The Soccer Academy


Book Description

The practices are designed to inspire and motivate the players in real game situations that give them freedom of choice and movement both in and out of possession. The basic techniques of passing, dribbling, shooting, tackling and heading will all be used but with use to solve a match problem rather than constant repetition. The sessions have goals and objectives for both the attacking and defending players in order to aid the tempo, competition and enjoyment of the practice.




Football Academy: Boys United


Book Description

Jake loves football and dreams of becoming a professional footballer. He's worried about his height though - what if he's too small for football? But on the day of his trial Jake is quick on the ball and scores - he's made it! Jake can't wait to pull on his shirt and join the team. But someone at the club wants to make his life difficult. Can Jake face up to the bullies and become man of the match again? Stay on the ball this season with the first four stories following the boys in United's under-twelves.




Football Academy: Striking Out


Book Description

Yunis can't believe that he's United leading scorer. It should be the happiest time of his life, but his father wants him to give up football and work hard at school. Can Yunis convince his dad that he can do both, or will he have to hang up his boots forever? Stay on the ball this season with all the action from Football Academy.




Developing a Model Soccer Club


Book Description

Soccer clubs of all levels and sizes play vital roles in their communities, yet most face challenges that prevent them from achieving their goals each year. This book documents the practices of the best-run clubs and provides straightforward guidelines to bring these practices to your club. This book is required reading for all administrators, coaches, and parents who want more from their club! More than anyplace else, player development occurs (or breaks down) at the club level. With this in mind, soccer organizations should make it a top priority to study the best practices of other soccer clubs and work to bring these practices to their own members. This book examines eight critical components of the "Model Soccer Club," and provides specific examples and guidance for each element that will allow you to separate your club from your competitors. All clubs, regardless of size, history, or geographic location, will benefit greatly as they apply the principles detailed by the authors in this groundbreaking text. As a group, the authors (Robert Parr, Terry Eguaoje, Tom Condone, and Matt Fansher) represent 65 years of collective experience in coaching and administration of soccer programs. Whether you are a parent trying to ensure your child is in the right environment as a soccer player, a coach who wants to understand the key steps to take as players develop, or an administrator responsible for the operations of a soccer club, this book will provide you with invaluable guidance that will challenge many of your assumptions and put you and your club on the path to success!




20 Soccer Finishing Exercises


Book Description

This is the second book in the Professional Academy Soccer Training Series. This edition focuses on the top 20 soccer finishing exercises that Coach DiBernardo personally uses with his own teams. The exercises can be adapted to fit a wide variety of age groups and ability levels. These are the same modern trainings that top clubs like FC Barcelona use.




Football Academy


Book Description

Ben is at his happiest playing for United and is getting top marks from the coach. But every day at school is a trial for Ben, as he struggles to hide a huge secret from his teachers and classmates. Ben�s secret is starting to affect his game � can he swallow his pride and ask for help before he sidelines himself � for good?




Football Academy: Captain Fantastic


Book Description

An exciting football series, following the adventures of United's under-twelves side. Since Ryan Flynn got into trouble for bullying, he's been determined to pull his socks up and be the best captain United's ever had. So when team-mate Craig causes problems on - and off - the pitch, Ryan knows he must get to the bottom of it or he'll lose a talented player. But Craig's worries are much bigger than Ryan realized - can he help Craig and stop him from being shown the red card?







The Soccer Academy: 100 Defending Practices and Small Sided Games


Book Description

Make Defending Fun! For too long, defending practice has been presented by coaches and received by players as a necessary evil, filled with unimaginative drills that provide players with little or no reward for getting it right. This book contains 100 exercises and small sided games designed to inspire players to become better defenders both tactically and technically in a fun and competitive training environment. The games are set up to re-create the unpredictability of actual match play, with no long queues or endless repetitions. Because of this, players are more involved in the practice and are thus learning "how to play the game" and developing the skills to deal with the ever-evolving situations on the pitch.




Youth Development in Football


Book Description

The identification and development of talented young players has become a central concern of football clubs at all levels of the professional game, as well as for national and international governing bodies. This is the first book to offer a comprehensive survey and assessment of youth development programmes in football around the world, to highlight best practice, and to offer clear recommendations for improvement. The book draws on original, in-depth research at eight elite professional football clubs, including Barcelona, Ajax and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national football academy at Clairefontaine. It adopts a multi-disciplinary approach, including psychology, coaching and management studies, and covers every key topic from organisational structures, talent recruitment and performance analysis to player education and welfare. Written by two authors with extensive experience in English professional football, including five Premiership clubs, this book is important reading for any student, researcher, coach, administrator or academy director with an interest in football, youth sport, sports development, sports coaching or sport management.