Today saw our squads take part in exercises focusing on defending, with detail added for this phase of the game. Throughout the last 3 days all of the players have had the task of adding keywords about our theme of the day, to the Park to Pro whiteboard. There was an impressive response today with over 25 descriptive words, that detail what defending is and how we do it.
During the afternoon there were a couple of showers that disrupted our training time, but we made full use of this opportunity by designing our own game plans, that we’re put to the test later on in the afternoon. There was some fantastic football on show, with enjoyment seen throughout.
Tomorrow the focus will be on transitioning to attack – when you regain the ball after defending.
Day 2 of our football course has now come to a close, with a focus on transitioning to defending, after ball possession is being lost. Throughout the morning our coaches led some great training sessions consisting of this moment in the game, with plenty of learning had. Our Veo camera captured some great moments, with some footage available soon.
Throughout the day the children had a task of adding key words to the whiteboard, that described what they had learnt. This group task was widely accepted by all attendees and it created lots of debate.
During the afternoon we were slightly disrupted by a couple of showers, but on the whole, the day was able to go ahead as planned.
Tomorrow we will be looking at defending, when the opposition have the ball.
Today saw the start of our summer football course, held at St.Georges School in Ascot. The theme for today was attacking, with a specific focus on the building up phase and how it can lead to creating goalscoring opportunities.
The warm weather didn’t stop our budding footballers from playing for the duration of the day in a variety of training formats. Aside from this there was time to engage with our Panna set up and have some fun!
This afternoon saw 2 guest coaches attend the course to lead a training session on position, possession and pressing, while highlighting the Cruyff methodology. After this there was a fully interactive Q & A, with some very interesting questions. Both coaches we’re very complimentary of all the children’s punctuation and attitude to learn.
Tomorrow we will continue the fun and have a focus on transitioning to defend, specifically looking at counter pressing.
We see it year after year, a football club needs to recruit some new players for the upcoming season and they invite player ‘X’ in for a trial. A trial is in place for the football club to assess the ability and potential of this player in question and if they are what ‘they’re looking for’. In other cases it can be for the player to observe the structure of the football club and if it will be a good fit for them (they may have numerous offers from different football clubs already).
For some this is the moment they’ve been waiting for, for others this moment could be too much for their brain to handle and the opportunity slips away. One thing for sure though is, that getting into this position is something all players should be proud of, as it requires a lot of dedication previously.
The question now is, what happens once you’ve been identified as a potential signing?
On occasion a scout may have spotted a player in the local park or they could’ve been recommended previously. They could also have been in the academy system previously and it’s now time for them to move on, to another club.
For this blog post, we’ll use the example of being spotted at your local park.
The season has been a resounding success and you’ve been performing to an exceptional standard every week. During the most recent game, a scout notices this and approaches your manager, about inviting you in for a trial to their football club. This is great news and something that would’ve happened to ten’s of thousands of players in the past, up and down the country.
You accept the invitation and await a date for your trial, whether that be in a training context or an exhibition game, to showcase your ability.
Before this all happens though, we have to address the topic of what the player actually got scouted for? Was this just an opinion of a scout watching or did they identify the player in question, using an objective framework?
Just to clarify that if the scout in question thought, player ‘X’ looks good. He showed he was physically strong and made numerous great tackles, is just an opinion. Opinions are someones thoughts, that can be provoked with previous experience and not so much knowledge. There is also the use of non-contextual jargon, that doesn’t fit into the universal reference of the game.
So what would an objective framework look like? This would include the characteristics of the game and how well the player in question can execute them. Is there a bigger impact on one part of the game, than another? Does this player have good game intelligence? Did player ‘X’ get noticed because of something they TRIED to do and not something they DID do? Again, all these considerations should be noted, when identifying a player.
For this example we will take the opinion of the scout as a starting point, as this is what usually happens, opposed to using an objective framework.
Player ‘X’ has now been notified that they have been invited to this professional football club next week, to take part in an exhibition game. This is the moment they’ve been waiting for, for so long and can’t wait to arrive at the training ground, to showcase their abilities. While this date is still a week away, the parent or guardian AND coach, should have a clear understanding from the scout and football club, as to why they’ve been invited to the training ground for a trial. A few questions to ask, could be;
Why did player ‘X’ get this opportunity?
What were the factors considered, to come to this decision?
How many other players are trialling on the same evening?
What will player ‘X’ be required to do, during the exhibition game?
Now, this last question highlighted above is a huge part of this process and will be the focus on the next part of this blog.
Check the next blog, where we continue the discussion of the process in a football ‘trial’.
Park to Pro tips;
When you have been scouted, enquire how long the scout in question has been observing the player in question?
Is the trial for the academy, or a separate branch of the football club?
Do you have to pay for the trial? (HUGE red flag!!)
What characteristics did the scout confirm competence in?
How many other players have been identified for this playing position at the football club? A small amount (quality) vs a large amount (quantity)?
The 3rd guest for our summer football course is now confirmed, subject to his availability.
Current QPR player and Ghanian International, Albert Adomah, has confirmed he will attend our July course, dependant on his pre-season schedule and the time he will be given to rest.
Most recently Albert attended our Panna Football launch and throughly enjoyed his time with us. Throughout the afternoon many of the guests had the opportunity to play against him and test their ball skills.
An avid supporter of players loving their ball, Albert regularly posts challenges for his followers via his Instagram account, with giveaways often seen. On the pitch he is going into his second season at QPR, after previous spells at Aston Villa, Bristol City and Middlesborough to name a few.
Adam said, “After the success of our Panna event, Albert and I have kept in touch, so it was great to hear that he is keen to come to Ascot again. The July event is actually taking place in-between pre-season fixtures against Leicester City and Man Utd, so should time allow, it will be great to see Albert again”.
You can book your place now for either our July or August event via the holiday courses tab, found at the top the page. Book now to avoid disappointment!
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
