Life Inside Britain's Best Academy To kick off season 2 of The Coaching Manual podcast we headed down to Southampton FC's famed academy and sat down in their coaches' office. We were joined by Academy Director and U18 Manager Jason Dodd, Assistant Academy Manager Terry Moore and Foundation Phase Academy Coach Andy Marks. Listen on to learn how Southampton identify, recruit, train and ultimately promote young players from grassroots to their first team. Plus Jason Dodd swears. http://www.thecoachingmanual.com/soccer/podcasts/southampton-academy-8005
Since none of you lazy buggers could be bothered to listen here's some quick notes: - Discusses overall structure of acadamy down to U9s level. - Games start off in the youngest age groups as 1v1. - Positions banned until much later on. - Aim to train children on how to use the football dependent on where they may find themselves on the pitch. - Training both with and without ball play identical to that of the first team. - Looking for any kids who are always happy when playing and enjoying the work. - 60-70 players in the whole academy. - Dodd flipped his **** when the comment was made that it might be easier for ex-pros like him to get into coaching. I think he misunderstood. - After the episode, claimed he wasn't Jason Dodd in case the swearing caused offence. "I'm Matt Crocker!" There was much, much more, a pretty interesting interview, but I'm three beers into the weekend and I listened to it last night. Cheerio!
This is so important and is always missed by coaches, players and parents at grass roots level. I have lost players from my team because from Under 7's to Under 11s, because I insisted that the boys didn't have a position. They rotated or played in several positions. Too many people want little Johnny to score the goals. That's made my day.
Good point, FLT. A kid can fail because he doesn't know his best position...they all want to be strikers. For example, big lads tend to be put up front and may not be very good, whereas they would better defenders. My son was tall and had a bit of a brain and he ended up in goal, but, once he left tyro league, he moved to MF. At youth level he got typecast once he took the gloves (because it is very hard to get anyone to do that job). Youngsters should gain wide experience...at the very least they understand what other players may do.
Whenever I have these conversations with parents, I just say, "Kevin Phillips" We let him go because we didn't think he'd be a good enough right back.
I used to be a goalie because I'm tall, now I much prefer playing out pitch and I'm better out on pitch. I still get shoved in goal sometimes due to my height, even though I'm not that good in goal as I haven't played there consistently for a while.
Just like to note that the class of 2002/3 (*JWP/Shaw/Chambers/Reed/Sinclair/McQueen/Gape) did not come through that system. Malcolm Elias was head of the academy with Dave Puckett as head coach. They played 8 or 9 a side from 8 years old and did have positions (Shaw was left wing/McQueen was left full back for example). Change to 11 a side at U11s or maybe U13 I think. The coaching was great but the fact these lads had each other to compete against in training was probably the biggest factor in their success after their raw talent. The system as described above kicked in after administration when Matt Crocker and Terry Moore arrived. Reed came later again. Nb Malcolm Elias has done a great job at Fulham in terms of Fulhams U18 and U21 success BTW. They were/are a special bunch. The current system is NOT the main reason Saints are having the current success with youth into 1st team in my opinion, not to say it won't have success. *Nb Turnbull and Rowe arrived later, Gallagher is the year below and Stephens the year above and Isgrove a year older again)
It is easier. The whole FA badge system is set up to work against non-pros. Also, of course, rightly or wrongly you know who will get the 'respect' of the kids. I don't agree that you have to have been a good player to be a good coach (in fact it held English football back for years), but at least an ex-pro can understand the pressures involved.
I listened....another extra few points Saints are looking to branch out to have coaching hubs in Surrey as well as Southampton and Bath regions. Now the academies are under one roof they did a Q & A session with senior players chatting with their academy counterparts about their position. E.g. Dejan Lovren talking to the u21/u18/u16 centre backs. Senior players happy to do this without having their arms twisted
And that idiot Redknapp still didn't play him at right back! Joking aside, Redknapp didn't use him effectively. Phillips and Crouch together should have been an excellent partnership.
