Coerver Coaching - A Proven World Class Technical Solution to Young Player Skills Acquisition

This program is broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz) across the Australian Community Radio network, Tuesday, 14 June 2011 at 7:00PM.

Tonights program is given to an interview with the Vice President, Asia Pacific Director, Coerver Coaching Asia Pacific, Jason Lancsar.

Jason Lancsar and Holger Osieck, Socceroos' coach at the Johnny Warren Football Foundation function in Sydney

In other programs we have spoken at length to that doyen of Football technical coaches and co-founder of Coerver, Alfred Galustian. Our interviews with Alfred have been rich in content and Alfred has shown a lot of interest in Australia and also works with the FFA in a consulting capacity.

Coerver Co-Founder Alfred Galustian 

This interview with Jason Lancsar focuses a little more on the local football scene, through the eyes of a Coerver principal who operates in the most critical area of player development – the acquisition of football skills among young players. The Coerver program is underpinned by a world wide, top quality curriculum, a curriculum that dovetails neatly into the FFA’s National Curriculum. The boys and girls that participate in the various programs get a technical football education that is very difficult, if not near impossible to get elsewhere. It sets the young players up for football for the rest of their playing lives.

Alfred Galustian conducting coach education for the FFA skills aquistion program

Then there is the quality of the Coerver coaches – they are top notch. Their business depends on it. Coaches are the natural leadership group in football and the Coerver coaches set high standards. This is a great comfort to parents.

The thing that I like about Coerver is that it is not elitist, they serve all young players who wish to play the beautiful game – to quote Jason :

“Its an elite program, delivered by elite coaches, for young players of all abilities.”

I think you will find this interview very informative.

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FFA Technical Director Talks About Coach Education and Les Murray Talks About His Work On the FIFA Ethics Committee

Sourced from the SBS World Game


This program contains two interviews sourced from that fantastic SBS Football program – The World Game. If you haven’t already done so, watch it on SBS 2 on Monday nights, or record it and watch it at a more convenient time, bookmark the website on your computer of mobile phone browser – but make sure you follow this program – it does a wonderful to the Australian game and the major leagues around the world. The SBS World Game – a must for Football tragics.
Tonight we cover two topics that have impact on our local football scene:

- The first is an interview with Han Berger concerning the progress of coach education since the launching of the FFA’s National Football Curriculum and Development plans and in particular, the recent Pro C licence, specifically aimed at those Australians that wish to make a career in professional football coaching and very specifically, our A League coaches. Coaches at all levels of the game are the collective leadership group in the game, they set the standard in every respect and are the means by which the National Curriculum is given life and our game in Australia develops. Simple as that! But note the timeframe that Berger has in mind before a sustainable change through good coaching is achieved. This is a long term job! For myself, the national curriculum is essential, but nothing is more critical than the development of our coaches at every level of game, not just the top level. That may well be Han Berger’s lasting legacy to Australian football and if so, it’s a very good one.

- Then its on to listen to that doyen of Australian Football – Les Murray – Mr Football. Murray has been a member of the FIFA Ethics committee for several years and you would be hard pressed to find a better, more principled and more informed representative from Australia or anywhere else in the world game to FIFA. Now, FIFA have been and are still in some serious trouble at the moment with allegations of corrupt conduct by senior FIFA officials. This most recent catastrophe for Football, follows that very dubious decision by FIFA to award a World Cup to Qatar. FIFA is one the nose and that is bad news for the game. Murray’s interview concerns his obligations through the FIFA Ethics committee , what he can say about what has happened in the last couple of weeks and what is likely to happen in the weeks ahead. Les Murray sets a standard for football officials and we need more of his type leading our game. This is a very informative interview.

What’s the take away for us here in the ACT (aside for concern for the game going forward in the big picture context)?

It is this – our governing body here in the ACT, Capital Football, has in recent years been free of the sort of criticism that we see directed toward FIFA and that’s to the credit of those on the Board over time who have made it so. Football has had a turbulent history in Australia off the field.

However, Capital Football has not been good at communication with Clubs and the wider constituency, a fact acknowledged explicitly at the recent Annual General Meeting. At our level of the game, communication and consultation with the football community on a regular and productive basis is absolutely essential. It guarantees that there are no perceived hidden corners in decision making and it opens up all the expertise and knowledge available to the game in our community.
Importantly, our game is built on volunteers and a constant endeavour is required by the Capital Football to pursue and support volunteerism in football. That’s hard work at Club level – all the time. People do it for the love of the game and/or because they obliged to contribute a community service to the Club that assists their child/ children play the game. You seldom get much thanks for all the work done in a Club. If Clubs feel left out of the decision making process, or kept at an administrative arms length by bureaucratic structures imposed on them, or aggrieved by lack of consultation or co-operation, or feel they lack support or understanding on key issues, or indeed, feel that issues they have raised have not resolved fairly, we have a much bigger problem locally in the game than FIFA has on its plate on the other side of the world.
The challenge for the Capital Football Board was most eloquently put by those that sort election to the Board and the Regional Representatives that spoke at the AGM. Nothing should be allowed to get in the way of their intentions!

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Is It The Barca Way For Football Development In The ACT? It Should be!

Well if it isn't, it should be.

They are the perfect training aide for National Football Curriculum. Who wouldn't want to play like Barcelona? The number of triangles they create in quick time, the willingness of every player off the ball to work to provide the next best option, the hunger to retain the ball and then win it back quickly if its lost, are attributes you would want in your team, every team, not just the representative teams or development programs. Every Junior coach should analyse the Barca style, Capital Football should make it their business to get as much vision of their games, edit it to provide a training resource to coaches and clubs.  If the Junior Clubs mandate the use of the 1-4-3-3 this season, the National Football Curriculum will really take off and the Football leap ahead.

Parents take note - look to have your child trying to play like this and their coach advocating and training to play in this style. Its fun! The best that Football can offer - next to the enjoyment of playing a truly beutiful game with your mates.

If you get a chance, find a video fo the recent first round game between Barcelona and Arsenal. It was nothing short of Football heaven. An inspiration for the season ahead here in the ACT at every competitive level in junior commmunity football.

The Les Murray Blog from that wonderful Football program "SBS The World Game", contains a terrific article on Barcelona - http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/les-murray/blog/1048057/Is-Barca-the-best-in-history#add

Les Murray had this to say:

Is the current FC Barcelona the best club team of all time?

"...Sorting through the images that are in my mind, and the experiences that I’ve had as a student of the game for more than half a century, I’m having difficulty resisting the supposition that this Barca is not only up there with the cream but may be as good as it gets.
It’s important that I qualify what I mean here. I’m not talking about the greatest club in the world, based on trophies won, achievements made over prolonged periods, star players paraded etc. I make reference only to the unique excellence of this current Barcelona, the one under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, which is yet to complete its third season.
Greatness in football is defined by many things. But the greatest point of distinction and respect, is when a team becomes a singular reference point for all that other teams admire and want to become. This is the Barcelona of today, in a way and to an extent one has rarely seen in the long annals of the game." ....

"The stars have aligned, creating a product that is the envy of all clubs and will be remembered and nostalgically recalled fifty years from now. By and large it has a team that was not bought but organically fashioned from within, and by a technical ideology which, though inspired by the Dutch, is now distinctly its own. This is important when making comparisons for too many great teams of the past were assembled by the cheque book.
This fact promises the greatness of the current Barcelona some serious longevity, which brings us back to the original question: is it the greatest club team of all time? "....
"What I can and will say, is that the Barca of today is the finest club team I have ever seen. I would guess that many would take the same view, including Craig Foster who I’m sure would shamelessly concur. And I’ve been around more than twenty years longer than him.

I rejoice every day at being alive to witness the infinite beauty of this Barcelona and sometimes have to pinch myself to see if it’s all real."

Here is a couple of video clips of Barcelona to inspire you:

Coerver Co-Founder Alfred Galustian Talks About the Importance of Skills Development in Young Players and the Training of Coaches In this Specialist Area of Football Knowledge

In this program we have a long "fireside chat" with Alfred Galustian about Coerver's most recent addition to its formidable Football offerings - the Coaching Diploma in Youth Development. The program just completed in Australia was the pilot program for the World!

Alfred Galustian is sort out by the Clubs and Coaches at the highest levels of the game around the world. The FFA has engaged Alfred to assist in the preparation of the FFA's Skills Acquisition Coaches, who will deal with the best of the best in Australia at age.

When asked what he thought of the world Cup, Alfred's reply was short, but said it all - based on data collected by FIFA, Australia was third most physically capable, while Spain (the eventual winners) was not in the first five nations for the same characteristic. The rest of this short form analysis went unspoken, but with a knowing grin, you may just detect in his voice. Kinda says it all. Which brings us all the way back to the FFA's National Football Curriculum and the National Development plan, and Alfred Galustian's role in skill acquisition coaching. Coerver are already there!

When Alfred Galustian talks, its always worth listening too!

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Technical Development of Our Young Players and the Socceroos at the Asian Cup

This program was broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz), Tuesday 1 Febraury 2011 at 7:00PM, across the Australian Community radio Network.

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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Ron Smiths Talks About the Capital Football High Performance Program Review - Part 3

In this interview, Part 3 of a three part series, Ron Smith talks about the key areas of his review into the Capital Football High Performance Program. They are very intersting and informative interviews - it's always that way with Ron Smith.

Our best performed ACT Rep team in 2010 - the Under 13 Girls. And they were very good! Some of these young players have already moved forward to the Womens' ACTAS program. Others will follow for sure.

Out of this team - our first Australian Under 13 Girls representative - Siena Senatore.  And if memory serves correctly, that's a top flight young NSW player (also an Australian U13 rep) she has to deal with and did so. It can be done! In the case of Ms Senatore, it was the product of years of work in Football, summer and winter, CF HPP, Coerver Academy (several years of it) for the high quality technical development that is second to none in the ACT region, and various other football activities that her parents got her too over the years, too numerous to list and of course, Futsal. Ron Smith's word "repetition" comes to mind. There are no shortcuts. In the end though, its the player that does the work and the harder you work if you have some ability, the more likely you are to succeed. And so it was for this young player. I can only imagine how proud her parents and brother must have been when her selection was announced. It can be done!

 Here we have the 2006 Socceross, a remarkable group of players, with a first rate coach and top class support staff - among which Ron Smith was a key person - the football analyst. One picture that defeinately belongs in the "pool room"! This is where all that "development" , all that "repetition" and an uncompromising ambition / committment to succeed, may take a talented young player. Without all this and before any other factor imposes itself, nothing is possible. It all starts in our backyard - our Clubs and ourCapital Football player development regime. That's why this review of our HPP is so important.

As I have mentioned previously, we do not attempt to tick off every paragraph of the report or recommendations. You do the reading for yourself when the report is released on the CF website.

Instead, we have a long fireside chat with Ron around the major themes or key points in his report and recommendations. The report stands as it is and how it willbe dealt with is for others. At this point, I think its far more important to listen to the author’s thoughts, underpinning philosophy and views on these matters, as it will assist us in understanding what he has recommended and why.

There are no hidden corners, what you hear is how it is. Ron’s research is thorough and he has a depth of football experience at the highest levels of the game, which enables him to bring a certainty of observation not available to most of the rest of us.

I must also again remind the NPL listener, that Ron’s not responsible for implementation of the recommendations. He has tabled his report and now its for others to decide what to do with it. In this case, it is for the CF Board to decide and the new Technical Director to undertake over the next couple of years.

As ever, now the report is done, the devil is in the detailed implementation.

So sit back, cup of tea to hand, close the door, hang the "do not disturb" sign on the door knob, put on the headphones, listen and think.

Download the Podcast here:

Ron Smiths Talks About the Capital Football High Performance Program Review - Part 2

In this interview, Part 2 of a three part series, Ron Smith talks about the key areas of his review into the Capital Football High Performance Program. They are very intersting and informative interviews - it's always that way with Ron Smith.

As I have mentioned previously, we do not attempt to tick off every paragraph of the report or recommendations. You do the reading for yourself when the report is released on the CF website.

Instead, we have a long fireside chat with Ron around the major themes or key points in his report and recommendations. The report stands as it is and how it willbe dealt with is for others. At this point, I think its far more important to listen to the author’s thoughts, underpinning philosophy and views on these matters, as it will assist us in understanding what he has recommended and why.

There are no hidden corners, what you hear is how it is. Ron’s research is thorough and he has a depth of football experience at the highest levels of the game, which enables him to bring a certainty of observation not available to most of the rest of us.

I must also again remind the NPL listener, that Ron’s not responsible for implementation of the recommendations. He has tabled his report and now its for others to decide what to do with it. In this case, it is for the CF Board to decide and the new Technical Director to undertake over the next couple of years.

As ever, now the report is done, the devil is in the detailed implementation.

So sit back, cup of tea to hand, close the door, hang the "do not disturb" sign on the door knob, put on the headphones, listen and think.

Download the Podcast here:

Football Federation Australia Member Federation Charter

The FFA has released the Football Federation Australia Member Federation Charter!


Go to http://www.a-league.com.au/site/_content/document/00001941-source.pdf for the full text of the Charter.

So why is this document important to us here in the ACT region and what it is about?

Most of our discussion locally around football can be generally grouped into the three general headings - Referees, development of talented players and development of the game (in the ACT).

This Charter sets out the who is responsible for what, and, who does what, between the governing body in Australia for Football (FFA) and the member Federations (in our case Capital Football). The Charter, in its various parts, covers off on all three areas of discussion. I guess you could say that it hammers a peg in the ground on the "who does what and who is responsible for it" front in Football. When anyone at Capital Football or the FFA talks on any of three heading mentioned previously, just keep in the back of your mind, who has agreed to do what and hold them all to account.

I have taken the following pertinent extracts to illustrate and inform. Let's take a close look at Schedule 1 of this Charter, the very important subject of Football Development:

Background
1.3 Each Member Federation has responsibility within its region for the:


(a) conduct, development, strategic direction and promotion of football; and
(b) implementation of FFA strategies, policies, programs and regulations for the playing, development and promotion of football in Australia.

2.2 This Charter is intended to cover all areas in which FFA and the Member Federations interact with each other and the detailed provisions of the Charter are set out in these Schedules:


(a) Schedule 1 – Football Development;
(b) Schedule 2 – Interaction with A-League Clubs;
(c) Schedule 3 – Women’s Football;
(d) Schedule 4 – Commercial Activities;
(e) Schedule 5 – Events;
(f) Schedule 6 – Marketing;
(g) Schedule 7 – Government;
(h) Schedule 8 - Media and Communications.

Schedule 1 – Football Development

1 FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT


1.1 In November 2007 FFA released the National Football Development Plan.


1.2 The purpose of this Charter in relation to football development is to facilitate the implementation of the National Football Development Plan at state member level.


1.3 The purpose of football development is to:


(a) improve the overall technical standard of the Australian player base;
(b) design and oversee the delivery of the best participation experience in Australian sport;
(c)  identify, attract and retain more and better athletes particularly in the 12-16 age group;
(d)  convert football participants to life-long fans of the Australian game;
(e)  attract and retain more volunteers to the sport of football;
(f)  increase the number of accredited coaches and referees; and
(g)  ensure that facilities keep pace with demand.


1.4  Football development falls into two categories:


(a)  Game Development; and
(b)  Talented Player Development.

please read on

Think Globally, Act Locally For Football Development in the ACT

Craig Foster did a short interview on the World Cup today on the Radio National Breakfast program.

I have extracted a particularly relevant section of the interview for our local football scene. Craig makes observations that make plain sense around the development of our junior players. We have a National Football Curriculum, we have a model for development provided by the Dutch, which is excellent. But it can be improved upon and its no secret that Spain (and Barcelona) are the most prominent exemplars of the style of play we would hope our "technical revolution" will produce going forward.

The interesting feature of this section of the interview is Craig's refernce to the number of high level qualified coaches in several prominent football nations. We are a long, long way off that mark. Coach education and training is vital to all levels of development in the game. The national curriculum will fail if the coaches are not there in the numbers needed, at the appropriate level of qualification and all on the same page!

This is well worth a listen - won't take long.

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Interview With Australian Coach of Under 13 Girls Team 2010 - Nicola Williams

This program was broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz), Tuesday 22 June 2010 through the Australian Comunity Radio Network.

Nicola Williams is a very contemporary Football Coach and an experienced educator / teacher. Just what you need at the Under 13 age group.

Nicola talks about the recent Under 13 Girls National Junior Championships, technical assessment at the Nationals and the implementation of the 1-4-3-3 system of play. And what about the Football initiative in some high schools in WA?

This is a really good interview!

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Head Coach Australian Under 13 Boys, Ante Juric, Talks About Selection and Assessment

Ante Juric, head Coach of the Australian Under 13 Boys team makes some very interesting observations about assessment and selection from the recent Under Boys National Junior Championships.

The Under 13 train on squad, comprising 30 players, held a camp at the AIS to finalise the team to participate in the AFC Festival of Football in Malaysia in about a week. They played our CF  HPP Under 14 Boys at the AIS and let me tell you, it was a terrific 90 minutes of football. The HPP Under 14 boys were commented on most favourably by Ante Juric - well done to the Coach, Zoran Glavinic.

Listen for Ante's observation of the playing position most difficult to fill in this group. Interesting!

To download the Podcast go here:

Give Junior Footballers A Break

The following World Game Blog by Vitor Sobral touches on a very sensitive matter and one that has meaning for us in the Capital Football region. Have a read and see what you think. For all the comments on this article go to http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/vitor-sobral/blog/991447/Give-junior-footballers-a-break

Conside these matters:

• Why are charges at Junior Clubs increasing and when do we acknowledge that $150 - $180 per season per child is just too much to pay to play the game?
• If the FFA wants to "develop the game" then it really has to minimise the particpation cost impact on familes at the grass roots level.
• Does our current Premier League structure assist Junior Clubs develop players?
• Why should financial charges be made to parents in order for their children to particpate in the Capital Football High Performance Program?
• If the FFA is as serious as they say they are about the development of junior football (where else do senior players come from to play for Australia?) then why don't they underwrite the cost of the HPP in each State and Territory?
• Are we losing players from the game at a young age to others sprots or no sport at all because the cost of playing descriminates against those families without disposable income to pay?
• Why should it cost a junior player a cent to play for an ACT representative team?
• Same again for Futsal?

Give junior footballers a break       63Comments


22 Apr 2010

Recently I was reminiscing with a mate about the Brisbane club we both played for.
He is still at the club and as he was telling me how it was going, he mentioned that some of the players in the lower tiers of Brisbane football are getting paid.
I was shocked. Not only that players at this level are being paid but by some of the amounts, which are beyond belief. I felt sick.
By whatever means these clubs are getting the money, the last area it should be invested in is securing the club a few meaningless minor titles.
These are community clubs that exist to give the population a place to play football, to have fun and to socialise. Not to win trophies.

FFA National Curriculum Road Show heads for Canberra

This a must attend!
It's the first time that the FFA Technical Director has been to the ACt to hold a public forum on the National Curriculum, since the launching of the curriculum in the ACT at the AIS.


FFA National Curriculum Road Show heads for Canberra

All coaches in the ACT are invited to attend the FFA National Curriculum Road Show to be held next Wednesday the 28th of April at Deakin Stadium.

 

FFA National Technical Director Han Berger and National Assistant Technical Director Alistair Edwards will present theoretical and practical sessions on the National Curriculum and the 1-4-3-3 playing structure.

 

The Road Show is free and all coaches are welcome to attend. No pre-registration is neccesary.

 

Date

Wednesday 28th April

Time

•  Theoretical Presentation 6pm-7pm
• Practical Presentation 7:30pm-9pm

Location

 

Deakin Stadium, Grose Street Deakin

 

Australian Under 13 Girls Training Camp Squad

Congratulations - One ACT Under 13 Girls has made it through to the inaugural Australian Under13 Traning Camp Squad:

Siena SENATORE

Sourced from:
 http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=33418

Under 13 Girls Training Camp
Friday, 16 April 2010

Westfield Australian Under 13 Girls National Team Head Coach, Nicola Williams, has selected a squad of thirty (30) players to attend a training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra from Thursday 13 May to Sunday 16 May.
Williams selected the squad from the recent 2010 Westfield FFA National Junior Championships for Girls which were held in Canberra.

“What we saw last week was a new way of playing implementing the FFA curriculum which saw a high standard of play throughout the tournament culminating in an exciting All-Star game,” said Head Coach Nicola Williams.

“The new curriculum gives players more time with the ball and gives them the chance to play which made it easier to identify a promising selection of players with some standouts in the central midfield and attacking positions.

“There are a lot of players trialing for positions and it will be tough to make a final selection of players as there are a lot of players performing at a high level from a very early age.”

This squad will be reduced to twenty two (22) players after the selection camp in May, and will represent Australia at the upcoming AFC Under 13 Girls – Festival of Football.
The AFC Under 13 – Festival of Football is scheduled to be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from the 20h June to 3rd July 2010.

An Issue That Requires Careful Thought - Playing Up

Nearly every Club I've encountered allows young players to "play up" an age group, on the basis that they can handle the higher level of resistance inherit in company of more physically able (if not more  technically competent) players. Why, it happens in ACT Representative teams. But what's wrong with being good at age? Parents more often than many would like to admit, bask in the reflected glory associated with their child appearing to be rewarded for superior talent at age. The odd few Clubs cynically move young children forward to cover playing roster gaps at the higher age. No thought for "development". As the children grow, their performance in effected, usually adversely, until nature takes its course and they are back on track. Push them too hard at these times and you risk injuring them or pushing them into another sport - or back to their Playstation! But try telling some parents (and the odd Coach) that this year the boy or girl should go back to their age group. "Development" and "Fun" are two words frequently used most inappropriately in junior football. Tread carefully around "playing up"!

There is one exception to the "playing up" trend - it was the ACT teams at the Futsal Nationals. Bravo! It works!

This article is courtesy of http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/

by Sam Snow
Sam Snow is the Senior Assistant Technical Director for US Youth Soccer.


Playing Up?

Fairly often we are asked about players moving up in age group or level of competition. So here first is a check list of questions to be asked by the coaches, parents, administrators and the player to make a decision on whether to move up or stay put. The check list is followed by several of the Position Statements pertinent to this topic from the state association Technical Directors.

FFA National Curriculum in commercial academies, development programs and clinics - or is it????

This item is osurced from Football NSW website:
http://www.footballnsw.com/index.php?id=17&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3573&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=6&cHash=1f76cd93e3

Have a  read of this interesting article. Then ask yourself - why is it so expensive to have child placed in a High Performance Program, is it really "high performance" or simply community development and why is the FFA intending to spend lots of money propping up A League financial disasters rather than underwriting game development all the way down to your child. You get to choose whether you spend your disposable income and if you should engage a private provider for football development, no problem. But the FFA and State Federations exist to service the game and are they doing their job? This article sparked more questions for me than it answered and the FFA (and by extension CF) are well and truly on the hook.
And what a retrograde step it is to have the U12's move to 11v11 and full field, when we in the ACT had the answer in small sided games. Talk about curriculum!!!

FFA National Curriculum in commercial academies, development programs and clinics
08.04.10 12:19

“It has come to the attention of Football Federation Australia that several Member Federations and Hyundai A-League Clubs are conducting a number of elite academies, development programs and coaching clinics.
Some of these academies, programs and clinics mention that the content will follow the FFA National Curriculum. ..."

ACT Under 13 Boys Nationals Campaign Finished - Where To From Here?

The FFA's Under 13 Boy's Nationals finished on Saturday.

The good news for the ACT team is that most who observed the ACT team this year concluded that by comparison to  last year's efforts by the ACT, there had been substantial improvement. The boys gave their best. It was not an easy tournament.

Here is the final position in Group B (which included the ACT team):

Group B                      P    W   D    L    F    A    GD    BP    Pts

1. NSW Metropolitan   5    5     0     0    14   3     +11   5       20

2. NSW Country          5    3     1     1      9   4      +5    3       13

3. Tasmania                  5    3     0     2    18  11     +7    1       10
4. ACT                        5    2     1     2      5    7      -2    nil       7
5. Victoria Country       5    1     0     4      7    8      -1     nil       3
6. Northern Territory    5    0     0     5      4  24     -20    nil       0

Three ACT boys were selected to play in the All Stars exhibition match against the winner of Group B:

• Nathan Alfernik (gk)
• George Timopheou
• Thomas Milicevic

 It's time to reflect on the way ahead to next year's Nationals!

ACT Under 13 Boys Have a Good Day At The Nationals

The ACT Under 13 Boys, competing in Group B, had a very good day in terms of game results:

• Northern Territory 1 v 3 Australian Capital Territory
• Australian Capital Territory 1 v 0 Victoria Country

This leaves the table in Group B looking like this:

Team         Played   Win  Draw  Loss  GF  GA   GD    Points


1 NSW
 Metro           4          4       0         0       13    3     +10        12

2 NSW
 Country       4           3       1         0        9     3      +6         10

3 ACT         4           2       1        1         4     3      +1           7

4 Tasmania   4          2       0         2       14   10      +4          6

5 Victoria
Country       4           0       0        4         3     8       -5           0

6 Northern
Territory       4         0       0         4        4    20     -16           0

 
At the beginning of the day the ACT team was not placed in the first three for Technical Points. Today's performance may have improved this important aspect of assessment.
 
The final day of the Nationals see the ACT play Tasmania at 1045 hours. The table above indicates that Tasmania has scored more goals than any team in Group B, so it will not be easy. The ACT has not been good at scoring goals. Should be an interesting game.
 
There is one game that is likely to be all class. Its the Group A clash between NSW Metro 1 and Victoria Metro at 1030 hours. Both teams are at the top of their game and this game might well decide the Championships. Another reason to watch this game - this is the standard of play that we in the ACT should aspire to - we are a long way off at the moment.

The Teen Brain - part 2

Part 2 of the Teen Brain. Some elements of this will ring bells. Have you ever thought of Football as an "addicition"? Ah yes - decision making!

Frances E. Jensen, MD, senior assistant in Neurology at Children's Hospital Boston and a professor at Harvard Medical School, is translating the most up-to-date research on the teen brain which she shares with parents, teachers and teens during her presentation, "Teen Brain 101"

NPL Special Series - The Teenage Brain part 1

The FFA's National training Centre Challenge began a series of national football tournaments, designed to showcase our talented Footballers at age. The players are all teenagers (15-17 years of age). The FFA's National Junior Championships have begun at the Under 13 age group and will continue across the age groups throughout the year. The sound technical and  attitudinal development of teenage football players is crucial to the development of the game in Australia.

Our best Coaches (Club or representative) should be tasked with the development of the junior / youth players.
The best guides the best to be the best!
It is easily the most rewarding sphere of Football coaching. It is too often left to find its own way forward, particularly at Club level, usually by well intentioned parents who volunteer simply because no one else is available.

So if we are in the crucial business of developing junior players (and an enromous amount goes on before the Under 13 age group), we should have some better understanding of human development at these age groups. Some elementary understanding / awareness of the development of the human brain is so importnat for us as Coaches of junior football players. It may help us manage the diversity of players that present each season at age.

There would not be one coaching course that does not see participants speak about some aspect of player development that revolves around "Behaviour and Atittude" of some players - talented or otherwise at age.  So with that in "mind" lets take a quick three part trip through "The Teenage Brain". The presenter is:

Frances E. Jensen, MD, senior assistant in Neurology at Children's Hospital Boston and a professor at Harvard Medical School, presents and translates the most up-to-date research on the teen brain which she shares with parents, teachers and teens during her presentation, "Teen Brain 101"