The wonderful performance by the Socceroos in the Asian Cup, signalled a turning point in the development of players across the nation. We finally adopted a forward thinking approach to our opponents, what we conceded had to won from us, which utilised the best of what we have at this time. Not since Gus Hiddick have we demonstrated a style of play that seemed to match our national character. All good so far!
Importantly, it demonstrated what we are not - at this time in the process of our domestic football revolution, following the release of the FFA National Football Curriculum and National Development Plan. We are not as technically proficient as our opponents, even when we beat them on the day. We are playing a style of play that will do for now as we go forward, but it not where we need to be, if we are to challenge successfully and consistently at the highest international levels.
The introduction of the FFA National Football Curriculum and its comprehensive adoption at club level across the nation, is critical to producing the sort of players we admire in places like Barcelona, Japan, Korea and yes, Uzbekistan. Just as important is coach education and training.
In this program we hear from Craig Foster of the fantastic SBS World Game program, who sums up our situation, following our narrow loss to Japan. Then its on to Alfred Galustian of Coerver, the doyan of techncial coaches, together with the Coerver COO of Japan, Shinji Ishibashi (former J League player). The points they make should written in stone! Then we follow with the Head Coach at the AIS, Jan Versleijen and his reflections on player development, following a friendly game his squad played against the Japanese High School team Nara Ishijo. Its one coherent subject from a troika of football luminaries - we should, we must listen carefully - then take action at club level.
One thing is certain, its a point that Ron SMith made in his recent review of our HPP - we need to get this FFA National Curriculum and playing 1-4-3-3, operating in every team in Junior / youth football in the ACT region. Give it a go in the Premier League. It takes years, perhaps generations, to produce players as technically gifted as we see in other places. So get started. Get Club coaches on board with the change.
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Someone once said - are you serious?
ReplyDelete1. From CF website 01.02.11 – ACT Under 13 Girls Trial - A squad will be selected to compete at the National Junior Championships, for Under 13 girls (born 1998) April 18-20 in Canberra. $700 participation cost per player...
Question - $700 to represent your state - how many talented potential rep girls will that cut out of the equation?
2. Coerver seems to be the best technical development porgram running in the ACT at present. It is a fantastic program but the summer academy program (about 100 hours) costs $1600.
Question - how many potential rep players will never get this technical development that they need to be the best they can be?
3. The HPP review report has still not been made public and the time for making decisions/changes to the Winter HPP program (starting in May) and communicating that those that need to know now seems to be narrowing.
Question - are we serious?
Good comments.
ReplyDeleteLast first - not sure why the HPP review report has not been released. Perhaps the Board has not yet decided on it's position in relation to the report or perhaps they are waiting for the new TD to discuss / advise.
Coerver is without doubt the superiror indivdual player skill development program in Australia, probably the world. Like you, I wish every child could get what they have to offer, but there's is a business and you pay for the service you get. I can say that it is without doubt, high value for money. I can;t say that about some other things in this shpere of activity I have seen in football.
I think paying $700 to represent your State is not the way ahead. This too is a fee for service. Why I wonder do we not underwrtie the costs of our rep teams?
Its costing too much to play Football at every level of the game.
I see no great Football facility (numerous Hawkers and futsal courts) in the ACT region that gives me some reason to think that all the money collected from parents and players is building something substantial for future generations. I am delighted that we have a W League team for the ACT, but disgusted that the FFA's only solution was to have member federations pay all the costs for a team each season. And so, we pay a high indirect cost for this solution - we have mcuh less money to invest in infrastruture so necessary to grow the game in the ACT, and we make parents pay a lot of money for their children to represent the ACT, or join a CF development program. It cost about $2000 per team for the Summer 20s, a development activity, just ridiculous. It costs nothing less than about $50 - 80,000 to campaign a Men's Premier League Club each season. The Women's Premier League costs are escalating. What's the CF plan to contain costs, because if they do not,there are abut four clubs for sure that are just hanging on by their finger nails.
It costs too much to play football.
And to top it off - how damaging to the future of Football in the ACT is the ACT Government's massive handout to the AFL for a team in Western Sydney? And how did that get through without every CF Board member screaming from the rooftops and making the Minister responsible, Mr Barr,and the ACT Government retreat and direct the funds toward sports in the ACt (Football being the largest particpation sport being a front runner. The answer is we were either asleep at teh wheel or just too scared to upset the ACT Government or Minister, lest they decline to do another Hawker (and we paid about half of that!).
It cost too much to play football and far too much for children to learn how to get better at the game.
"Are you serious"? A good question in so many ways.
The HPP Review Report is in the Library part of the CF website.
ReplyDeleteCF have told HPP parents "In line with the recommendations documented in the 2010 Capital Football High Performance Review conducted by Ron Smith and the FFA National Curriculum Talented Player Pathway, Capital Football will not be entering any development or representative teams into Capital Football competitions as “playing squads”.
Not sure the report actually says that.