In northern France about an hour outside Paris lies the central nervous system of the French football machine. Buried in the plush green woods of the Rambouillet forrest the institut national du football de Clairefontaine or simply INF Clairefontaine is perhaps the most celebrated national football academy in the world. Clairefontaine is responsible for refining and perfecting the technical and tactical acumen of players like Thierry Henry, Louis Saha, Medhi Benatia, Nicolas Anelka, William Gallas, Hatem Ben Arfa, Abou Diaby, Olivier Giroud, Blaise Matuidi and the recent crown jewel of the programme – PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.

“My daughter is the tallest fourth grader in her class and loves to play basketball,” said a father to me recently. “Sadly, I know that she will ultimately grow to be of average height. Since she is now only allowed to rebound and give the ball to shorter-ball handler players on her team, she will never develop the skills she will need to play basketball. After her last game, she told her 5-year old sister that she did not shoot or score because her job is to rebound and play defense, because that is what her coach told her. What should I do?”

The older you get and/or the higher level you play at, the less it becomes about the individual player. You are expected to be good. You are expected to be technically gifted. If not, your chances at remaining at a high level will be very short lived which is why there is so much player movement from u15-u19.

Until we get a handle on our touch and technique, why are we wasting throw ins? Throw Ins are a sad and telling embarrassment on US youth soccer development. Food for thought in this article.

Many academies claim to have an individual focused programme but when it comes to games there is a clamour to win and play ‘pretty’ Possession football. The question is, is this really individually focused or simply coach/adult/ego orientated? I think we need to understand that youth football is different to adult football… Also the Foundation Phase is markedly different to the Youth Development Phase (12-16 Years). Give the players freedom to be individual and creative…

My friend Mike went to Holland on a two-week vacation to watch a few matches and experience the football culture of the Dutch. Mike is one of those people who will bring his boots everywhere he goes, looking to jump in and play a game of pick-up on the street with anyone. He’s even played games of pick-up outside the Eiffel Tower in Paris. A week before he left for this trip, he had sent me a picture of his new boots that he was excited to use in Cruyff’s home country.

Let’s imagine this in the context of the game of football. There are 95% of players playing park football, whilst only 5% play in representative environments. I know from client feedback and concerns, that the average child does not feel comfortable in an environment that is too advanced, that is beyond their current level. They require time to build into it, as I did with computers. So, the majority are just not welcome to the world of elite football, and therefore they are discounted without a chance.

You have heard us speak to the many Physical, Technical and the Mental traits which are given to you when Freestyle, 5 a Side, Futsal, and small sided Open Play are incorporated into your football, this last post will highlight the ways of how open play football can develop you as a player through a social and psychological form as well.

Motivation Isn’t Necessarily What You Think It Is. The ‘will to win’ is a term oft used in sport to describe someone who is highly competitive. It’s a term used to lavish praise on those who are deemed in that category – “He/she has a real desire to win” is a comment every MLS or European club will be looking for when their scouts’ file their reports. College coaches across the U.S. are on the lookout for players with character! The translation: players with a will to win.

The speed of your decision making as a soccer player is paramount to your success as a player. When coaching players, years ago, I would ask them, “what’s your connection to the game right now?” or “what is the game asking of you this moment?”. As the game has progressed, I know to ask a better, more applicable question, “What is the game asking of you in the coming moments?” As a player, your physical speed, touch on the ball, and agility is very important, however, the speed in which you see your options and decide your actions is almost more important.