to achieve their potential & develop throughout
their young careers. We want to provide you with the tools to maximise best practice for the young developing player
– and watch them develop across their athletic journey.

This specific course brings together expert individuals working across some of the world’s leading organisations with a
scientific viewpoint and justifications, and will aid your understanding of where the conditioning, nutrition, psychology
& physiology of the developing player can be developed in combination with specific training principles & techniques.

Lecture 1 : Youth Testing in Soccer

Professor Darren Paul

In Module 1, we’ll be looking at the justifications and key considerations of testing in

Youth Soccer. We will look at the role of testing in youth soccer before considering the
advantages and disadvantages of testing in youth soccer and the impacts affecting
the testing outcomes within these age categories. We will then look at how we can
performance profile and we will identify the key considerations for youth testing.
Lecture 2 : Morphological & Physiological Soccer Profiles : Talent Identification
and LTAD
Professor Hassane Zouhal

Module 2 covers soccer activity analysis and demands. We will look at the morphological
profiles of soccer players from a range of countries and backgrounds. We will then
look at elite youth profiling and professional successes. Finally, we will look at the
physiological profiling of successful players.
Lecture 3 : Strength Development in Soccer - Protection for Performance LTAD
Hamish Munro

Module 3 discusses the importance of strength development for junior and senior players,
how we can plot the methodology across training cycles. How we structure the strength
development phase across the athletic journey across the academy based player. We
then discuss the Growth, maturation & the impact of youth player conditioning. Finally,
we’ll discuss the application of strength training across the academy journey.
Lecture 4 : Long Term Athlete Development in Youth Soccer Part 1
Tsikakis Antonios

In the first of a 2-part series, we start by looking at what long-term athletic development is
from a soccer specific perspective. We’ll discuss growth & specific stages of maturation
within an elite academy environment. Well discuss the windows of opportunity & age
related effects of training. Finally, we’ll look at & bio-banding & maturity assessment
within an elite soccer academy.
Lecture 5 : Nutritional Support for the Youth Soccer Player : Maturation Status
Jack Christopher

Module 5 begins looking at how to build a nutritional support structure across the
development phases and how it can have a positive impact. We’ll look at understanding
core principles & the basis of sporting nutrition. Then we’ll move on to how we ca
support the growth & maturation through nutrition principles. Finally, we’ll discuss
nutrition for life so that you have a better understanding of key nutritional strategies.
 36
Lecture 6 : Building Up A Model for a Soccer Academy
Alex Segovia Vilchez

Module 6 looks at the physical qualities of youth soccer and understanding the whole
picture, the physical integration & coordinative development. Then we’ll look at skill
acquisition – the learning process. Finally, we’ll look at the training components – piece
by piece.

CERTIFICATE IN YOUTH SOCCER ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT

Lecture 7 : Long Term Athlete Development in Youth Soccer Part 2
Tsikakis Antonios

In this module we’ll look at long-term development planning, the physiological

components of the LTAD model. Then we’ll move on to developmental training, focusing
on endurance, strength and speed, coordination development & principles before
looking at the developmental stages & guidelines for progression.

Lecture 8 : Training Design & Application in Youth Development

Alex Segovia Vilchez

In module 8, we’ll look at understanding a new physical qualities approach and the
importance of functional training. Then we’ll look at the application of conditioning drills
within an applied skill acquisition framework. Finally we’ll look at coaching development
processes.

Lecture 9 : Velocity Based Training in an Elite Academy

Jack Christopher

In Module 9 starts off by defining Velocity Based Training & its practical use. Then
we’ll look at using VBT to improve training and performance outcomes. The benefits
of Velocity Based Training in developmental soccer. Then we’ll look at the practical
application of VBT across long-term athletic development academy stages.

Lecture 10 : Integrating Physical & Tactical Periodisation in Soccer Senior & Youth
Hamish Munro

In Module 10, we’ll look at a tactical periodisation overview within youth and senior
applications. The development & alignment of training processes. We’ll look at
integrating physical & tactical periodisation in youth development and finally we’ll
discuss the considerations of tactical periodisation in youth soccer.

Lecture 11 : Youth Physical Development: Training Proposal for PrePubescent

Soccer Players
Alejandro Romero-Caballero

In Module 11, we start by looking at the youth physical development model. The we’ll
look at the effects of early specialisation vs. diversification. Then we’ll look at soccer
training in prepubescent players and we’ll look at developing a game model in youth
development stages. Finally we’ll be looking at developing the athletic qualities of youth
players by bringing all of these development processes together.

Lecture 12 : Youth to First Team Link : Overcoming the Bridge

Tanja Ecken

In Module 12, we’ll look at understanding the academy to the 1st team transition phase.
Then we’ll look at the psychological demands of making the step-up to the 1st team.
We’ll discuss coping strategies associated with the bridge between the academy and
the 1st team. Then we’ll look at how we can support the demands and pressure moving
forwards. Finally, we’ll discuss the perception of the transition, coaching style & self-
reflection.

For more information visit

[Link]
 Copyright
International Soccer Science
& Performance Federation