Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2023

/50 In my decade-long observations, coach education often emphasizes team development over individual growth. In my role, focusing on academy and methodology directors, I aim to harmonize collective and individual aspects. Our strategy begins with a game model, defining offensive principles, defensive problem-solving, and identifying player attributes for various situations. The key is aligning individual aspects with our football vision. In essence, it’s about establishing clear expectations for individuals within our game model. Understanding our learning styles as players is crucial. Personally, I’m highly visual, and for most of us, video and data are significant. Establishing a regular feedback loop is vital for long-term learning, and ideally weekly providing insights through data and video. The aim is to empower players to independently extract and interpret information. In the future, efficiently organizing an innovative feedback loop within clubs is key. Players should be guided by coaches but not solely dependent on them. Coach intervention is mainly for discrepancies or controversies. My focus is making players visually aware through digital platforms and data, representing the future of individualized development within the team framework. The connection to the collective aspect remains paramount. It’s challenging as the players we target are typically technically gifted by age 12 or 13, with motor skills development almost complete. Improvement is possible, but foundational technique is set between ages 4 and 12. The 10,000- hour exposure concept may not be enough; for some it’s closer to 20,000 hours, often spent informally playing. Structured training might not replace this exposure. I see technical work as player homework, like juggling against a wall. Club sessions should focus on purposeful and contextual passes. So, technical development in context and individualization, but always with a clear purpose. Developing useful techniques requires fundamental understanding. I encourage kids to play in the street, against the wall, and coaches to optimize our limited training, focusing on improving basic tactical concepts based on technique with two or three players. I evaluate based on yearly objectives and the game model, avoiding categorizing sessions as solely individual or collective development. Each player’s role dictates the attributes we enhance. For instance, a center back in a session focused on building from the back should consider through pass, pass around, pass over, and driving. It aligns the player’s understanding with tactical, technical, mental, leadership, and communication aspects. This approach helps players consistently place themselves in the collective situation. While specific individual sessions occur, the key is for players to enter every session with a clear understanding of their focus, regardless of the context. A developer stimulates players through coaching, silence, questioning, or frustration, aiming to enhance observation and decision-making based on game elements. In games or tactical situations, the coach navigates pedagogical approaches, fostering a dialogue with players for decision reflection. Sometimes tactical intent is right, but technical execution falters. Each situation is unique, requiring alignment of training with tactical goals. I distinguish between the coach and developer. The developer optimizes for long-term learning, while the coach focuses on immediate winning. Both are essential, with success evaluated based on player improvement within a club framework that acknowledges achievements beyond championships. FredLipka MLS: VicePresident, PlayerDevelopment